Thursday, April 09, 2015

Good Fences-Mystery "Cottage"



This is an interesting house on Summit Avenue in St. Paul, but I could find nothing on its history.

Linking to Good Fences
Posted by at

14 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:17 AM

    In 1940, A.M.P. Crowley (87) resided here with his wife Anne (78) and Ida B. Scheller, their servant originally from Poland who had worked 45 hours in the week prior to the census.
    They were also resident there in 1935.
    Value of the house in 1940: $10,000

    The architect John Walter Stevens was quite prolific, designing 16 residential properties in the area plus a number of commecial buildings.
    It's all here.
    http://0c28e4c7-a7a5-44da-9798-d33f02f28789-al-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/7c850dfb-542c-45fe-8240-3f851c361258-sscan_from_10091715380.pdf
    We expect to see them all documented as a series....

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    Replies
    1. Kate12:18 PM

      I would like to know how you do this, jb! You are more than amazing! Thanks you for all this information. I suppose I could look up to find the value of the house now.

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    2. Anonymous2:49 PM

      Well, my friend Stephen Galloway, senior features editor at The Hollywood Reporter, said that I'm the best researcher he's ever met.
      just comes from knowing where to look and how to ask.
      There's also this:
      1994 Summit Avenue: August M. P. Cowley House; Built in 1913; English Manor House Revival/English Cottage/Twenties Villa in style; John Walter Stevens, architect; St. Paul Building Company, builder. The structure is a 1 3/4 story, 2531 square foot, eight room, four bedroom, two bathroom, one half-bathroom, stucco house, with a detached garage. The house cost $8,000 to construct. The house is a two story stucco structure with an intersecting gable ceramic tiled roof which has four shed dormers. The house also has one chimney and a gabled entrance with piers. The house is one of the last houses designed by J. W. Stevens on Summit Avenue. Minnesota Historical Society records indicate that Augustus M. P. Cowley resided at this address from 1914 to 1944. The 1918 city directory indicates that Mr. and Mrs. A. M. P. Crowley and their daughter all resided at this address. The 1920 city directory indicates that Augustus M. P. Cowley, the secretary of the Northwestern Blau Gas Company, resided at this address. The 1924 city directory indicates that Mr. and Mrs. A. M. P. Cowley and their daughter all resided at this address. The 1930 city directory indicates that Augustus M. P. Cowley, the secretary-treasurer of the Northwestern Blaugas Company, and his wife, Ida Cowley, resided at this address. In 1934, Mr. and Mrs. Augustus M. Cowley resided at this address and were noted members of St. Paul society. The 1991 St. Paul's on-the-Hill Episcopal Church directory indicates that Stephen Riendl resided at this address. The Northwestern Blau Gas Company was located at Hampden Avenue and Charles Street and its officers were Frank Y. Locke, president, and A. M. P. Cowley, secretary. Blaugas is the liquified remnants of the petroleum refining process, was discovered by Herman Blau of Augsburg, Germany, Augustus M. P. Cowley ( -1941) died in Ramsey County. The house last sold in 1992 for $280,000. The current owner of record of the property is Nancy Hernke. [See note on Stevens.]

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    3. Anonymous2:58 PM

      Zillow.com says $886,000, last sold June 2010 for $908k

      Delete
  2. William Kendall10:55 AM

    The architectural design certainly appeals to me!

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  3. TexWisGirl11:26 AM

    pretty little place! thanks for linking when you get a chance! :)

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  4. Janey and Co.1:31 PM

    Well, I like it very much. Nice gate.

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  5. The Cranky3:27 PM

    What a sweet little cottage!

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  6. Lowell8:41 PM

    There's a story there, for sure. It's gorgeous. And well-protected. Not that you need that on Summit Avenue. :)

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  7. Randy10:12 PM

    Nice looking home.

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  8. Pat10:30 PM

    Looks like you're mystery's solved! On to more!

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  9. Halcyon3:35 AM

    Mystery solved!

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  10. TexWisGirl8:55 AM

    (i saw your new post today and realized you didn't link in yesterday, so i just added you.) :)

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  11. Kathy9:15 AM

    It looks like it was just transported from the English countryside. Wish I had mainz research abilities. It's all in knowing where to look. When I lived in Phoenix I had fun going to the old referece book of the City Library finding all those census documents and city directories. Time consuming, but, oh, so interesting!

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