Special offer

Hidden Treasures Need Saving

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Kirby Fine Homes

A street easily overlooked in Saint Paul is Irvine Avenue. It is located "below" Summit Avenue, and you can look up to see the back sides of the most expensive historic homes on Summit. A few great finds are some of the remaining carriage houses of these massive homes.. Some have been saved and converted to single family residences or condo units, but others, like the fantastic ruins pictured above are slowing decaying away.

This old carriage house sits behind 332 Summit Avenue...you can see what it used to look like, as of 1950, from this photo. It is a protected historic structure so any future plan to restore or demolish the building would have to meet Preservation Committee approval.

Sharon Simms
Coastal Properties Group International - Christie's International - Saint Petersburg, FL
St. Petersburg FL - CRS CIPS CLHMS RSPS

Jennifer - an interesting old photo, rather barracks-like. So often carriage houses are more charming than the buildings they accompany.

May 19, 2008 01:49 PM
Bonnie Erickson
Tangletown Realty - Saint Paul, MN

Jennifer,  I have had the privilege of sitting as neighborhood representative for the advisory committee on zoning and design regulations for my St. Paul neighborhood.  I was shocked to hear the city officials say that the Summit neighborhood owners lobbied AGAINST permission to have carriage houses on St. Paul properties.  The Summit homes would, of course, be grandfathered in, but new ones would not be allowed.  It seems the Summit neighbors were worried about overcrowding!  I find it somewhat amusing since their neighorhood has many lovely estate size properties.

Jun 05, 2008 04:19 PM