1410 Fremont Ave N
Minneapolis, MN, USA

'It’s a Small World' By Patrice Neuberger, CSJ

It was many years ago when Mary Hasbrouck and I were at a meeting for all the Principals of Minneapolis. Of course, when you arrived, you signed in with name and address.

At the break, a young man came up to us and asked, “Do you really live at 1410 Fremont? I grew up in that house. In fact, I put my name on the wall in the basement. Do you think it is still there?” Sure enough, he came to visit and found his name on the basement wall. What a thrill it was for Fred Deitrick to find this precious memory in his old home.

Picture: House tours 1990s

'This Old House' by Mary Hasbrouck CSJ

Maude Firsche was the landlady from whom we rented 1410 Fremont from 1975 until the Sisters of St. Joseph purchased the house in 1990. Maude loved hats, parties, dancing and more than a few nips. Her fun loving generous spirit continues to fill the house. We did find it necessary to donate her array of hats to the Gutherie after her death.

By the time Maude, well into her 80's died in 1987, Hennepin County had a lean on her house to defray her medical costs. One afternoon in late summer, prior to Maude's death, Sister Patrice Neuberger and I were sitting in the living room during a thunderstorm when we heard a terrific crash. We looked out the window to discover a very large part of the roof was on the front lawn, and the upper porch sagged so low that we were unable to use the front door. What to do, call the County. A young man came out who sympathized with our plight to the extent that he shared with us that he felt he couldn't stay in his job much longer. One beautiful old house after another was being boarded up, and that is all he could offer us, "If you can't live in this house as is, it will be added to the list of condemned."

We felt as though we were dealing with a very ill family member, but not one who had to die. We went about trying to secure a loan for Maude, but in her condition and with her financial status, rejections abounded. That is, until Patrice reached the Northside Neighborhood Housing, whose mission was to property. In October of 1987 Maude signed for a $6,000 loan at 3%. Maude died in December. We were told by the County to repay the loan at $50.00 a month and to put the balance of the rent money in escrow until we heard from them. More than two years passed and still no word from the County, until one day someone showed up at the door looking for Maude Firsche delinquent in paying her property taxes. "I can see why you haven't caught up with her," said Brigid McDonald, CSJ. "She's been in heaven for almost three years." The tax collector headed off to Northside Housing, who paid the overdue taxes. Their lawyer went to the Sheriff's auction and bid their investment of $10,000 for 1410 Fremont Avenue N.

The Sisters of St. Joseph purchased it from Northside Housing for that same amount. Come see this beautiful old house that has adorned the Old Highland Neighborhood for over one hundred years. It holds warm memories of those it has sheltered through good times and not so good times. It is a house well loved by the many who called it home.

Picture: Decorated for Halloween in 2008

1410 Fremont Ave N, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Property Description: 2.5 stories; cross-gabled roof with front gable dominant; full-width, colonnaded porch with flat roof beneath front gable (giving house the appearance of a miniature Greek temple with its classical pediment); wide, boxed eaves with Italianate brackets added to cornice line; beneath cornice of both main roof and porch roof is wide band of trim; fluted Ionic columns compose 2-story porch supports; second story balustrade is composed of turned spindles.

South façade features 2-story bay with a gabled roof.