May 01, 1975
National Register of Historic Places
Statement of Significance: In 1867, Adam Rau purchased the property at 2 George Street in West Saint Paul. This parcel consisted of three hilly lots a short distance from the Mississippi River. Rau, a stone-cutter of foreign descent held this property for seventeen years until, in 1884, he applied for a permit to construct a limestone dwelling and barn on the property. Two years later, the buildings were completed. However, in 1888, Rau moved on selling the house, barn, and property to Ossian R. Strong, for the sum of $8,000. The property has remained to the present day in the hands of the descendants of Ossian Strong who have preserved it relatively intact. The Rau/Strong House is primarily significant as a representative of middle-class taste during the last half of the nineteenth century in Saint Paul. Although Rau is credited with constructing the buildings himself, these buildings are typical of the varied tastes of the era. The land was relatively plentiful and the idea of the urban "mansion" with a carriage barn and spacious grounds was in vogue. Rau, therefore, constructed his "mansion" on the northwest corner of his three lots with the carriage barn on the southeast corner separated by an expanse of lawn and gardens. Significant also is the craftsmanship with which the buildings were designed and constructed.... reflecting Rau's skill as a stone-cutter. They are of local yellow limestone laid in courses with brush-hammered quoins at corners. They also reflect Rau's eclectic tastes in design, as the architectural features are derived through a combination of the Italianate, the Second Empire, and the Eastlake. Further, the property has remained in the hands of the Strong family since its purchase in 1888. Strong, a clerk for the P.H. Kelley Company of Saint Paul, made no changes in the structures nor have his descendants. Rather, the house and barn have been preserved along with many original furnishings to convey an accurate picture of middle-class urban life in Victorian Saint Paul.
National Register of Historic Places
Statement of Significance: In 1867, Adam Rau purchased the property at 2 George Street in West Saint Paul. This parcel consisted of three hilly lots a short distance from the Mississippi River. Rau, a stone-cutter of foreign descent held this property for seventeen years until, in 1884, he applied for a permit to construct a limestone dwelling and barn on the property. Two years later, the buildings were completed. However, in 1888, Rau moved on selling the house, barn, and property to Ossian R. Strong, for the sum of $8,000. The property has remained to the present day in the hands of the descendants of Ossian Strong who have preserved it relatively intact. The Rau/Strong House is primarily significant as a representative of middle-class taste during the last half of the nineteenth century in Saint Paul. Although Rau is credited with constructing the buildings himself, these buildings are typical of the varied tastes of the era. The land was relatively plentiful and the idea of the urban "mansion" with a carriage barn and spacious grounds was in vogue. Rau, therefore, constructed his "mansion" on the northwest corner of his three lots with the carriage barn on the southeast corner separated by an expanse of lawn and gardens. Significant also is the craftsmanship with which the buildings were designed and constructed.... reflecting Rau's skill as a stone-cutter. They are of local yellow limestone laid in courses with brush-hammered quoins at corners. They also reflect Rau's eclectic tastes in design, as the architectural features are derived through a combination of the Italianate, the Second Empire, and the Eastlake. Further, the property has remained in the hands of the Strong family since its purchase in 1888. Strong, a clerk for the P.H. Kelley Company of Saint Paul, made no changes in the structures nor have his descendants. Rather, the house and barn have been preserved along with many original furnishings to convey an accurate picture of middle-class urban life in Victorian Saint Paul.
May 01, 1975
Posted Date
Jan 29, 2022
Historical Record Date
May 01, 1975
Source Name
United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service
