Once There Were Castles: Lost Mansions and Estates of the Twin Cities

by Larry Millett

In Lost Twin Cities, Larry Millett brought to life the vanished architecture of downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. Now, in Once There Were Castles , he offers a richly illustrated look at another world of ghosts in our the lost mansions and estates of the Twin Cities. Nobody can say for sure how many lost mansions haunt the Twin Cities, but at least five hundred can be accounted for in public records and archives. In Minneapolis and St. Paul, entire neighborhoods of luxurious homes have disappeared, virtually without a trace. Many grand estates that once spread out over hundreds of acres along the shores of Lake Minnetonka are also gone. The greatest of these lost houses often had astonishingly short the lavish Charles Gates mansion in Minneapolis survived only nineteen years, and Norman Kittson’s sprawling castle on the site of the St. Paul Cathedral stood for barely more than two decades. Railroad and freeway building, commercial and institutional expansion, fires, and financial disasters all claimed their share of mansions; others succumbed to their own extravagance, becoming too costly to maintain once their original owners died. The stories of these grand houses are, above all else, the stories of those who built and lived in them—from the fantastic saga of Marion Savage to the continent-spanning conquests of James J. Hill, to the all-but-forgotten tragedy of Olaf Searle, a poor immigrant turned millionaire who found and lost a dream in the middle of Lake Minnetonka. These and many other mansion builders poured all their dreams, desires, and obsessions into extravagant homes designed to display wealth and solidify social status in a culture of ever-fluctuating class distinctions. The first book to take an in-depth look at the history of the Twin Cities’ mansions, Once There Were Castles presents ninety lost mansions and estates, organized by neighborhood and illustrated with photographs and drawings. An absorbing read for Twin Cities residents and a crucial addition to the body of work on the region’s history, Once There Were Castles brings these “ghost mansions” back to life.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Architecture

376 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Larry Millett has combined his interest in journalism, architectural history, and mystery fiction to create an unusual writing career. A native of Minneapolis, he attended school there and then went on to obtain a bachelor’s degrees in English from St. John’s University and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago.

He began working as a general assignment reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 1972 and became the newspaper’s first architecture critic after a year of study on a fellowship to the University of Michigan.

Larry’s first book, The Curve of the Arch, appeared in 1985. Since then, he’s written eleven other works of nonfiction, including Lost Twin Cities, which has been in continuous print for more than twenty years.

Larry began writing mystery fiction in 1996 by bringing the world’s most famous consulting detective to Minnesota for The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon. He’s published six other novels featuring Holmes, Dr. Watson, and St. Paul saloonkeeper Shadwell Rafferty.

Larry lives in St. Paul’s historic West Seventh Street neighborhood with his wife and occasional writing partner, Jodie Ahern, who is also an accomplished painter and a freelance copy editor.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The wealth amassed in Minneapolis and St. Paul from 1850s to the 1950s is astounding. To announce you'd arrived, you built a mansion. Then you tore it down and built another, more amazing, further down the street. And in some cases, yet another. This book tells the stories of these houses and those who built them and is both an architectural and social history of the Twin Cities. To have had so many magnificent homes built and then subsequently destroyed due to urban development, financial reversals, and the march of time is simply astonishing.

[Sonja Isaacson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't actually get far in reading this but I did skip around to read snatches and look at the pictures. I have 2 big problems. First, there are NO MAPS! He could at least have like a shaded one of the areas he's talking about if not one with dots about where places stood. Also if readers have no knowledge of the areas of the Twin Cities then the geographical portion is totally useless. Second, he refers to various styles of architecture but does not have like a basic picture of each. This then makes any discussion of home styles useless to anyone with little or no background in this area. Anyway, there are lots of pictures, and information about people who were important in the development of the cities and industries. I do plan on eventually making it to an event where Millett is speaking and get an autographed copy.

Side note: doesn't look like there was any real big places in my residential neighborhood, but a map in the introduction includes the block where I work downtown. My block used to have 4 homes instead of parking ramps and skyscrapers.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since moving to Helena, in third grade, I've been fascinated with large houses. Especially those who's stories of the people who lived in them outlived the houses themselves. Driving around the mansion district was always really fun and I loved the random mansions tucked in other, less sightly, parts of town.

The tales in this book have helped me shape a better picture of what the wealthy people of early Minneapolis and St. Paul aspired to. It also has striking similarities to today's pockets of wealth and grandiosity. I like to think that if I were ever in a position with too much money, I would keep my abode relatively humble...though, in reality, I'd probably just buy a bunch of vacation homes in different countries.

[Icknay Abbecray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, good. I read the Minneapolis section before the St Paul section because I am more familiar with the neighborhoods and history. Some of the St. Paul areas I didn't really have much frame of reference on the area, so it didn't hold my interest as much. Overall, still an enjoyable read. I would like to see something like this with more commonplace architecture styles of a working/middle class.

[Kayla Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book if you are interested in old money tales in Saint Paul, MN. Which is where I live. I have to admit there were pages I thoroughly read. You can let your imagination run with the descriptions of over-the-board opulence. Others I skimmed. Well written and well researched for the one who wants the total scoop on the lost mansions, lost life style in St. Paul.

[Jessica Drinkwine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about the history of the Twin Cities. It was bittersweet to learn about all of these beautiful mansions that are no longer there. I liked how the author told the history of each neighborhood, as well as the story of each mansion and their builders and owners.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great books detailing history of twin cities lost mansions.

[Anne Jennen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely book about the vanished Twin City mansions and estates of the late 1800s. Great pictures.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

In some ways this is a very difficult book to read, especially knowing that old houses will continue to be torn down and replaced with new things. But despite the insatiable cravings it gave me to hijack the TARDIS to the early 20th century and walk around to admire the view on streets long gone, and how I too am now haunted by the ghosts of lost mansions, this book is a treasure.

Having lived my whole life in the Twin Cities suburbs, yet still finding the cities themselves to be exotic and mysterious locations, this book was tailor-made for me. I am in love with old houses, especially opulent old houses, and everywhere I go I'm on the lookout for beautiful residences to gaze at. Hearing descriptions of what familiar locations used to contain was almost as wonderful. I loved how this book was set up as an engaging encyclopedia, giving brief rundowns of each house's original owner(s), building history, details about the interior where possible, and at least one exterior photograph.

One of my favorites was the Hamm House above Swede Hollow, as I have walked past the accompanying abandoned brewery many a time without realizing how truly old it was. It's surprising to see how many mansions stood for less than half a human lifetime, albeit somewhat less so after you're continually reminded how much it costs to maintain such places. On the bright side, the farther in you go, the more you start to see mentions of residences that ARE still standing, so I would recommend following this book with the newest one you can find about existing residences to lift your spirits.

[Verena]

This heavyweight coffee table book is a treasure. It is packed with photographs of amazing homes built to display the wealth of the movers and shakers who built the Twin Cities area. The accompanying text tells the stories of the owners and designers of 90 lost mansions. The author writes deft descriptions of the architectural styles and home furnishings that changed as fashion demanded from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries and includes interesting historical information about the commercial development of the Twin Cities and how it affected the rise and fall of the exclusive neighborhoods.

Unfortunately there are no happy endings to the stories of these fairytale castles. Many lords of the manors lost their fortunes as quickly as they made them. Some moved on when they could sell their properties for a profit. Many died just a few years after their palaces were completed. And because the houses were so huge and expensive to maintain, their glory was soon diminished. They were turned into rooming houses, apartments, nursing homes, commercial sites, or demolished in the name of progress. In the introduction the author states, “The simple truth is that large sections of both Minneapolis and St. Paul were once far more urbane and beautiful than they are today, or ever will be again.

[Avis Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a special place in hell reserved for those who tear down fine old Victorian houses. Destroying fine craftmanship is like burning a great painting. That 20th-century generation who imbibed their impressions of Victorian architecture from Charles Addams cartoons and their crabby and strict Victorian grandparents decided to just destroy everything from that era, and then they built plain boring boxes everywhere (See Tom Wolfe's From Bauhaus to Our House for the horrific damage to the Muse of Architecture). The most awful photo in the book has a fine mansion with a sign in front of it, "Wrecked by Cleveland Wrecking Co.," as if they were proud of themselves.

The book contains a nifty bonus photo of Frank Lloyd Wright being arrested.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad review of 100's of historic mansions and estates that have been lost here in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and current suburbs. Great photographs. The only way to deal with the loss is to marvel at the great treasures that were saved. It has been a pleasure to visit many of them over the last 50 years. Kristi & Abby Tabby

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Mr. Millett, for continuing to bring the history of the Twin Cities to us! I LOVED this book, even though it made me sad to realized how much amazing, rich, extravagant architecture has been lost in the area. Such a waste that some of those places were only up for a decade or so!

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this book! If you are a history fanatic of Minneapolis/St. Paul you will find oodles of fabulous photos of architecture lost to demolition. Descriptions of the neighborhoods and families are interesting and give a clear picture of eras gone by.

[Marje · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy Larry Millett's ability to evoke the history and architecture of the Twin Cities of yesterday. This was a wonderful look at some of the lost homes of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Recommend if you like learning more about local / regional history or are an old house afficianado.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this very interesting for two reasons. First, I have seen many of these buildings before they were destroyed and so lost. Second, the histories of the architects and owners of the "lost castles" were fascinating.

[Bethann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mostly just looked at the pictures. The reading got a little long.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable book. Loved looking at the old victorian homes in St. Paul. How I wish they were around today.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gorgeous coffee table book about the mansions that used to grace the landscape in Minnesota. I enjoyed both the history behind the homes and the accompanying breathtaking photographs.

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book with pictures and history of huge castle-like houses that once stood in the Twin Cities.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice coffee table book. It makes you realize the opulence of past ages and think what a waste. Especially at a time when men were making 10 cents a day.

[Elevetha]

So sad to see all the beautiful mansions and houses that once stood proudly on the streets of St. Paul and Minneapolis, now gone forever.