Jun 22, 2018
Jun 22, 2018
Posted Date
Mar 19, 2022
Historical Record Date
Jun 22, 2018
Source Name
Redfin
Sep 01, 2009
Sep 01, 2009
1926: The Piper & Hawley House
Excerpt from the History of Bushway Road and Its Neighborhood (1858-2009) by Irene Stemmer, of the Wayzata Heritage Preservation Board (HPB) as a means of preserving the history of the Bushaway Road and its neighborhood. 1926: The Piper & Hawley House - 555 Bushaway Road This rambling two story Colonial Revival house was designed by Architect Andrew Schuehle for George F. Piper, Jr. in 1926. The special feature of this summer cottage is its lack of hallways so the gentle breeze from the lake could flow throughout the house and keep it cool in summer. It has a gabled roof with multiple dormers, wood shake siding and elaborate porches. The elevation facing Wayzata Bay has a mass of windows and a screened porch which open the house to its natural setting. The house is in excellent condition and has had few exterior alterations. George F. Piper, Jr., married Nina Sturgis Lawler around 1910. They adopted three children, George F. Piper III, Edmond and Alice Piper (Cestari). George Piper, Jr. was president of the Minneapolis/ St. Paul Stock Exchange and was also involved in investment banking. George F. Piper, Jr. died in 1965 and his wife in 1969. The Piper children remember well the years at the lake house prior to moving to California. Alice presently lives in Massachusetts and is an active member of the Wellesley Conservation Council as an advocate for birds and raptors. Dr. Edmond Piper was a dermatologist and is retired in New Hampshire. George III, who stayed in the area, was well known around Wayzata as owner/proprietor of the “Country Loft” an upscale clothing and accessories store in Wayzata during the 1950s. He was an avid historian, collector of antique cars and later had an antique store in a historic Victorian house in Carver, Minnesota. George III died in 1996. (See 623 Bushaway Road for early Piper history) 1938 -J. B. Hawley purchases Piper House J. B. “Jack” Hawley, Jr. purchased the cottage from George F. Piper, Jr. in 1938. He was President of Northern Pump/Northern Ordnance at the time. When Jack decided to live on Lake Minnetonka, he had three options available to him: the Rand house (Cargill estate), Locust Hills or the Piper house, each of which had an asking price of $50,000.00. He chose this house at 555 Bushaway on Wayzata Bay and ended up paying not $50,000 but $20,000 for his house on the lake! As a young man, Jack made frequent trips to Lake Minnetonka, a place he learned to love at an early age. Jack’s father, J. B. Hawley, Sr., was born in Red Wing, Minnesota, and graduated from the University of Minnesota with an engineering degree. When Fort Worth, Texas needed a new waterworks system in 1892, J. B. Hawley, Sr. headed south. He stayed on in Texas and married Sue Terrell, daughter of a founding Fort Worth family. Thus, J. B. “Jack” Hawley, Jr. was born and grew up in Texas. After graduating from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York in 1921, Jack Hawley, Jr. led a busy life as an inventor of pumps--pumps for fire trucks, pumps for oil wells and submersible pumps for navy submarines. He held patents on 36 different inventions. Northern Ordinance was the largest producer of gun mounts in the free world. Northern Pump/Northern Ordinance was noted for building the submersible pump for the Navy Department for their war ships during World War II. He had a penchant for hard work, an inventive mind and was a true patriot earning him and his company six Navy “E” awards and an Army-Navy Four Star award for continuous excellence in production. Jack Hawley, Jr. and Rosita (Zita) Hofmeister were married on March 30, 1946. Jack and Zita had four children, MacDonald, James, Lisa and Lane. Jack had four children by two former marriages so life in the house on Lake Minnetonka would be quite lively at times. Prior to marrying Jack Hawley, Zita was a stewardess for Pan American Airlines, stationed in Miami. Florida. Her regular flights were back and forth to Cuba. Zita grew up in Minneapolis and on Lake Minnetonka. All told, she lived on Wayzata Bay for over sixty-five years enjoying all the wonderful activities the lake had to offer. Mr. Hawley died in June, 1980.
1926: The Piper & Hawley House
Excerpt from the History of Bushway Road and Its Neighborhood (1858-2009) by Irene Stemmer, of the Wayzata Heritage Preservation Board (HPB) as a means of preserving the history of the Bushaway Road and its neighborhood. 1926: The Piper & Hawley House - 555 Bushaway Road This rambling two story Colonial Revival house was designed by Architect Andrew Schuehle for George F. Piper, Jr. in 1926. The special feature of this summer cottage is its lack of hallways so the gentle breeze from the lake could flow throughout the house and keep it cool in summer. It has a gabled roof with multiple dormers, wood shake siding and elaborate porches. The elevation facing Wayzata Bay has a mass of windows and a screened porch which open the house to its natural setting. The house is in excellent condition and has had few exterior alterations. George F. Piper, Jr., married Nina Sturgis Lawler around 1910. They adopted three children, George F. Piper III, Edmond and Alice Piper (Cestari). George Piper, Jr. was president of the Minneapolis/ St. Paul Stock Exchange and was also involved in investment banking. George F. Piper, Jr. died in 1965 and his wife in 1969. The Piper children remember well the years at the lake house prior to moving to California. Alice presently lives in Massachusetts and is an active member of the Wellesley Conservation Council as an advocate for birds and raptors. Dr. Edmond Piper was a dermatologist and is retired in New Hampshire. George III, who stayed in the area, was well known around Wayzata as owner/proprietor of the “Country Loft” an upscale clothing and accessories store in Wayzata during the 1950s. He was an avid historian, collector of antique cars and later had an antique store in a historic Victorian house in Carver, Minnesota. George III died in 1996. (See 623 Bushaway Road for early Piper history) 1938 -J. B. Hawley purchases Piper House J. B. “Jack” Hawley, Jr. purchased the cottage from George F. Piper, Jr. in 1938. He was President of Northern Pump/Northern Ordnance at the time. When Jack decided to live on Lake Minnetonka, he had three options available to him: the Rand house (Cargill estate), Locust Hills or the Piper house, each of which had an asking price of $50,000.00. He chose this house at 555 Bushaway on Wayzata Bay and ended up paying not $50,000 but $20,000 for his house on the lake! As a young man, Jack made frequent trips to Lake Minnetonka, a place he learned to love at an early age. Jack’s father, J. B. Hawley, Sr., was born in Red Wing, Minnesota, and graduated from the University of Minnesota with an engineering degree. When Fort Worth, Texas needed a new waterworks system in 1892, J. B. Hawley, Sr. headed south. He stayed on in Texas and married Sue Terrell, daughter of a founding Fort Worth family. Thus, J. B. “Jack” Hawley, Jr. was born and grew up in Texas. After graduating from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York in 1921, Jack Hawley, Jr. led a busy life as an inventor of pumps--pumps for fire trucks, pumps for oil wells and submersible pumps for navy submarines. He held patents on 36 different inventions. Northern Ordinance was the largest producer of gun mounts in the free world. Northern Pump/Northern Ordinance was noted for building the submersible pump for the Navy Department for their war ships during World War II. He had a penchant for hard work, an inventive mind and was a true patriot earning him and his company six Navy “E” awards and an Army-Navy Four Star award for continuous excellence in production. Jack Hawley, Jr. and Rosita (Zita) Hofmeister were married on March 30, 1946. Jack and Zita had four children, MacDonald, James, Lisa and Lane. Jack had four children by two former marriages so life in the house on Lake Minnetonka would be quite lively at times. Prior to marrying Jack Hawley, Zita was a stewardess for Pan American Airlines, stationed in Miami. Florida. Her regular flights were back and forth to Cuba. Zita grew up in Minneapolis and on Lake Minnetonka. All told, she lived on Wayzata Bay for over sixty-five years enjoying all the wonderful activities the lake had to offer. Mr. Hawley died in June, 1980.
Posted Date
Mar 19, 2022
Historical Record Date
Sep 01, 2009
Source Name
Wayzata Heritage Preservation Board
Jun 01, 1930
Jun 01, 1930
Posted Date
Mar 24, 2022
Historical Record Date
Jun 01, 1930
Source Name
Minnesota Historical Society
