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James C. Burbank House (Livingston-Griggs House), St. Paul Minnesota
An American Victorian rendering of an Italian villa, the house was designed by Otis E. Wheelock of Chicago. The style, which became popular in this country during the 1840s and 1850s, is sometimes called American Bracketed because of the ornamentation at the cornice.
The house was built between 1862 and 1865 by James C. Burbank, a Vermont-born pioneer who came to Minnesota in 1850. Burbank was a significant figure in early Minnesota transportation, controlling a large part of stage-coach and riverboat traffic in the 1860s. Burbank died in 1876, leaving the house to his widow, who resided in the house until 1884.
Between 1884 and 1887 two families owned the mansion.
George R. Finch, a partner of St. Paul's largest dry-goods firm, lived there in 1885; and Thomas F. Cakes, builder of the Northern Pacific main line under Villard and president of the Northern Pacific Railroad from 1888 to 1893, made his home at the fashionable suburban home between 1885 and 1887.
Crawford Livingston acquired the property in 1887 and Livingstons have lived there since. Crawford Livingston came to St. Paul in 1870 and gained wealth as a banker, stock broker, and railroad builder. He and his wife, Mary Potts, a niece of Henry H. Sibley, lived at 432 Summit Avenue until their deaths in 1925, when the house passed to one of their five children, Mary Livingston Griggs.
Theodore Griggs was the descendant of a Civil War colonel and a prominent entrepreneur. In the late 1920s, Mary Livingston Griggs undertook extensive alterations to the house-the first major changes since construction. Mrs. Griggs added a new wing, designed by a St. Paul architect, A. H. Stem, who also remodeled the stone room. The new wing included kitchen facilities on the first floor and a bedroom above. In the early 1930s the project for installation of European period rooms was carried out by architect Edwin Lundie of St. Paul.
With Mrs. Griggs death in 1967 the property passed to her daughter, Mrs Jackson Burke, who has donated the property to the people of Minnesota in care of the Minnesota Historical Society and the St. Paul Junior League.
In 1883, a wealthy wholesale grocery businessman, Chauncey Griggs, built this lovely mansion, but lived in it for only four years, before moving onto greener pastures on the West coast, where he expanded his business interests to include the lumber and transportation markets. Over its 100+ years, the mansion has been a private residence, and at one time was divided into apartment units as well. Many families/ individuals, who moved in, spent a lot of money on upkeep, furnishings, servants, etc., but wound up leaving after only a few years.
Also, as mentioned above, the mansion became an art school in 1939, and stayed there for 25 years, until the new Arts and Sciences Center was built. Many students and teachers were glad that the new building was built, because now they didn't have to share their school with seen and unseen presences.
Originally posted by Whateva69
Oh its absolutely beautiful.
Is this the same house ? Is this what it originally looked like ?
James C. Burbank House (Livingston-Griggs House), St. Paul Minnesota
An American Victorian rendering of an Italian villa, the house was designed by Otis E. Wheelock of Chicago. The style, which became popular in this country during the 1840s and 1850s, is sometimes called American Bracketed because of the ornamentation at the cornice.
The house was built between 1862 and 1865 by James C. Burbank, a Vermont-born pioneer who came to Minnesota in 1850. Burbank was a significant figure in early Minnesota transportation, controlling a large part of stage-coach and riverboat traffic in the 1860s. Burbank died in 1876, leaving the house to his widow, who resided in the house until 1884.
Between 1884 and 1887 two families owned the mansion.
George R. Finch, a partner of St. Paul's largest dry-goods firm, lived there in 1885; and Thomas F. Cakes, builder of the Northern Pacific main line under Villard and president of the Northern Pacific Railroad from 1888 to 1893, made his home at the fashionable suburban home between 1885 and 1887.
Crawford Livingston acquired the property in 1887 and Livingstons have lived there since. Crawford Livingston came to St. Paul in 1870 and gained wealth as a banker, stock broker, and railroad builder. He and his wife, Mary Potts, a niece of Henry H. Sibley, lived at 432 Summit Avenue until their deaths in 1925, when the house passed to one of their five children, Mary Livingston Griggs.
Theodore Griggs was the descendant of a Civil War colonel and a prominent entrepreneur. In the late 1920s, Mary Livingston Griggs undertook extensive alterations to the house-the first major changes since construction. Mrs. Griggs added a new wing, designed by a St. Paul architect, A. H. Stem, who also remodeled the stone room. The new wing included kitchen facilities on the first floor and a bedroom above. In the early 1930s the project for installation of European period rooms was carried out by architect Edwin Lundie of St. Paul.
With Mrs. Griggs death in 1967 the property passed to her daughter, Mrs Jackson Burke, who has donated the property to the people of Minnesota in care of the Minnesota Historical Society and the St. Paul Junior League.
And here she is today.
Griggs Mansion - HauntedHouses.com
In 1883, a wealthy wholesale grocery businessman, Chauncey Griggs, built this lovely mansion, but lived in it for only four years, before moving onto greener pastures on the West coast, where he expanded his business interests to include the lumber and transportation markets. Over its 100+ years, the mansion has been a private residence, and at one time was divided into apartment units as well. Many families/ individuals, who moved in, spent a lot of money on upkeep, furnishings, servants, etc., but wound up leaving after only a few years.
Also, as mentioned above, the mansion became an art school in 1939, and stayed there for 25 years, until the new Arts and Sciences Center was built. Many students and teachers were glad that the new building was built, because now they didn't have to share their school with seen and unseen presences.
Well i don't really know what to believe of its original history who built it or who lived in it, all the reports are different, dates are different, Its really confusing.
Love and harmony
Whateva