Near North: Historic Old Highland Architecture Tour

Note: This focuses on parts of a historic architectural tour organized by Preserve Minneapolis with the help of people who have lived in this part of Minneapolis for decades. While it gives you a feel for a wonderful community within Minneapolis, it does not represent the entire Near North neighborhood. My tour guide, Anne, knows a great deal about greater Near North and gave me an excellent overview by car due to time constraints. I will return for a walking tour to capture and experience the vibrant businesses, organizations, parks and citizens.  If you know someone who can speak to the rich culture of this neighborhood and would be willing to be featured on this blog, please encourage them to fill out the tour guide form!

Neighborhood Profile

Old Highland, a section of the Near North neighborhood.

A section of the Near North neighborhood, Old Highland encompasses over 30 square blocks.  The outer limits are defined by Plymouth Avenue, West Broadway, Aldrich avenue and Girard Avenue. The Old Highland Neighborhood Association was founded in 1974 and focuses on historic preservation of homes and buildings, commercial revitalization, neighborhood beautification, community building, and crime reduction.

Sources: Old Highland Neighborhood Association website and Facebook page.

Tour Guides

Anne and Lucien in their backyard. Minneapolis, MN.

Anne and her husband, Jeremy, have lived in their Old Highland home since August 2005. They welcomed their son, Lucien, in April 2010, and are expecting their second child in January 2012. Anne works with GIS (geographic information system) at Historical Information Gatherers, Inc. and Jeremy recently started a personal training business, Range of Motion Wellness.

L to R: Angie Nelson, Tammy Lindberg, and Brian Bushay.

Committed residents, otherwise known as Old Highlanders, gathered to practice for the Historic Old Highland Walking Tour on Saturday, July 16 at 10:00 AM. For more information and to register, visit the Preserve Minneapolis website. Angie Nelson's late husband, Charlie, founded the Old Highland Neighborhood Association to preserve the many large, historic homes of the area. Tammy Lindberg is an honorary Old Highlander as she was an intern in 2010 helping the neighborhood with research and documentation for Placeography and is currently an employee of Preserve Minneapolis. Brian Bushay is a long-time resident and carpenter who has had a hand in restoring many of the neighborhood's homes.

The Tour Route

We started at the Church of the Ascension and ended near Anne's home.

Tour Highlights

Church of the Ascension, 1723 Bryant Ave N., Minneapolis, MN.

Ascension Church
Built: 1902,  Style: Gothic Revival,  Architect: E.J. Donahue (under the direction of Archbishop Ireland). Large, smooth red brick and sandstone Gothic church that is visually very imposing in the neighborhood. Church of the Ascension website. 

Architectural details of Ascension Church.

Ascension Rectory, adjacent to the Church.

 Ascension Rectory
 Built: 1921, Style: Colonial Revival/Georgian Architect not listed. 
The first floor includes the pastor’s rooms, reception and dining rooms, and the parish office.

Peace Pole in between Ascension Church and Rectory.

Peace poles can be found all over the Old Highland neighborhood. This one is in a beautiful garden between the church and rectory.

Marion tended to the gardens on the Ascension lawns for many years.

Ascension Place, 1803 Bryant Ave N., Minneapolis, MN.

Ascension Place
Built: 1948 Style: Spanish Mission Architect not listed. Builder: McGough Bros. 
Built as a convent for Ascension.it was home to the Sisters of St. Joseph Carondelet who taught at Ascension School. Currently occupying the site, Ascension Place, is a transitional housing program for women.

Former rectory for Ascension, 1731 Dupont Ave N., Minneapolis, MN.

1731 Dupont
Built: 1890, Style: Queen Anne 
Former rectory for Ascension, moved twice to accommodate the growing needs of Ascension parish.

Ascension Catholic School, 1726 Dupont Ave N., Minneapolis, MN.

Ascension School
Built: 1926, Style: English Renaissance 
In 1897 three Sisters of St. Joseph and 160 students gathered for the first time in a three-room school-house, the beginning of Ascension school. Ascension Catholic School website. 

Architectural details of the Ascension School.

Ascension Club, 1704 Dupont Ave N., Minneapolis, MN.

Ascension Club
Built: 1921, Style: Mission, Architect: Bertrand and Chamberlain. Contractor: J. & W. A. Elliott Co. Designed as a parish center for athletics and varied activities, the building included a swimming pool, bowling alleys, dramatic and art departments.

Greater Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church, 1800 Dupont Ave N., Minneapolis, MN.

Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church
Built: 1894, Style: Romanesque Revival 
Formerly St. Petri Lutheran Church, in 2008, this building was purchased and completely renovated by Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church.

Angie Nelson talking with a Missionary Baptist parishioner.

1709 Dupont Ave N., Minneapolis, MN.

1709 Dupont Ave N
Built: 1907, Style: Prairie/American 4 Square Master 
Builder: H. L. Muther 
First owner: Peter and Mary (or Marie) Eminger

1012-14 17th Ave N., Minneapolis, MN.

Twin Pillars
Built: 1906 Style: Neoclassical Architect: Boehm & Cordella. 
 Christopher Boehm also designed the Turnblad home, now the American Swedish Institute. First owner: Vincent Schuler who started Schuler Shoes in 1889 at Washington and West Broadway. 

1625 Dupont Ave N., Minneapolis, MN.

1625 Dupont Ave N
Built: 1887, Style: Queen Anne/Stick Style 
First owner: F. K. Kost, who ran an insurance office in the house. Later it was a dentist office ran by Dr. Ertl who lived next door at 1623 Dupont. There is a walk-in, fire-proof vault under the stairs where Dr. Ertl kept gold for fillings.

Lucy, and her human companion, Ian.

To give an example of this tight-knit community, Anne met Ian, a neighbor she recently met through Facebook! While they were talking, I focused on taking photos of Lucy, a Great Dane.

1601 Dupont Ave N., Minneapolis, MN.

1601 Dupont Ave N
Built: 1886, Style: Queen Anne 
First owner: A. Massolt, who operated a brewery on Plymouth Avenue.

1514 Dupont Ave N., Minneapolis, MN.

1514 Dupont Ave N
Built: 1868, Style: Queen Anne 
Architect/Builder: Peter Jeub First owner: John Lohmar. 
On the National Register of Historic Places as an example of ornate Queen Anne for exterior and interior design.

Angie Nelson, Old Highlander.

Angie Nelson is a proud Old Highlander who owns 1514 Dupont Ave N along with many other historic homes in the neighborhood which she and her late husband, Charlie, have restored.

Home dwarfed by the mansions.

Neighborhood Housing Services of Minneapolis.

Neighborhood Housing Services of Minneapolis To promote & preserve affordable homeownership in the inner-city neighborhoods of Minneapolis through counseling, training and financing. 

View of downtown Minneapolis from Dupont & 15 Aves N.

Jason, Kerri and Eliot Rivers.

Old Highland residents in front of their home which was built to fit into the historic neighborhood.

1619 Emerson Ave N., Minneapolis, MN.

1619 Emerson Ave N
Built: 1904, Style: Queen Anne/Neo-ClassicalNotable for it’s Arts and Crafts interior; great care has been taken to respect the original character of the home while modernizing it to fit the owner’s needs.

Old Highland Links

* Old Highland Neighborhood Association
* Old Highland Neighborhood Association on Facebook
* Old Highland Placeography page
* Star Tribune article
* More Old Highland photos

Near North Tour Guide Needed

I am excited to return to Near North for a walking tour to experience and capture the vibrant businesses, organizations, parks and citizens.  If you know someone who can speak to the rich culture of this neighborhood and would be willing to be featured on this blog, please encourage them to fill out the tour guide form!

Share with friends and leave a comment!

I'd love to hear from you, please leave a comment. What was your favorite part of this tour? What places do you plan on visiting? Do you live and/or work in the neighborhood? If so, do you have additional information on any of our tour highlights? ​