From Queen Anne to Georgian Revival: The Transformation of 300 Clifton

Once upon a time, on Clifton Avenue in Minneapolis, a house stood in the mansion district. In 1905, the house was purchased by Eugene and Merrette Carpenter. C.M Douglas, who owned a coal delivery business, had originally built the home in 1887 in the Queen Anne style, with prominent porches and a turret.

Harvey Brown, a successful businessman and banker, had bought the house in 1890 and lived there until his death in 1904. The Carpenters were a family well-versed in the art of lumber milling. Eugene Carpenter and his wife Merrette owned the Carpenter-Lamb Lumber Company and were also patrons of the arts. It was no surprise that they had a particular interest in their new home.

In order to bring the house up to their standards, they hired the talented Edwin Hawley Hewitt, a young architect who had recently finished his schooling in Paris. Hewitt was entrusted with the task of turning the Queen Anne style house into a striking Georgian Revival. "About as different as can be," said Olivia (Carpenter) Coan, who was 9 years old in 1906 during the renovation, and she was right.

Under Hewitt's guidance, the roof was removed, fireplaces were moved, additional foundations were built, interior and exterior walls were moved, and the carriage house was rebuilt from the foundation up. The entire project was completed in 10 months, by September 1906.

One of the most notable aspects of the renovation was the French drain, which Hewitt implemented throughout the grounds. Hewitt also designed an effective passive cooling system, using the massive concrete porches to moderate the temperatures inside the house. This system, paired with a pneumatic system that allowed for room to room temperature control, made 300 Clifton a comfortable place to dwell.

John S Bradstreet, a prominent Minneapolis designer, did the interior design of the house. Bradstreet collaborated with Hewitt and Carpenter to bring Arts and Crafts style to the house, creating a truly unique and stunning space.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons