Lokensgard’s Lens

The legend of Orpheus
is well-known.
In Greek mythology, Orpheus was
a troubadour from Thrace.
He charmed even the animals.
His songs diverted his attention
from his wife Eurydice.
Death took her away from him.
He descended
to the netherworld,
and used his charm
to win permission
to return with Eurydice
to the world of the living
on the condition
that he never look at her.
But he looked at [...]

The Witch’s House

From the Strib Article
“When Paul White was growing up, the big Queen Anne on the corner was known as “the witch’s house,” the one kids avoided on Halloween night. “We were all afraid to trick-or-treat [there],” White recalled. “It looked dark and scary, the bricks were crumbling, and there were vines growing on the side.”
[...]

09/2629/09

Your door opened at my fingertips
all the demons of Pandora’s box
infected me
Desire, rage, weakness, sorrow
possession’s tyrannical victory forbidden
I wandered alone admiring at length
your beauty, so beaten and broken
fire flooded into my eyes and lungs
violence shuffling along behind me
in the tower room your ghosts
gathered round and watched
as I lifted a shattered jeweled window
in my arms
and surrendered [...]

The Harrington

2540 Park’s imposing golden presence could be overlooked considering it’s
neighbor is the Turnblad Castle (Swedish Institute.)
A closer look reveals an exterior meticulously restored and attentively
cared for by the Zurah Shriners who have owned the house for many years.
Weddings and events are held at “The Harrington”…if you visit pause
for a moment before you enter and [...]

Remember

Arts and Crafts Bungalow

This Arts and Crafts bungalow was designed by Harry T. Downs and Harold H. Eads in 1911.
Fascinating details make this house a treasure hunt with delightful discoveries,
such as triangle shapes over the porch windows, a pair of minature trio paned bay windows and built in book shelves in the library, four sided hybid arts
and [...]

Searching 4 Bardwell

The face hath commented before that house history is really house geneaology…identifying each person who lived in a house…
A search for Bardwells on the findagrave.com website retreived
a whole group of Bardwells who lived in Excelsior Minnesota and were
buried in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Charles S. Bardwell 1835-1892
died at 57
and his three wives (sobering the perils of womanhood [...]

The View

August 2008.
It was a year ago today my beautiful Bardwell when you went into foreclosure and all your tenants were evicted.
It was one year ago that neighbors danced in the streets all round you on
National Night Out.
When the neighbors left, the theives broke in and stole your fireplace mantles, shattered your stained glass and began [...]

Prindle Estate

The most popular cool old building here is one of the many mansions built by the Pillsbury family…most notably the $53 Million estate near Lake Minnetonka…
Of course there are other Pillsbury family abodes, some extant, some demolished.
Thinking that ya'll might be a bit bored with looking at the Pillsbury/Jundt mansion…
Here's another to rival it…the estate [...]

Scavenger Carrion Esq.

Welcome to a special pal of “the face”
Scavenger Carrion Esq.
Scavenger digs in the dirt and rummages through the garbage.
He’s got an eye for the bright and shiny … that odd something he sees
which was forgotten long ago.
One day, he was following the path of the old railroad tracks now mostly covered by asphalt and saw [...]