300 Clifton Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55403, USA

The Eugene J. Carpenter House - Significance

The Carpenter House is significant because of its association with Eugene J. Carpenter, Minneapolis lumberman and prominent patron of the arts in Minnesota.

Eugene Carpenter was born in Illinois in 1865 and with his family moved to Iowa. Following graduation from the University of Michigan in 1889 he moved to Minneapolis and accepted an executive position with the Carpenter Brothers Lumber Company of which his father was president. In 1899, several mergers later, Eugene became president of the Central Lumber Company. He was also involved in the administration of other financial concerns.

In 1906, in the midst of his business career. Carpenter and his family moved into the newly remodeled house at 300 Clifton Avenue. He resided here until his death in 1922; his wife until 1946.

In addition to business. Carpenter's interest in the Arts led him to become a prominent patron of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. He was vice chairman of the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts from 1911 to 1922 and served on a fund raising committee where at one dinner, pledges of money and land for the establishment of the Institute amounted to three quarters of a million dollars. Carpenter and his wife, Merrett, contributed $14,000 at this event and at the time of his death, she gave the Georgian Room to the Institute as a memorial.

Carpenter's unflagging support of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts ensured its success as one of the finer cultural centers in the Upper Midwest.

The Eugene J. Carpenter House - Architecture

The Eugene J. Carpenter House is situated on the edge of a small bluff overlooking Loring Park immediately south of the central business district of Minneapolis. The site is buttressed by limestone retaining walls at the rear which indicates roughly a three-story differential between the Clifton Avenue facade of the house and the Oak Grove Street level of the properties below; likewise. Oak Grove Street is approximately three-stories above Loring Park.

The Carpenter House at 300 Clifton Avenue as it exists today is the result of an extensive alteration of an earlier Queen Anne style frame residence in 1906 by Minneapolis architect Edwin H. Hewitt. During this remodeling, the three-story towered Queen Anne with wrap-around porches and multi-gabled roof was transformed into a two-story Georgian Revival design. This design incorporated a five-bay symmetrical facade under a dormered hipped roof. The central entry is embellished with an ionic portico; the roof of this portico is in the shape of a segmental arch, a motif echoed in the doorway and two of the dormer windows. Second floor windows are enhanced by decorative wrought iron balconies of flowerbox dimensions. An ionic-columned porch one story in height runs the entire length of the east (side) facade.

Originally, a concrete balustraded fence/retaining wall separated the front lawn of the Carpenter property from Clifton Avenue. The retaining wall has survived as have the low posts, however, the balusters have been removed.

To the rear of the house is a large frame carriage house which retains the flavor of the original Queen Anne detailing. It has a hipped roof which is surmounted by a spire-like cupola. Seen from Oak Grove Street, the carriage house appears to be four stories in height as it is incorporated within the limestone retaining wall. In actuality, the carriage house was constructed as a barn with loft and facilities for horses and carriages. The cellar contained the heating plant. Later, a turntable was installed in the carriage portion to allow automobiles to be turned around.

The interior of the house was executed on the typical central hall Georgian Revival plan. To the right was the large parlor and to the left was the library and dining room. A staircase at the end of the hall provided access to the upper floors which were quarters for the owners and servants. In recent years, the house had been converted into a rooming house, however, no major alterations had been made in the plan or interior finishing.

The property was acquired in 1976 in a deteriorating condition by the present owner who has undertaken a program of restoration/rehabilitation to adapt the building and carriage house into offices.

300 Clifton, Clifton Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA