Minnesota Open House: A Guide to Historic House Museums

by Krista Finstad Hanson

Overview

Duluth's majestic Glensheen Mansion, featuring thirty-nine ornate rooms and expansive landscaped grounds. Minneapolis's stunning Purcell-Cutts House, a showplace of finely crafted woodwork of Prairie School design. Stevens County's Trantow Log Cabin, built in the German style with dovetailed log corners. Minnesota has a remarkable array of house museums, each with its own unique history and architectural significance. Minnesota Open House features nearly two hundred of these grand mansions, humble homes, log cabins, frontier forts, and pioneer villages that are open to the public.

Organized by region and featuring easy-to-follow maps, this handy guide to historically significant and often breathtaking sites is the perfect road-trip companion. Engaging site histories tell of immigrant struggles and baronial opulence, of political ambition and architectural innovation. Entries detail each site's cultural and political import, and photographs illustrate key features, from leaded-glass windows to widow's walks. Easy-to-follow practical information makes arranging a visit easy.

Whether planning family time on a Sunday afternoon or plotting your next vacation, Minnesota Open House is your key to the grandiose and the humble, to meticulously crafted and hauntingly rustic dwellings across the state.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780873517430
Publisher:	Minnesota Historical Society Press
Publication date:	07/24/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Krista Finstad Hanson is a freelance writer and the author of Wisconsin’s Historic Houses and Living History Museums: A Visitor’s Guide.

Table of Contents

Introduction     xv
Guide to Using This Book     xix
Metro Region     2
Anoka County
Anoka County Heritage Farm, Anoka     6
Carver County
Grimm Farm, Carver Park Reserve, Victoria     6
Dakota County
Dakota City Heritage Village, Farmington     8
LeDuc Historic Estate, Hastings     9
Sibley House Historic Site, Mendota     11
Hennepin County
Ames-Florida-Stork House, Rockford     13
Riley L. Bartholomew House, Richfield     14
Charles H. Burwell House, Minnetonka     15
George Christian Mansion, Minneapolis     16
Cummins-Grill Homestead, Eden Prairie     18
Eidem Homestead, Brooklyn Park     19
Historic Fort Snelling     20
Ard Godfrey House, Minneapolis     22
William E. Goodfellow Mansion, Minneapolis     24
Longfellow House, Minneapolis     25
Gideon Pond House, Bloomington     26
Purcell-Cutts House, Minneapolis     28
Smith-Douglas-More House, Eden Prairie     29
John H. Stevens House, Minneapolis     30
Swan J. Turnblad Mansion, Minneapolis     32
Ramsey County
J. V. Bailey House, Falcon Heights     33
Bruentrup Heritage Farm, Maplewood     34
Fillebrown House, White Bear Lake     36
Germanic American Institute, St. Paul     37
Gibbs Museum, Falcon Heights     38
The Governor's Residence, St. Paul     40
James J. Hill House, St. Paul     41
Alexander Ramsey House, St. Paul     43
Scott County
Hooper-Bowler-Hillstrom House, Belle Plaine     45
Historic Murphy's Landing, Shakopee     46
Historic Stans House, Shakopee     47
Samuel B. Strait House, Jordan     48
Washington County
Erickson Log House, Scandia     49
Gammelgarden Museum, Scandia     50
Historic Red Rock Mission Cabin, Newport     50
The Warden's House Museum, Stillwater     51
Woodbury Heritage House, Woodbury     53
Central Region     54
Cass County
Lyle's Logging Camp and Cass Lake Museum, Cass Lake     58
Crow Wing County
Croft Mine Historical Park, Crosby     58
Crow Wing County Historical Museum, Brainerd     59
Historic Log Village Museum, Crosslake     60
Nisswa Area Historical Society, Nisswa     61
This Old Farm and Paul Bunyan Land, Brainerd     62
Kandiyohi County
Guri and Lars Endreson House, Willmar     63
Monongalia Historical Museum, New London     63
Sperry House, Willmar     64
McLeod County
Schiroo Cabin, Hutchinson     65
Meeker County
Forest City Stockade, Litchfield     65
GAR Hall and Blomberg Cabin, Litchfield     66
Mille Lacs County
Mille Lacs Indian Museum, Onamia     67
Morrison County
Axel Borgstrom House Museum, Upsala     69
Burton-Rosenmeier House, Little Falls     70
Charles A. Lindbergh Jr. Boyhood Home, Little Falls     71
Linden Hill, Little Falls     73
Sherburne County
Herbert M. Fox House, Becker     75
Oliver H. Kelley Farm, Elk River     76
Stearns County
Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home, Sauk Centre     78
Stearns County Historical Society, St. Cloud     80
Todd County
Christie House Historical Museum, Long Prairie     80
Wadena County
Sebeka Pioneer Park, Sebeka     81
Wright County
Cokato Museum and Gust Ackerlund Studio, Cokato     82
Finnish-American Society, Cokato     83
Minnesota Pioneer Park, Annandale     84
Wright County Fairgrounds Village, Howard Lake     84
Wright County Historical Museum, Buffalo      85
Northwest Region     86
Clay County
Bergquist Log Cabin, Moorhead     90
Comstock House, Moorhead     90
Log Cabin Gallery, Moorhead     92
Probstfield House, Oakport Township     93
Western Minnesota Threshers Reunion, Hawley     94
Clearwater County
Clearwater County History Center, Shevlin     95
Wegmann Cabin and CCC Cabin, Lake Itasca     96
Douglas County
Evansville Historical Foundation, Evansville     96
Fort Alexandria and Runestone Museum, Alexandria     97
Knute Nelson House, Alexandria     98
Grant County
Grant County Historical Museum, Elbow Lake     100
Kittson County
Kittson County Historical Museum, Lake Bronson     100
Marshall County
Old Home Town Museum, Stephen     101
Old Mill State Park Cabin, Argyle     102
Settlers Square Museum, Warren     102
Norman County
Prairie Village, Ada     103
Otter Tail County
Carlson Log Cabin, Fergus Falls     104
Finn Creek Open Air Museum, New York Mills     104
Pennington County
Peder Engelstad Pioneer Village, Thief River Falls     105
Goodridge Area Historical Society, Goodridge     106
Polk County
Lewis William Larson House, Fosston     107
Polk County Historical Museum, Crookston     108
Sand Hill Settlement, Climax     109
Pope County
Pope County Historical Society, Glenwood     109
Terrace Mill District, Terrace     110
Roseau County
Pelan Pioneer Park, Greenbush     111
Pioneer Farm and Village, Roseau     112
Stevens County
Trantow Log Cabin, Framnas Township     113
Swift County
Rindahl Log Cabin, Benson     113
Traverse County
Sam Brown Museum, Browns Valley     114
Northeast Region     116
Carleton County
Carlton County Fairgrounds, Barnum     120
Chisago County
Almelund Threshing Show, Almelund     120
Amador Heritage Center, Almelund     121
Chisago County Historical Society, Lindstrom     121
W. H. C. Folsom House Museum, Taylors Falls     122
Gustaf's Historic House Museum, Lindstrom     124
Karl Oskar House, Lindstrom     125
Cook County
Grand Portage National Monument, Grand Portage     126
Lightkeeper's House Museum, Grand Marais     128
Isanti County
Edblad Cabin and West Riverside School, Cambridge     129
Itasca County
Forest History Center, Grand Rapids     130
Judy Garland Museum, Grand Rapids     131
White Oak Fur Post, Deer River     133
Kanabec County
Kanabec History Center, Mora     134
Lake County
Finland Minnesota Heritage Site, Finland     134
Split Rock Lighthouse, Two Harbors     135
Two Harbors Lighthouse, Two Harbors     136
Pine County
North West Company Fur Post, Pine City     137
St. Louis County
Bois Fort Heritage Center, Tower     139
Glensheen, Duluth     140
Ironworld Discovery Center, Chisholm     142
Dorothy Molter Museum, Ely     143
Sisu Heritage Homestead Tours, Embarrass     144
Virginia Heritage Museum, Virginia     144
Southwest Region     146
Brown County
Wanda Gag House, New Ulm     150
Friedrich W. Kiesling House, New Ulm     151
John Lind House, New Ulm     152
Omsrud-Thordson-Torgrimson Cabin, Lake Hanska     153
Chippewa County
Historic Chippewa City, Montevideo     154
Olof Swensson Farm, Montevideo     155
Cottonwood County
Nels Hystad Cabin, Storden     156
Monson-Chester Log Cabin, Windom     157
Mountain Lake Heritage Village, Mountain Lake     157
Westbrook Heritage House Museum, Westbrook     158
Jackson County
Fort Belmont, Jackson     159
Olson-Staabakken Cabin, Jackson     160
Lac Qui Parle County
Lac Qui Parle Historical Museum, Madison     160
Lincoln County
Lincoln County Pioneer Museum, Hendricks     161
Snyder Log Cabin, Lake Benton     162
Lyon County
Lyon County Historical Museum, Marshall     163
Wheels Across the Prairie Museum, Tracy     163
Martin County
Orville P. and Sarah Chubb House, Fairmont     164
Heritage Acres, Fairmont     165
Livingston Log Cabin, Fairmont     166
Murray County
End-O-Line Park, Currie     167
Koch Cabin, Currie     168
Wornson Cabin, Slayton     168
Nobles County
Historic Dayton House, Worthington     169
Nobles County Pioneer Village, Worthington     171
Pipestone County
C. O. Christianson House, Jasper     171
Redwood County
Gilfillan Estate, Redwood Falls     172
Lower Sioux Agency, Redwood Falls     173
Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, Walnut Grove     175
Renville County
Fort Ridgely History Center, Fairfax     176
Lerud Cabin, Morton     178
Rock County
Hinkly House Museum, Luverne     178
Frederick Manfred House, Luverne     180
Wantonwan County
Ashippun Post Office Cabin, Madelia     181
Voss Park, Butterfield     182
Yellow Medicine County
Lund-Hoel House, Canby     183
Upper Sioux Agency, Granite Falls     184
Andrew J. Volstead House, Granite Falls     185
Yellow Medicine County Museum, Granite Falls     187
Southeast Region     188
Blue Earth County
Hubbard House, Mankato     192
Maud Hart Lovelace Childhood Home, Mankato     193
Dodge County
Dodge County Historical Society, Mantorville     194
Mantorville Restoration House, Mantorville     195
Faribault County
History Lane, Blue Earth     196
Kremer House, Minnesota Lake     197
James B. Wakefield House, Blue Earth     198
Fillmore County
Ed's Museum and Living Quarters, Wykoff     199
Historic Forestville, Forestville Township     200
Washburn-Zittleman House, Spring Valley     202
Freeborn County
Freeborn County Historical Village, Albert Lea     203
Goodhue County
Collins-Glam House, Pine Island     204
Gunderson House, Kenyon     204
Larson Log Cabin, Wanamingo      206
Houston County
Houston County Historical Museum, Caledonia     206
Le Sueur County
W. W. Mayo House, Le Sueur     207
Mower County
George A. Hormel Home, Austin     209
Mower County Historical Center, Austin     211
Nicollet County
Eugene St. Julien Cox House, St. Peter     212
Olmsted County
Heritage House, Rochester     214
Mayowood Mansion, Rochester     215
William Dee Log Cabin, Rochester     216
Plummer House of the Arts, Rochester     217
Richard W. Sears House, Stewartville     219
Rice County
Alexander Faribault House, Faribault     220
Rice County Historical Society, Faribault     222
Sibley County
August F. Poehler House, Henderson     223
Steele County
Village of Yesteryear, Owatonna     224
Waseca County
Bailey-Lewer House, Waseca     226
Farmamerica, Waseca     227
Winona County
Arches Museum of Pioneer Life, Stockton     228
Historic Bunnell House, Homer     229
Marnach House, Whitewater State Park     230
References     233
Index     235

Editorial Reviews

The author of Minnesota's Historic Houses returns with an even more detailed guidebook to the impressive architecture of the North Star State. Minnesota Open House enables residents and visitors to make onsite studies of the region's most compelling buildings. Beautifully illustrated; carefully researched.