Great Houses of Summit Avenue and the Hill District

(Hardback)

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Description

This winner of 11 national publishing awards belongs on every coffee table! Summit Avenue, grande dame of Victorian boulevards, is lined with magnificent turn-of-the-century mansions built by railroad magnates, lumber barons and captains of industry. Great Houses of Summit Avenue and the Hill District is a celebration of these homes on St. Paul's best-known and most beloved avenue. With a foreword by Garrison Keillor and fascinating stories penned by four award-winning writers, the book opens the doors to more than two dozen legendary homes situated on America's best-preserved avenue from the era. Photographer Karen Melvin takes us along for a tour through stately mansions to view these remarkable architectural gems. Richly illustrated with hundreds of photos, this book offers an irresistible invitation to step through the doors of these showcase homes to explain what we are all curious to know.

Reviews

"It takes great writers and great photographers to make great houses come alive, and this book has all three, with wonderful vignettes by some of the Twin Cities best architectural authors and gorgeous architectural photography by Karen Melvin. To see the best of what Minnesota has to offer, stroll through this book."Thomas Fisher, Dean, College of Design,University of Minnesota

"This book captures the essence of Saint Pauls Summit Avenue, the most notable Street of Victorian architecture in the country. Saint Paul is proud to honor the book with the Cultural Heritage Award from the Heritage Preservation Commission. Well done!"Chris Coleman, former Mayor of Saint Paul

"Crack the spine of Great Houses of Summit Avenue and the Hill District, and youll quickly realize that the turrets and spindles youve been admiring for years are surpassed by the grand, richly detailed living spaces inside. Karen Melvins photography and the writing of four accomplished authors beautifully tell the stories of these landmark residencesand of the people who built and preserved them."Chris Hudson, Architecture Minnesota

Author Bio

Based in the Twin Cities, Karen Melvin photographs nationally for advertising clients, shelter magazines, architects, and interior designers. Melvins previous award-winning coffee-table books of architecture and historic homes are regional bestsellers and include Boathouses of Lake Minnetonka (Minnesota, 2022), Legendary Homes of Lake Minnetonka, and Legendary Homes of the Minneapolis Lakes.