In case you missed the Rose Bowl parade which announced the four winners of the Change the World.Start at Home contest, Saint Paul has won the popular vote. Saint Paul will have three projects featured and completed in late April of 2008.Now what they need is volunteers! If you would like to volunteer to help on one of the three projects, visit this website to offer your services. This is a fantastic opportunity for our community to show just what "Minnesota Nice" is all about!To all of you here that helped vote for Saint Paul, we really appreciate it! 01/04/2008

Open Sunday Open Sunday, December 16th http://www.MarkWestpfahl.com/3468987 New listing boasting of ownership pride. Updated from top to bottom. New furnace and central air. Updated kitchen. Pottery Barn decor. Only blocks away from Como Lake. Click for more  pictures, price and location. This charming bungalow is new to the market and darling. Just blocks to Como Lake and Park. This home is located in a beautiful setting. Home has been updated throughout & is move in ready. Flexible close available.   12/13/2007

This weeks featured Historic Home in St Paul is 749 Summit Avenue. Built in 1888 by the famous Clarence Johnston and in collaboration with William Willcox, the home was commissioned by The Wheeler Family and cost around $12,000 to build. At first glance, you might think the home was built in the Richardson Romanesque style, mostly impart to the rough cut stone on the exterior walls. However it lacks any of the arches that define that style. Instead, it fits rightly into the a Queen Anne Victorian "masonry" category. The tower on the left has been built into the home and does not rise higher than the third story ridge line. The home has been wonderfully restored to its former beauty. The wood work alone inside is something that could never be duplicated today without great cost to the ho... 12/12/2007

St Paul has the chance to win the opportunity for HGTV to come to town and help three local improvement projects take flight through their new television program Change the World. Start at Home. Nine cities across the country are competing for life-transforming assistance - and viewers will decide through voting. Votes can be cast through December 21 at their website.Click here to VOTE SAINT PAULThe Saint Paul projects feature a mix of historic preservation, community, education, and environmental improvement, including:Helping a deserving family with an unfinished home renovation. After her husband passed away 18 months ago, Kris Nelson's dreams of restoring their three-story Victorian era home were put on hold. She and her two sons hope to be able to complete their home with a help f... 12/04/2007

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... 11/14/2007

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 ... 10/26/2007

This weeks historic home is 323 Summit Avenue in Saint Paul, Minnesota.Built in 1892 at a cost of $35,000, this home was built for Edward Nelson Saunders by the famous Clarence Johnston. The Minnesota Historical Society has a sketch of the home in their archives done by the architect, as well as photos of the home in 1898 and 1973. A previous home stood on the site in 1863 but I wasn't able to find a photograph of it to post.The home is a classic example of the Richardson Romanesque style to popular with the architect. It is actually one of my favorite homes on Summit, but it is in desperate need of repair. There are some fantastic details in the porch columns and their ornate capitals, as well as a beautiful stone railing on the third level of the front facade. I am not one hundred per... 10/11/2007

This weeks showcase Historic Home is 260 Summit Avenue.Built in 1902 by the famous Clarence Johnston, the home was designed for Louis W. Hill, the son of James J. Hill, who's own large mansion was just a few houses down the street.As you can see, it looks as if there are two homes in front of each other. The original house at the back with the gambrel roof was built in the Georgian Revival style in 1902. Needing more space, the front addition was added in 1912 giving four guest bedrooms and bathrooms on the first floor, and a grand ballroom on the second level. The front portico was saved and moved from the original spot to the front of the new addition. Combined together, the home has a total of about 25,000 finished square feet!The home has had many uses over the last century. When Lo... 09/27/2007

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... 09/11/2007

The Ramsey Hill Association will be hosting the 2007 tour of Historic Homes in St Paul on Sunday, September 16th. Tour hours are for one day only, from 11 am to 5 pm.This year the Tour will be taking on a special theme:"Decades of Design: 150 Years of Ramsey Hill Architecture" and will offer a decade by decade walking tour of homes in this historic neighborhood. Not just a historic tour of the oldest homes, this tour will give an excellent example of how architecture has changed during our lifetime.Ticket prices are $20 per person and can be bought online at the Association's website. Proceeds go to the restoration of Lookout Park, crime prevention, park beautification and neighborhood grants to community organizations including the Walker West Music Academy, Saint Paul Urban Tennis Lea... 09/04/2007

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... 08/26/2007

This weeks Historic Home in St Paul is 490 Summit Avenue.One of many homes designed by C.H. Johnston on Summit, this home was built for A.G. Foster in 1883. Foster later became a United States Senator when he moved from Minnesota to Tacoma, Washington, leaving his lumber business behind.The style is best described as Richardson Romanesque which can be seen in the multiple-grouped windows in the front step gable, the arched windows, and the masonry exterior.The home originally cost only $23,000 to build. With approximately 8500 square feet, it boasts 7 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, and 7 fireplaces. For the last 50+ years the home as been host to catering businesses and weddings. The original carriage house still exists as does the interior decorative woodwork. The glassed in area on the top le... 08/14/2007

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... 08/05/2007

Summit Avenue is probably the most famous street in St Paul, allowing tourists and locals the opportunity to stroll down the street and enjoy the beautiful architecture.  While most cities have historic streets like Summit Avenue, most have lost their original character.  It has been said that St Paul's Summit Avenue stands as the best-preserved American example of the Victorian residential boulevard. The street sits high on a bluff that overlooks downtown St Paul and the Mississippi River and is actually over four miles long, traveling from the Cathedral of St Paul to the River.The first home was constructed in 1855, well before Minnesota became a state in 1858. Since then there have been almost 440 homes built, of which around 370 still survive. Many have been converted into apartment... 07/20/2007

This weeks showcase home is 345 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, MN.Like many homes on the Avenue, this home is not the original home located as this address. The first home was built in 1882 as a Tuscan style villa. It was later moved to Irvine Park and lived until 1974 when it was torn town.The present home was constructed in 1909 by C.H. Johnston, one of over 30 he built in the area. At a cost of $25,000, the owner, A.W. Lindeke, desired a Tudor villa style home. In fact the style was starting to become quite popular and is one of the first Tudor homes to be built in the area. Like many Tudor designs, the first floor is brick, while the second and third are mainly stucco and beam. Tudor homes are most easily identified by the half-timbering located on the upper levels. The home has now bee... 07/10/2007

 The Carousel at Como Park is a site to behold. To help preserve the ride for generations to come, a special pavilion was built next to the Como Zoo and Conservatory.Originally built in 1914 at a cost of $8500, Austin McFadden has it commissioned for use at the Minnesota State Fair. He ran the carousel and watched years of families enjoy the hand carved horses. Privately owned for its entire life, the public was saddened to see it put up for auction in 1988.After reading about the upcoming auction, a family in St Paul wanted to save the historic landmark and discovered that for a purchase price of $1.1 Million, the entire structure could be theirs. The story behind how they funded the purchase is wonderful, with many local residents digging into their piggy banks to help out anyway they... 07/09/2007

This weeks Historic Home is 266 Summit Avenue.The beautiful Queen Anne Victorian mansion that currently stands on the lot was built in 1884 by Frederick Driscoll and was designed by William Willcox. Mr Driscoll was successful in the newspaper business. In 1888 he also built the Pioneer Press Building at 4th & Roberts.Though the home has been altered over the years, it still retains the basic elements of a classic Queen Anne, including the high pitched gables, three story tower, multiple dormers, and fine stone detailing. At one time the front entry had a porch extending to the right of the home and stain glass windows existed in the tower windows. There was also a large clock built into the left facade of the home. All have since been removed and replaced with elements of a more "classi... 07/05/2007

This weeks Historic Home is 465 Summit Avenue in Saint Paul, MNBuilt in 1886 and for a cost of $18,400, this home was designed for William Constans, a French-born grocer. From one book I read, he ran the largest wholesale firm for hops, malts, and brewer's supplies in the Northwest and the only one in St Paul. The business later evolved into the Schmidt Brewing Company.You might be looking at the home and wondering "What style is this?". Well it was originally designed by A.F. Gauger as a Queen Anne Victorian mansion. Take a look at this photo taken in 1890. You can just see a five-story tower on the southeast corner of the home and a spindle trimmed porch, classic designs of a Queen Anne. Sometime later, the porch and tower were removed and replaced by Colonial style moldings and decor... 06/20/2007

This weeks showcase home is 251 Summit Avenue.Known as the Horace Rugg residence, this was built in 1887 by Allen Stem for a cost of $24,500. Originally built as a single family residence, the home has seen many owners. In the 70's the home was occupied by the Catholic Education Center, with the late 1990's seeing the home converted to three condominium units. The estimated value of the building/units is well over $1 Million.The home is an excellent example of Richardson Romanesque style, dominated by the masonry walls built of rough-faced, squared stonework, arched doorways and windows, and a tower. Most homes built in this style feature the red tinted stone show here and have decorative panels. This home has beautiful carved panels in the entrance arch of classic nudes and scroll work... 06/15/2007

We have brownstones in St. Paul and I love them.  I just can't stop taking pictures of them either.  They are the most plentiful in the Summit and Crocus Hill neighborhoods but can be found though out St. Paul, MNBrownstone was used in construction all over the US from the late 1800's and early 1900's.  It is a type of sandstone and as such is softer than other stones, causing some of the details put into brownstone buildings fade too quickly.Wish I could stop taking these pictures, I have a dvd full of them.                                                                    06/06/2007