We’re outta here!

The Blizzard’s done but the fantasy goes on…all things are possible
with fantasy!
Uncle Buffett give me the CASH Buy me the house, hire me some
big ole house movers AND
Arise my beloved, my fair one, and come away with me…
Bardie letz go to Nicollet Island!!!!!!!!
Got a spot all picked out for you BF on the Island…heck [...]

House Genealogy

The mid-day sun brought multi-colored beams through the delicate
silk shades and a vibrant glow to the elaborate geometry
of the windows…gliding down the carved staircase illuminating
all its details, filling the main entryway with a gorgeous glamor
and gracefully extending to illuminate the high polish of
the double oak pocket parlor doors.
Until Surenos 13 broke in.
Those who seek to [...]

Let them eat history!

4501 East Lake Harriet Parkway, Minneapolis, Minnesota!

4501 was demolished in September 2008. Run down eyesore, wasn’t it?
The demolition was reported in one of the Minneapolis Heritage
Preservation Commission’s “Demo Memos.” When I saw the
photo of 4501 in the report, I assumed the City paid for
the demolition, but it’s possible that the owners, [...]

Move the Bardwell-Ferrant House

Dear fellow coololdbuildingsmn fans…you may have noticed a certain
house has been a star here once or twice…
This house…. foreclosed, vacant, robbed, in a state of decay
worse than previously imagined, stranded in HELL, surrounded
by thugs.
A Preservation Hero alerted the media and secured the house,
but the location keeps potential buyers away.
Bardwell-Ferrant in Distress!
For sale in August, September, [...]

HWJ the “Wild” Man of Tangletown

Harry Wild Jones – Minneapolis

Elizabeth Vandam’s new biography of Minneapolis architect
Harry Wild Jones is absolutely wonderful!
The book begins with the history of Jones himself and his
education as an architect at MIT. Jones had tremendous
energy and charm which brought him many commissions.
Jones is perhaps best known as the architect of Washburn Park,
now known as Tangletown, the [...]

From Queen Annes to Classical Revivals

37th-31st and Park Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota!

Tour Brochure
I went on this wonderful walking tour today. From Queen Annes
to Classical Revivals led by Ryan Knoke and Montana Scheff who
provided excellent histories and architectural style descriptions
of a series of houses from 37th and Park to 31st, including
3131 featured here in a previous post.
Ryan and Montana’s graceful [...]

Northside: Hope and Hard Work!

2705 N 3rd Street – Minneapolis

Another inspiring story of the restoration of a concrete block
house by Anderson Mitchell who saw potential in an abandoned
near ruin and brought it back with many many months of
hard work.

Note the show stopping three level porch…the Minneapolis
Heritage Preservation Commission decreed the porch had
to be historically appropriate for the house…Anderson
could have [...]

Milwaukee Ave – the PAC that could!

Milwaukee Ave – Minneapolis

Another Preservation month story I posted first on placeography.org about the great save of railroad laborers’ houses in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis.
When a group of people get together and are determined to save historic buildings, sometimes it works, the rescue makes history and sets the course for us all!
Milwaukee Ave on [...]

Preservation Month! May 2008

In honor of Preservation month, here’s the story of the
rescue of my favorite house…
For details on the Bardwell-Ferrant house, see the first
post in this blog…the house had a grand beginning but
like many others gradually devolved into a neglected,
run-down rooming house.
In 1971 a young Charles Nelson, (the first state historic architect
with the Minnesota Historical society) had [...]

Frank Lloyd Wrong

4101 Lyndale Ave So, Minneapolis MN

I thought this house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright or one of his protege…luckily Larry Millett’s AIA Guide identifies the architect….

Larry sayz:
“Kirby T. Snyder House, 1915. Although not quite up to the standards of Frank Lloyd Wright or Purcell and Elmslie, this house presents many familiar Prairie elements: bands [...]