Diamond Jubilee: Summit Avenue, St Paul, MN
- Matthew P G
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Highly recommend for any visitor to St Paul are the stately mansions of Summit Avenue, overlooking city and river. As the avenue starts adjacent to the cathedral, I could continue with my "full throttle" tour without any backtracking after seeing St Paul's largest church.
The historic area’s mansions represent a variety of architectural styles, including the longest preserved stretch of Victorian-era homes in the nation. The first home on Summit was owned by Macalester College founder, Reverend Edward Duffield Neill, in 1855. Neill originally came to the Minnesota Territory from Pennsylvania in 1843 to start First Presbyterian Church and House of Hope Church. By 1859, there were six more houses on Summit—owned by William and Angelina Noble, Henry F. Masterson, Henry Mower Rice, Henry Neill Paul and David Stuart. Of the original six, the Stuart House at 312 Summit is the only one still standing today.
I had to admit - I was impressed. Each home was unique in style and those on the bluff side enjoyed incredible views. I fully understood why the wealthy chose that avenue for their homes. It was the Beverly Hills of Minnesota in its day.
The most famous home of the first construction boom was the James J. Hill House, built in 1891 in Richardsonian Romanesque style on the site of the original Edward Duffield Neill home. Owned by James. J. Hill, a wildly successful railroad tycoon known appropriately as the “Empire Builder”, the 36,000-square-foot property at 240 Summit Avenue spans three lots and touts arguably the most desirable view of downtown Saint Paul. The 42-room mansion cost Hill $931,275 at the turn of the century (equivalent to around $22 million today). Now owned by the Minnesota Historical Society
James J. Hill House (no tours due to COVID)
Since most of the homes are still private residences, it was not possible to walk behind them to enjoy the view. One had been turned into offices and I was able to walk to the back garden to have a look. Wow! I could only imagine what parties people threw that could spill onto back patios with those views.
July 2021
Summit Avenue reminded me of an age when Americans were getting wealthy fast, building grand homes, and throwing lavish parties to impress each other. The same still occurs among the rich and powerful, but the world has changed and such wonderful homes are no longer built. People impress each other differently now.
I marveled at the old homes and continued along Summit Avenue until I found a road down to the lower town. I needed to caffeinate and DV in DC had recommended a coffee shop that was conveniently located nearby.
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