4735 Lake Ave
White Bear Lake, MN, USA

Historic home holiday makeover

Historic home holiday makeover
The public is invited to participate in decorating the Fillebrown House for the holidays during a party Saturday morning.

By Tim Harlow Star Tribune
Photo by Marlin Levison - Star Tribune

The Historic Fillebrown House on White Bear Lake will be decked to the nines for the holidays, but about the only thing that is certain is that the Christmas tree will be positioned in the entryway of the Victorian-era cottage.

Beyond that, it's up to the public to give the place a holiday makeover and make it reflect the festive feel of the season.

On Saturday, the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society will unpack boxes of ornaments that date to the 1930s and allow volunteers to place them on the tree and string lights and garlands throughout the house that is on the National Register of Historic Places. The occasion is the annual Christmas Decorating Party, replete with music, door prizes and refreshments.

"This is a task that should be enjoyed and not onerous," said Sara Markoe Hanson, the society's executive director. "Many hands make light work, so we turned it into a party."

The red and green cottage at 4735 Lake Av. was the summer home of Charles P. Noyes, a pharmacist who came to St. Paul in 1868. J. Walter and Harriet Fillebrown bought the cottage in 1905 and donated it to the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society in 1978. Decorators are asked to keep in mind what the Fillebrowns might have done in the 1930s and 1940s when selecting their motif, but otherwise there are few restrictions.

One year somebody suggested feathers on the Christmas tree and "it really worked; it was gorgeous," she said. "We don't get wild and crazy. We won't have 17 plastic Santas lining the windows. But different people give it a different dynamic and a different presentation. Things are not automatically put in the same spot. That is what brings people back."

The traditional decorating party is a prelude to two of the society's most popular holiday events. Last year so many people turned out for the Children's Story Time that the event will be held on two evenings this year. From 6 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 7 and 8, volunteers will read poems and stories to young children as they sit around the Christmas tree. Children are encouraged to wear pajamas, and cookies and hot or cold cider will be served. Reservations are required.

On Dec. 10, guides will lead tours of the historic house while volunteers play holiday music on the 1868 Steinway grand piano. It is the only day during the holiday season that the public can tour the lakeside cottage -- which is normally used for community or private events but not open for tours -- and learn about the Fillebrown family traditions. One-hour tours of the home will run from 1 to 3 p.m.

Charles P. Noyes Cottage

The Charles P. Noyes Cottage (also known as the Fillebrown House) was a summer home of Saint Paul pharmacist, Charles P. Noyes, who came to St. Paul in 1868. The cottage is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


Description and history

A sign outside the cottage cites it as being a rare example of American Picturesque architecture, dating back to the late 19th century when White Bear Lake was a resort town with large colonnaded hotels and fine summer homes along the lake.

The house was owned by the Fillebrown family for most of its years as a residence, and was donated to the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society in 1978. The house is open for tours and special events.

National Register of Historic Places - Charles P. Noyes Cottage

Statement of Significance:

The "Red Chalet" is important as a rare example of the late nineteenth century "close to nature" movement which produced romanticized summer cottages and retreats in the wooded and lake areas on the fringes of established urban centers. In architectural design, this movement was exemplified in the works of Henry Hobson Richardson, W.R. Emerson, and McKim, Mead and White. Although the architect/designer of the "Red Chalet" is unknown, the influence of Richardson is evident in the refined application of the stick style and original color scheme of brown, autumnal red and sage green. Lewis Mumford, in describing Richardson 1 s transformation of the traditional New England cottage, would also be describing the "Red Chalet": "the wide windowed cottage, with its ample porch and open rambling rooms that embodied a new feeling for both the landscape in which it was placed and the requirements of domesticity".

The excellent state of preservation and retention of design integrity further bespeaks the historic value of the "Red Chalet". The present owners have provided to will the cottage to the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society, thus establishing a heritage for the community through preservation of this resource.