When Addison G. Foster built this residence in 1883, he constructed it in conjunction with his friend and business partner Chauncey Griggs, who built his house next door at 490 Summit Avenue.   These adjacent mansions share a joint carriage house where the builders lived during the construction of the homes.  Foster engaged in the lumber business ,  later delved into coalmine operations and railroad construction, and then served as a U.S. Senator.

 

The Foster house and the neighboring Griggs house are noteworthy early works of the prominent architect Clarence H. Johnston, Sr., who established an office in St. Paul the same year these homes were erected.   The fact that Johnston was able to secure these two sizable commissions during his first year of private practice is remarkable.

Since the 1950’s, this mansion has been the site of several catering businesses.  The present owners have done much to repair and restore the house.   When entering this home from  Summit Avenue, guests will see a lovely paneled library that leads to the main staircase, as well as a combined front and back parlor and a light-filled dining room.

The second floor bedrooms are spacious and decorated in period style.  The bedroom to the to the right at the top of the stairs features a lovely fireplace with a carved mantle.  A small door off the alcove leads to a unique dressing area with a charming sitting stoop and a tiny radiator to warm the toes, a large private bathroom, a sewing room and a porch.  A transom window and a set of French doors connect the latter two doors.  The suite itself leads into an unusually ornate back staircase, so adorned because carriages brought guests into the house from the side, and Mrs. Foster used this staircase herself

A magnificent ballroom fills much of the third floor, which was originally either a billiards room or a nursery.  The charming porch that extends off this room kept occupants cool on warm summer nights.  In addition to frequently hosting weddings and events, the owners have created an appealing apartment out of the original servants’ quarters on the other side of the third floor of this home.

Several exquisitely carved columns on the exterior of the home divide symmetrical sets of windows. The most impressive window is 12 feet high, leaded glass, and located above the grand staircase landing on the west side of the house.

Over the years, this building has been restored and each owner has made practical modifications without altering the historical significance of the home. After the Griggs family moved west during the late 1880s, the Nuska Club, a fashionable social group, used the house, constructing a stage on the third floor and performing operettas for the youth who lived on Summit Avenue. This third floor space was altered yet again in 1939 when a shingle-clad gabled dormer was replaced by a 250 square foot sky-light in order to suit the needs of the occupants, the St. Paul Gallery and School of Arts. To this day, artists continue to rent apartments and rooms on the third floor to take advantage of the twenty-foot high ceilings and fabulous natural light.

When the current owners bought this home in 1982, they obtained original moldings taken out of the house by the St. Paul Gallery and School of Arts and began the painstaking process of restoring the living room. To compensate for 3 feet of molding lost in the removal process, the owners made this room slightly smaller by creating a secret compartment near the bookshelves. Over time, they have also worked to remove much of the psychedelic décor added by the occult press that once occupied the home. 

Grand hallways, twelve-foot ceilings on the first floor, majestic fireplaces, and a sweeping 26-foot high staircase define this house. A unique carving of a cockfight adorns the fireplace in the music room and the dining room’s white marble mantle is decorated with a geometric serpentine inlay (a symbol of endless happiness).

710 Linwood This Georgian Colonial,  built in 1913 for a prominent lawyer, features a large foyer, which highlights the curved open stairway.  The home’s most unexpected feature, an inviting indoor pool with views of the Saint Paul bluffs, is visible from the foyer. To the left of the entry is the formal dining room, which features a hand painted “walls on canvas” mural by local artist Michael Boline.  To the right of the entry lies the living room; the focal point is the gas fireplace with dentil molding in two sizes, carved pillars, and handcrafted German tiles depicting various trades. The second floor is accessed via a wide stairway featuring a landing area with a half moon window overlooking a wrought iron balcony.  It features a guest room, a master suite, a small den – the previous owner’ s meditation room, a girl’s bedroom suite, and three bathrooms. Changes to the house occurred over several decades. The pool (featured on the cover of Architectural Digest), and the den (once a screened porch) were added in the 1960’s.   In the late 1990’s, the house was renovated to restore it to its original Georgian grandeur.  The kitchen space was redesigned, adding the French doors to the pool and constructing an arch that visually separates the eating space from the cooking space. This arch duplicates the arches from the entrance hall.  Moldings, turn of the century styled butter yellow cabinetry, a period inspired center island, and painted woodwork enhance the beauty and the soul of this kitchen. All bathrooms were completely redesigned and renovated with most of the tiles custom made. The white brick style ceramic tile used as wainscoting is a wall treatment typical of the late 19th century.   The current homeowners moved here in 1999, and have made only minimal design changes to reflect their personal style. They love and fully use all areas of the home, which they accurately describe as “peace in an urban setting.”  - despite the fact that, on a chilly Sunday afternoon one can hear the laughter and splashing of many children.