Summit Avenue
Encyclopedia
Summit Avenue is a street in Saint Paul
, Minnesota
known for having a number of historic houses, churches, synagogues, and schools. The street starts just west of downtown Saint Paul and continues four and a half miles west to the Mississippi River
. Other cities have similar streets, such as Prairie Avenue
in Chicago
, Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, and Fifth Avenue in New York City
. Summit Avenue is notable for having preserved its historic character and mix of buildings, as compared to these other examples, and it remains a well-preserved example of a Victorian
residential boulevard.
Summit Avenue is part of two National Historic Districts and two City of Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Districts. The National Historic Districts are the Historic Hill District, an irregular area roughly bounded by Lexington Avenue, Portland Avenue, Dale Street North, Marshall Avenue, Pleasant Street, and Grand Avenue (exclusive of the area within the Woodland Park Historic District), and the West Summit Avenue Historic District, a narrow area running from Oxford Street South west to the Mississippi River
along Summit Avenue. The city districts are Summit Hill, also known as Crocus Hill, a triangular region from Lexington Avenue on the west, Summit Avenue on the north, and the bluffs (just north of Interstate Highway 35E
) on the south, and Ramsey Hill, the area bounded by Summit Avenue, Dale Street, Interstate Highway 94
, and a line running north from the Cathedral of Saint Paul. Most of the houses in this district are large, distinctive houses built between 1890 and 1920.
Summit Avenue was named one of 10 "great streets" nationally by the American Planning Association in 2008.
owned the first house on Summit Avenue, in a location now occupied by the James J. Hill House
. Continuing westward, the photo shows the houses of William and Angelina Noble, Henry F. Masterson, Henry Mower Rice, Henry Neill Paul, and David Stuart. The Stuart house, at 312 Summit Avenue, is the only one of these still standing, making it the oldest remaining house on Summit Avenue and one of the oldest in Saint Paul.
Development was slow during the American Civil War
and afterward, but the district began to grow in the 1880s. City water service was provided in 1884, and a cable car line built on Selby Avenue in 1887 provided improved access to downtown. In 1890, the city's first streetcars began operating on Grand Avenue, just south of Summit, and the Hill District became a fashionable place to live.
The district began to decline in the 1930s as many old mansions either turned into rooming-houses or went vacant for many years. The housing stock was not decimated by commercial development pressure, as the bluffs separating the Summit Avenue area from downtown St. Paul made it difficult for downtown to expand into the area. The area began to turn around in the 1960s and 1970s, as young couples discovered that the Victorian homes could be purchased affordably and could be restored over time. Neighborhood associations also formed and helped with preservation efforts. The Hill District is again one of the most fashionable places to live in Saint Paul.
s (NHLs).
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
known for having a number of historic houses, churches, synagogues, and schools. The street starts just west of downtown Saint Paul and continues four and a half miles west to the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. Other cities have similar streets, such as Prairie Avenue
Prairie Avenue
Prairie Avenue is a north–south thoroughfare on the South Side of Chicago, which historically extended from 16th Street in the Near South Side community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States, to the city's southern limits and beyond. The street has a rich history from its origins...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, and Fifth Avenue in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Summit Avenue is notable for having preserved its historic character and mix of buildings, as compared to these other examples, and it remains a well-preserved example of a Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
residential boulevard.
Summit Avenue is part of two National Historic Districts and two City of Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Districts. The National Historic Districts are the Historic Hill District, an irregular area roughly bounded by Lexington Avenue, Portland Avenue, Dale Street North, Marshall Avenue, Pleasant Street, and Grand Avenue (exclusive of the area within the Woodland Park Historic District), and the West Summit Avenue Historic District, a narrow area running from Oxford Street South west to the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
along Summit Avenue. The city districts are Summit Hill, also known as Crocus Hill, a triangular region from Lexington Avenue on the west, Summit Avenue on the north, and the bluffs (just north of Interstate Highway 35E
Interstate 35E (Minnesota)
Interstate 35E is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Minnesota, passing through downtown Saint Paul. It is one of two through routes for Interstate 35 through the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the other being Interstate 35W through Minneapolis. Thus, both ends of I-35E are...
) on the south, and Ramsey Hill, the area bounded by Summit Avenue, Dale Street, Interstate Highway 94
Interstate 94 in Minnesota
In the U.S. state of Minnesota, Interstate 94 runs east–west through the central portion of the state. The route connects the cities of Moorhead, Fergus Falls, Alexandria, St...
, and a line running north from the Cathedral of Saint Paul. Most of the houses in this district are large, distinctive houses built between 1890 and 1920.
Summit Avenue was named one of 10 "great streets" nationally by the American Planning Association in 2008.
History
The history of Summit Avenue dates back to the early 1850s, when Saint Paul was in its infancy. Mansions were starting to appear on top of the hill in the earliest days of the city. An 1859 photograph by Joel Whitney shows six houses on the hill. Edward Duffield NeillEdward Duffield Neill
Edward Duffield Neill was an American author and educator.Neill was born in Philadelphia. After studying at the University of Pennsylvania for some time, he enrolled at Amherst College and graduated from Amherst in 1842, then studied theology at Andover.After ordination as a Presbyterian minister,...
owned the first house on Summit Avenue, in a location now occupied by the James J. Hill House
James J. Hill House
The James J. Hill House, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, was built by railroad magnate James J. Hill. The house, completed in 1891, is near the eastern end of Summit Avenue near the Cathedral of Saint Paul. The house, for its time, was very large and was the "showcase of St. Paul" until James J. Hill's...
. Continuing westward, the photo shows the houses of William and Angelina Noble, Henry F. Masterson, Henry Mower Rice, Henry Neill Paul, and David Stuart. The Stuart house, at 312 Summit Avenue, is the only one of these still standing, making it the oldest remaining house on Summit Avenue and one of the oldest in Saint Paul.
Development was slow during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and afterward, but the district began to grow in the 1880s. City water service was provided in 1884, and a cable car line built on Selby Avenue in 1887 provided improved access to downtown. In 1890, the city's first streetcars began operating on Grand Avenue, just south of Summit, and the Hill District became a fashionable place to live.
The district began to decline in the 1930s as many old mansions either turned into rooming-houses or went vacant for many years. The housing stock was not decimated by commercial development pressure, as the bluffs separating the Summit Avenue area from downtown St. Paul made it difficult for downtown to expand into the area. The area began to turn around in the 1960s and 1970s, as young couples discovered that the Victorian homes could be purchased affordably and could be restored over time. Neighborhood associations also formed and helped with preservation efforts. The Hill District is again one of the most fashionable places to live in Saint Paul.
National Historic Landmarks
Three buildings on or near Summit Avenue are National Historic LandmarkNational Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
s (NHLs).
- James J. Hill HouseJames J. Hill HouseThe James J. Hill House, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, was built by railroad magnate James J. Hill. The house, completed in 1891, is near the eastern end of Summit Avenue near the Cathedral of Saint Paul. The house, for its time, was very large and was the "showcase of St. Paul" until James J. Hill's...
, 240 Summit Avenue (NHL) - F. Scott Fitzgerald HouseF. Scott Fitzgerald HouseThe F. Scott Fitzgerald House, also known as Summit Terrace, in Saint Paul, Minnesota is part of a rowhouse designed by William H. Willcox and Clarence H. Johnston, Sr.. The house, at 599 Summit Avenue, is listed as a National Historic Landmark for its association with author F. Scott Fitzgerald...
, 599 Summit Avenue (NHL) - The Frank B. Kellogg HouseFrank B. Kellogg HouseThe Frank B. Kellogg House is a house in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The house is listed as a National Historic Landmark for its association with Senator Frank B. Kellogg, co-author of the Kellogg-Briand Pact. Kellogg Boulevard in downtown Saint Paul is also named for him.From 1889 until his death,...
, 633 Fairmount Avenue (NHL), is just south of Summit Avenue.
Other notable buildings
Other buildings include:- Cathedral of Saint Paul, 201 Summit Avenue (National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(NRHP)) - Burbank-Livingston-Griggs HouseBurbank-Livingston-Griggs HouseThe Burbank-Livingston-Griggs House is one of the first examples of Italianate or Tuscan order architecture in Saint Paul in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The house, located at 432 Summit Avenue is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was designed by Chicago architect Otis L....
, 432 Summit Avenue (NRHP) - William Mitchell College of LawWilliam Mitchell College of LawWilliam Mitchell College of Law, or WMCL, is a private, independent law school located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Accredited by the American Bar Association , it offers full and part-time legal education in pursuit of the Juris Doctor degree....
, 875 Summit Avenue - Minnesota Governor's ResidenceMinnesota Governor's ResidenceThe Minnesota Governor's Residence serves as the official home of the governor of Minnesota. The house, located at 1006 Summit Avenue in Saint Paul, is on of land. The building covers an area of slightly more than ....
, 1006 Summit Avenue (NRHP) - Pierce and Walter Butler HousePierce and Walter Butler HouseThe Pierce and Walter Butler House is a side-by-side duplex, in the West Summit Avenue Historic District of Saint Paul, Minnesota, built in 1900 by Clarence H. Johnston, Sr. for United States Supreme Court justice Pierce Butler and his brother, Walter Butler....
, 1345-1347 Summit Avenue (NRHP) - Macalester CollegeMacalester CollegeMacalester College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was founded in 1874 as a Presbyterian-affiliated but nonsectarian college. Its first class entered September 15, 1885. The college is located on a campus in a historic residential neighborhood...
, various buildings between Snelling Avenue and Cambridge Avenue - University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)The University of St. Thomas is a private, Catholic, liberal arts, and archdiocesan university located in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States...
, various buildings between Cleveland Avenue and Cretin Avenue - Dr. Ward Beebe HouseDr. Ward Beebe HouseThe Dr. Ward Beebe House also known as the John Leuthold residence, is a three-story stucco prairie house built by Dr. Ward and Bess Beebe and designed by Purcell and Elmslie in 1912. Purcell and Elmslie were prolific designers of prairie style homes. It is located in the West Summit Avenue...
, 2022 Summit Avenue (NRHP) - Saint Paul SeminarySaint Paul Seminary School of DivinityThe Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity, located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, was founded by Archbishop John Ireland in 1894, to provide ordained priests for the ever-increasing Catholic population of the Upper Midwest. The seminary now sits on the south campus of the University of St. Thomas,...
, 2260 Summit Avenue