1544 Rivercrest Road North
Lakeland, MN, USA

Capt. John Oliver House

The Captain John Oliver House, nicknamed Cedarlawn, is a historic house in Lakeland, Minnesota, United States, built in 1849. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 for having local significance in the themes of architecture and exploration/settlement. It was nominated for its association with the settlement and organization of the Lakeland area and as a rare surviving example of mid-19th-century Greek Revival architecture in Minnesota.


Description

The Captain John Oliver House is a two-story building with clapboard siding. Greek Revival elements include corner pilasters with simple entablatures topped by gable-end pediments, dog-eared window moulding, and a front door flanked with small pilasters, a transom window, and sidelights. There is also an arched Gothic Revival window in the center of the front gable.

The house has been expanded with a front porch and additions to the side and rear, but retains its original architectural features.

History

John Oliver was an Englishman who attained the rank of captain in the British Royal Navy before emigrating to Massachusetts in 1820. He worked as a maritime pilot on Boston Harbor for over two decades, then relocated to Minnesota. He and his family were among the first settlers of Lakeland Township in 1848. Oliver operated a ferry on the St. Croix River between Lakeland and Hudson, Wisconsin, from 1850 until his death in 1869. His sons George and Charles were instrumental in organizing the town government of Lakeland while another son, John Oliver, Jr., founded the local school.

National Register of Historic Places - Capt. John Oliver House

Statement of Significance:

The Captain John Oliver House, built in 1849, is significant for its association with the settlement of Lakeland Township, the organization of the Town of Lakeland and as an example of the Greek Revival style of architecture.

Captain John Oliver and his family were among the first settlers of Lakeland Township in 1848. In that year Captain Oliver pre-empted land and began the construction of this house. Deeds and historic plat maps show that Oliver and his sons acquired a large amount of property in Lakeland Township during the last half of the 19th century.

Captain John Oliver was a British Naval Officer who emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts in 1820. He served as the Boston Harbor Pilot for twenty-two years prior to settling in Lakeland Township. From 1850 until his death in 1869 he operated the ferry between Lakeland and Hudson, Wisconsin.

The Oliver family was closely associated with the platting and organization of the Town of Lakeland and the organization of the local school system. George A. and Charles A. Oliver, sons of Captain Oliver, are credited with setting up the governmental organization of Lakeland. John A. Oliver, Jr. was responsible for the establishment of the Lakeland school.

Architecturally, the house is significant as one of a dwindling number of Greek Revival buildings dating to the 1850s in Minnesota. Although additions have been made to the exterior and alterations to the interior the original Greek Revival features remain intact.