Summit Hill (Saint Paul, MN)
By Jennifer Kirby, The Luxury Agent
(Kirby Fine Homes)
* I orginally featured this home on my luxury blog, last April. Since then, the home even looks worse when you drive by it, which is what I did today. Sparkly winter snow doesn't even help. This weeks featured historic home is located at 475 Summit Avenue in Saint Paul, MN.Why is it that I am always saddened when I walk by this home? Probably because it looks to be slowly deteriorating, but I could be wrong. Originally built somewhere between 1880-1883, this simple Queen Anne was commissioned by James Gamble, and designed by George Wirth. Mr. Wirth built six homes on Summit Avenue.The exterior is constructed of stone, the home has most of its original features. The front bay window on the second floor has been altered, but the most significant change came to the front porch, only a dec...
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By Jennifer Kirby, The Luxury Agent
(Kirby Fine Homes)
This weeks feature is not of a home, but of a historic building called Woodland Terrace in St. Paul.Located on Dayton Avenue, the row house was built in 1889, supposedly by B.J. Buechner. They were renovated in the 1980s and updated with new mechanicals, etc. The building really is amazing once you get a closer look. The patterned brickwork and small stone carvings throughout, including the arched entry ways, really make the building "pop". At first glance, the buildings look Richardson Romanesque because of the stone work, but when you look at the gables, balcony design, windows, and roof line, Queen Anne Victorian screams out at you.There is currently one unit for sale through Coldwell Banker for $645,000. To give you an idea on size, the four level unit has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and ...
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By Jennifer Kirby, The Luxury Agent
(Kirby Fine Homes)
This weeks showcase Historic Home of St Paul is 629 Summit Avenue.I probably should have posted this during Halloween, but I forgot!Built in 1896, this whimsical home was built for William Kirke and his wife by the famous Clarence Johnston. Johnston is known for having designed over 30 homes on Summit Avenue alone. Another home stood on this site from 1873-1893. The doors are one of a kind and help give it my pet name for the home,"The Witch's House". There is just something mystical about the details in the home. For instance the tower roof looks like a witch's black hat, at least to me. As far as architectural design, the home is built in the Gothic Style and helps give it that witchy presence. The gingerbread trim and the high pitched front gable help distinguish the style from a Que...
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By Jennifer Kirby, The Luxury Agent
(Kirby Fine Homes)
This weeks featured Historic Home is 285 Summit Avenue.In 1882, a two story Second Empire Home was built on this site by Henry Rice, a local congressman and US Senator. He owned the home until it was purchased by Fredrick Fogg in 1894. In 1899, A. H. Stem was contracted by Mr. Fogg to remodel the existing home, and what emerged was a Colonial Revival with a high-end twist.The siding on the home seen in this photo taken in 1973 is not original to the home. But thankfully, since then, the owners have removed the aluminum siding and revealed/restored the original wood beneath. The home also has many architectural details worth noting. Doric fluted columns support the porch, with wreath molding details above. The front windows are very interesting as they are slightly curved, with transom ...
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By Jennifer Kirby, The Luxury Agent
(Kirby Fine Homes)
This weeks Historic Home is 807 Summit Avenue.Built in 1906 by Clarence Johnston for the Samuel Dittenhofer family, this home definitely stands out from the Victorian homes nearby. Jacob Dittenhofer built the home as a wedding gift for his son, Samuel, and his wife Madeline Lang.The beautifully designed Tudor villa has a first floor exterior of brick and a second and third floor of stucco and half-timbering. It also has many gables, a feature typical in the Tudor style, with one "leg" of the east gable stretching down to the first floor. This feature seems to be popular on the Avenue as it is represented in about one third of the Tudor homes on Summit Avenue. It hasn't changed at all over the years. View a photo of the home as it appeared in 1920.According to one source, the Dittenhofer...
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By Jennifer Kirby, The Luxury Agent
(Kirby Fine Homes)
This weeks Historic Home of St Paul is 366 Summit Avenue.Built in 1928 at a cost of $120,000, this home was constructed for Dr. Egil Boeckman, a St Paul physician at the time. His wife, Rachel Boeckman, was the daughter of the famous railroad tycoon, James J. Hill and was the last home built by a member of the Hill family. The home is an excellent example of a Georgian Revival design. It has the classic brick quoins on the corners of the home, the broken arch over the door, dentils at the eaves, double hung windows (that look to still be the originals), and symmetrical windows on either side of the front door. The home looks very much like it did in this 1932 photo. The home in 1973 shows you the eight chimneys topped with decorative cornices. It is currently zoned and used as apartmen...
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By Jennifer Kirby, The Luxury Agent
(Kirby Fine Homes)
It is really hard to photograph this home in the summer months as the trees hide the home well when in full bloom. Also, the home is covered in vines, pretty much hiding all the architectural details that make it a beauty. I for one don't like vegetation on homes, but alas, some don't seem to mind.This weeks historic showcase home in St Paul, Minnesota is 705 Summit Avenue. Built in 1898 for Jacob Dittenhofer, this Medieval style home was built by the famous local architect Cass Gilbert. Mr. Dittenhofer was a partner with the Golden Rule Department Store in downtown St Paul and built the home for a mere $15,000.The home displays characteristics of Gothic architecture in the arches on the verge boards of the dormers and elaborate capitals on the porch columns. Another beautiful detail is...
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