CPED STAFF REPORT Prepared for the Heritage Preservation Commission HPC Agenda Item #4 February 2, 2021 PLAN11991

HERITAGE PRESERVATION APPLICATION SUMMARY

Property Location: 1647 26th Street West Project Name: Demolition of a Historic Resource Prepared By: John Smoley, Ph.D., Senior City Planner, (612) 673-2830 Applicant: Estate of Ann M. Bailly Project Contact: Janet Cory Ward: 7 Neighborhood: East Isles Request: To demolish the single-family residence at 1647 26th Street West in the East Isles neighborhood. Required Applications: Demolition of Historic To demolish the single-family residence at 1647 26th Street West in the East Isles Resource neighborhood.

HISTORIC PROPERTY INFORMATION

Current Name Bailly Residence Historic Name Charles W. and Sarah A. Chase Residence Historic Address 1647 26th Street West Original Construction 1908 Date Original Architect Septimus James Bowler Original Builder Charles C. Chase Historic Use Single-family residence Current Use Single-family residence Proposed Use Single-family residence

SUMMARY

BACKGROUND. The subject property consists of a two- and one-half story single-family residence with two detached garages and an in-ground swimming pool. The residence faces northeast on the south side of West 26th Street midblock between West Lake of the Isles Parkway and Euclid Place on a roughly 150 foot by 150 foot zoning lot.

Date Application Deemed Complete December 17, 2020 Date Extension Letter Sent January 21, 2021 End of 60-Day Decision Period February 15, 2021 End of 120-Day Decision Period April 16, 2021

Department of Community Planning and Economic Development PLAN11991

The subject building was constructed in 1908 by Charles C. Chase for Sarah A. and Charles W. Chase, as well as himself.1 The wood frame dwelling’s first story is clad in brick, and the slightly overhanging upper stories are clad in stucco. The gabled roof is clad in composition shingles and there are brick chimneys at the east and west roof ridges, with a dormer on the north slope. Windows are wood sash with aluminum combination storm-screens and aluminum trim. Soffits and fascia boards are clad in aluminum. There is a three-bay brick garage in the southwest corner of the lot and a two-bay, wood frame garage to the southeast of the residence. A paved driveway runs along the west side of the house. The north/front elevation faces West 26th Street and has an offset front gable. The central entrance is flanked by a projecting bay at the west bay. This entrance has a canopy with aluminum soffits. Windows at the first floor have one-over-one wood sash. The double-hung wood windows at the second story have divided lights at the upper sash. Windows at the third story have aluminum replacement sash. On February 7, 2020, Elevation Homes submitted a complete application for a Historic Review Letter. In this letter, CPED staff determined that the subject property was a historic resource, having been designed by master architect Septimus Bowler and owned by David Bailly, the founder of Minnesota’s first modern winery. Minneapolis architect Septimus J. Bowler designed this residence in the Tudor Revival style of architecture. While the City of Minneapolis has deemed Bowler a master architect and designated a number of his properties, this property exemplifies neither his work nor the Tudor Revival style of architecture. The home is currently owned by the estate of Ann Bailly. Her late husband, David, is credited with being the founder of Minnesota’s first modern winery, but that significant achievement occurred in Hastings, where the winery remains in operation to this day. The subject property was not included in the 1984 nomination of the Lake of the Isles Potential Historic District, to which it is adjacent. The 2006 reconnaissance-level survey of the Calhoun-Isles section of Minneapolis did not deem the subject property eligible for an intensive-level evaluation, despite recommending that for the property next door at 1635 26th ST W. A historical evaluation commissioned by the applicant and completed by Landscape Research concludes that the property possesses neither significance nor integrity. While the property is being offered for sale at $1.8 million, in their description of the project, in the attached report, the applicant notes, “The roof needs replacing (we are not even able to have it insured), of the 6 bathrooms only 2 are in working order, plumbing is a continual problem, there are water leaks in the basement, the furnace is in need of replacement, there is no central air, and one of the garages is in danger of collapse. It would take considerable time and expense to put the property in a livable condition…”

1 “Walter Chase, Attorney, Dies,” The Minneapolis Star, 11 February 1929, 3; “Charles W. Chase,” The Minneapolis Star, 20 January 1938, 20; “$200 for Season-My Ten-Room,” Minneapolis Journal, 15 May 1906, 16; “Charles Chase Dies in Florida; Was Investor,” The Minneapolis Star, 13 April 1960, 55.

2 Department of Community Planning and Economic Development PLAN11991

APPLICANT’S PROPOSAL. CPED has received neither a Wrecking Permit application nor a Building Permit application to construct a new building. The applicant is marketing the property for sale and wishes to perform this aspect of due diligence for potential buyers by applying for demolition approval.

PUBLIC COMMENTS. Staff has received no public comments on this proposal. Any additional correspondence received prior to the public meeting will be forwarded on to the Heritage Preservation Commission for consideration.

ANALYSIS

DEMOLITION OF HISTORIC RESOURCE The Minneapolis Code of Ordinances, Title 23, Heritage Preservation, Chapter 599 Heritage Preservation Regulations states: (a) In general. If the commission determines that the property is not an historic resource, the commission shall approve the demolition permit. If the commission determines that the property is an historic resource, the commission shall deny the demolition permit and direct the planning director to prepare or cause to be

3 Department of Community Planning and Economic Development PLAN11991 prepared a designation study of the property, as provided in section 599.230, unless the applicant meets their burden of proof with regard to subdivision (b) below. (b) Destruction of historic resource. Before approving the demolition of a property determined to be an historic resource, the commission shall make the following findings: (1) The destruction is necessary to correct an unsafe or dangerous condition on the property; or (2) That there are no reasonable alternatives to the destruction. In determining whether reasonable alternatives exist, the commission shall consider, but not be limited to: 1. The significance of the property; 2. The integrity of the property; and 3. The economic value or usefulness of the existing structure, including its current use, costs of renovation and feasible alternative uses. The Department of Community Planning and Economic Development has analyzed the application to allow the demolition of the residence at 1647 26th Street West based on the following findings:

SIGNIFICANCE In CPED’s review, the subject property does not appear eligible for local designation. Criterion #1: The property is associated with significant events or with periods that exemplify broad patterns of cultural, political, economic or social history. The home is currently owned by the estate of Ann Bailly. Her late husband, David, is credited with being the founder of Minnesota’s first modern winery. His purchase of twenty acres of farmland in 1972 for the purposes of starting a winery was met with skepticism by critics who understood the effects of Minnesota’s extreme cold on grape vines. Bailly met their skepticism with effort and optimism, taking care to lower and cover his vines with soil each autumn, and planting a variety of vines to test their climate tolerance. When he passed away in 1990, his daughter, Nan, took over the winery. Their efforts have helped renew interest in winemaking in Minnesota, which now has over ninety wineries.2 Nevertheless, these pioneering viticultural accomplishments occurred in Hastings, Minnesota, where the winery remains located, not in Minneapolis. For this reason, CPED staff finds that the property is not eligible for Landmark designation under Criterion 1. Criterion #2: The property is associated with the lives of significant persons or groups. The subject building was constructed in 1908 by Charles C. Chase for Sarah A. and Charles W. Chase, as well as himself. City directories from that time period indicate that engineer and contractor Charles C. Chase lived onsite with his father Charles W. Chase, a realtor who operated out of the Security Bank Building, as well as Charles C’s brother, Elbridge S. Chase, a clerk in his father’s, Charles W’s, firm. Neither Charles W. nor Charles C. appear to figure prominently in Minneapolis’ real estate and construction history, though Charles W. was wealthy enough to afford furnished ten-room cottages on Crystal Bay and in Orono in 1906. Charles W. was not mentioned in the Minneapolis Journal’s silver anniversary edition section on real estate, building, and insurance. Charles C. went on to open his own investment firm and serve in the U.S. Army during World War I, rising to the rank of Colonel. Both men eventually left Minneapolis. The father moved to Los Angeles and the son to Florida before they passed away in those

2 “Minnesota Wineries Map,” Minnesota Uncorked” Local Wine News, [http://www.minnesotauncorked.com/minnesota-winery-map/ ], accessed 18 February 2020; “Lawyer and Winemaker David Bailly Dies at Age 57,” Star Tribune, 17 April 1990, 4B.

4 Department of Community Planning and Economic Development PLAN11991 locations. For these reasons, CPED staff finds that the property does not have sufficient significance under Criterion 2 to merit local designation.3 Criterion #3: The property contains or is associated with distinctive elements of city or neighborhood identity. The subject property does not appear to be associated with distinctive elements of city or neighborhood identity, and therefore is not significant under Criterion 3. It is a single-family residence in a neighborhood and city with many single-family residences. The East Isles Neighborhood is so named for its association with the Lake of the Isles, which makes up the neighborhood’s western border. A 1984 historic district nomination of the Lake of the Isles Potential Historic District, made up of distinctive residences surrounding this lake, did not include the subject property. Criterion #4: The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural or engineering type or style, or method of construction. The subject property is designed in the Tudor Revival style of architecture, but it does not embody the distinctive characteristics of this style. While this house possesses a high-pitched gabled roof and diamond-paned windows on the second floor, it lacks the more common traits of Tudor Revival residences, including half-timbering, a front entrance with masonry surround, decorative brickwork, and massive chimneys. Better remaining examples of the Tudor Revival style of architecture include one local historic district and nine Landmarks: the Golden Valley Road Apartments Historic District, the Benjamin Walling House, the Edwin Hewitt House, the Garlick-Magney House, the Webster/Deinard Residence, the Linden Hills Library, the Hosmer Library, the Sumner Library, the Roosevelt Library, and the Linden Hills Methodist and Episcopal Church. For these reasons, CPED staff finds that the property does not have sufficient significance under Criterion 4 to merit local designation. Criterion #5: The property exemplifies a landscape design or development pattern distinguished by innovation, rarity, uniqueness or quality of design or detail. The property does not exemplifiy a landscape design or development pattern distinguished by innovation, rarity, uniqueness or quality of design or detail, and therefore is not significant under Criterion 5. Simple, commonplace landscaping in the form of trees, shrubs, and grass exists onsite. Criterion #6: The property exemplifies works of master builders, engineers, designers, artists, craftsmen or architects. Minneapolis architect Septimus J. Bowler designed this residence in the Tudor Revival style of architecture, but the property does not exemplify his work. This London-born master architect was one of forty architects from around the country, and one of the seven finalists from Minneapolis, to be included in the competition to design the Minnesota State Capitol building. This master architect designed a wide variety of Minneapolis buildings, to include religious institutions like First Church of Christ Scientist, Mikro Kodesh Synagogue, and Montefiore Cemetery Chapel, all of which are Minneapolis Landmarks; commercial properties like Camden Park State Bank, also a Minneapolis Landmark; and residences like the National Register-listed Laurel Apartments at 15 North 15th Street. All of these are better remaining examples of his expertise. For these reasons, CPED staff finds that the property is not eligible for Landmark designation under Criterion 6. Criterion #7: The property has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.

3 “Walter Chase, Attorney, Dies,” The Minneapolis Star, 11 February 1929, 3; “Charles W. Chase,” The Minneapolis Star, 20 January 1938, 20; “$200 for Season-My Ten-Room,” Minneapolis Journal, 15 May 1906, 16; “Charles Chase Dies in Florida; Was Investor,” The Minneapolis Star, 13 April 1960, 55.

5 Department of Community Planning and Economic Development PLAN11991 The property has not yielded, nor is it likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Records available at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office indicate that no archeological sites have been identified on the subject property nor have any archaeological surveys been conducted on the property in question. The property is not likely to yield information important in prehistory. The subject property is located within five hundred feet of the Lake of the Isles. Pre-contact bodies of water generally served as sources of water, food, and transportation, thus areas in close proximity, generally within five hundred feet or less, to such sites have a higher than average potential to include archeological evidence of pre-contact humans. Nevertheless, Lake of the Isles was subject to extensive dredging and shaping, to include the construction of a road around the lake. Cloud Man’s village, a former Native American settlement just to the south, on the east bank of Bde Maka Ska, presents a more likely source of pre-contact information. The subject property is not likely to yield information important to history. No buildings existed onsite prior to this home’s construction in the summer of 1908. The dwelling was connected to the sewer system in 1910. There is a chance that the lot may have privy vaults containing archaeological evidence, but it would only consist of two years of such evidence, at most. Other archaeological sources of information such as sheet refuse, trash pits, and builder’s trenches may still be present on the lot. However, given the relatively short period of time the dwellings were not linked to the sewer system, and the rapid rate of this home’s construction (less than five months, as estimated on the building permit), it is unlikely that these historical archeological deposits would reveal important information.4 For these reasons, CPED staff finds that the property is not eligible for Landmark designation under Criterion 7.

INTEGRITY The Minneapolis Code of Ordinances, Title 23, Heritage Preservation, Chapter 599 Heritage Preservation Regulations recognizes a property's integrity through seven aspects or qualities: location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. The subject property retains integrity. Location The residence at 1647 26th Street West has not been moved, and thus retains integrity of location.

Design Although alterations to the property’s design have occurred over time, their impacts to the property’s integrity of design have been fairly moderate. The most substantial alterations appear to have been a front entrance remodel, a two-story 11’x15’ rear corner addition in 1926, and the removal of an open one-story front porch. The basement has been exposed with a stone entrance and patio, but these changes appear at the rear of the building. These types of alterations are arguably in keeping with the rehabilitation guidelines of The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, as is the 1923 addition to the detached garage and the 1972 construction of an in-ground pool screened by shrubbery. For these reasons, the subject residence retains integrity of design.

Setting The property’s setting is its physical environment: its relationship to surrounding features and open space. The physical environment of the subject property remains unchanged. This portion of the East Isles neighborhood remains a neighborhood of single-family residences. For this reason, the subject property retains integrity of setting.

4 City of Minneapolis Building Permit B76108, 1647 26th Street West, 8 May 1908; City of Minneapolis Sewer Connection Permit #24263, 1647 26th Street West, 1910.

6 Department of Community Planning and Economic Development PLAN11991

Materials The subject property retains integrity of materials. The installation of aluminum soffit, window trim, gutters, and downspouts occurred in 1988. Primary windows have been replaced and aluminum storm windows have been installed. Historic masonry like the brick foundation and chimneys have been painted. These changes are common, and reversible.

Workmanship The few exterior examples of early twentieth-century workmanship that this residence possessed appear to have been removed or covered with the remodel of the front entrance, the replacement of some windows, and the covering of flared eaves with aluminum. For this reason, it appears that the subject property no longer retains integrity of workmanship. It should be noted, however, that these changes all occurred during or before the Bailly’s tenure onsite.

Feeling Despite the aforementioned changes, the subject property retains integrity of feeling. It still appears much as it did originally, and when the Bailly’s lived onsite: a period which ended less than one year ago. The building’s function as a single-family residence in a neighborhood of single-family residences remains unchanged.

Association The house is still owned by the Bailly family, who have owned the property for fifty years: longer than anyone else. The property’s integrity of association remains intact.

UNSAFE OR DANGEROUS CONDITION In CPED’s review, the property does not appear eligible for local designation. Neither CPED nor the applicant believes that an unsafe or dangerous condition justifies demolition of the subject property. The applicant has listed the building for sale as a single-family residence.

REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES TO DEMOLITION In CPED’s review, the property does not appear eligible for local designation. Reasonable alternatives to demolition exist. The applicant is selling the home as-is. This application is their effort to conduct due diligence on behalf of potential buyers who may wish to know whether demolition or major alterations would be permitted if they purchase this property.

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROPERTY In CPED’s review, the property does not appear eligible for local designation under criteria 1-7 as discussed above. While the property was designed by master architect Septimus Bowler in the Tudor Revival style of architecture, the subject property exemplifies neither this style of architecture nor Bowler’s work, which is better represented by four past Landmark designations and one recent National Register listing. While Dan Bailly’s pioneering viticultural accomplishments are historically significant, they occurred in Hastings, where the winery remains located, not in Minneapolis.

7 Department of Community Planning and Economic Development PLAN11991 ECONOMIC VALUE OR USEFULNESS OF THE EXISTING STRUCTURE The residence in question undoubtedly has economic value or usefulness. Indeed, the applicant has listed this property for sale, with an asking price of $1,800,000. Hennepin County values the property slightly lower. The land has an assessed value of $768,600, while the residence and related improvements are valued at $727,900, as the owners note in their application.

FINDINGS 1. The property at 1647 26th Street West is not individually listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register. 2. The proposed destruction is not necessary to correct an unsafe or dangerous condition on the property. 3. There are reasonable alternatives to the destruction. 4. Though repairs to the property are needed, the property retains economic value and usefulness. 5. The subject property retains integrity. 6. Nevertheless, the subject property does not appear to possess the historical significance necessary to qualify it for designation as a local historic landmark.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Department of Community Planning and Economic Development recommends that the Heritage Preservation Commission adopt staff findings for the application(s) by the Estate of Ann Bailly for the property located at 1647 26th Street West: A. Demolition of Historic Resource. Recommended motion: Approve the demolition of historic resource application, subject to the following conditions: 1. By ordinance, approvals are valid for a period of two years from the date of the decision unless required permits are obtained and the action approved is substantially begun and proceeds in a continuous basis toward completion. Upon written request and for good cause, the planning director may grant up to a one-year extension if the request is made in writing no later than February 2, 2023. 2. By ordinance, all approvals granted in this certificate of appropriateness shall remain in effect as long as all of the conditions and guarantees of such approvals are observed. Failure to comply with such conditions and guarantees shall constitute a violation of this certificate of appropriateness and may result in termination of the approval.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Oblique aerial photo 2. Statement of proposed use and description of the project 3. Determination of Eligibility Study, 1647 West 26th Street Minneapolis, Minnesota by Landscape Research 4. Survey 5. Photos 6. Public comments

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Oblique Aerial Photo of 1647 26th Street West, Spring 2018, Courtesy of Hennepin County Sanborns December 15, 2020

Community Planning and Economic Development Development Services Division 250 South 4th Street, Room 300 Minneapolis, MN 55415

RE: 1647 W. 26th Street, Minneapolis, MN Request for Demolition

This letter is in support of an application for a demolition permit for the above-referenced property. My parents purchased the property in 1971 and my family has lived there since that time. I am one of 6 siblings that were raised in the house. My father passed away in 1990 and my mother lived there by herself until shortly before she passed in April, 2020 at the age of 85 from complications with Alzheimers. I am the executor of her estate and writing on behalf of her heirs. The family has elected to sell the house since our mother passed and is applying for permission to have the house demolished based on a lack of historical significance.

The house was built in 1910 and is very large- it has approximately 8,000 square feet of living space and is on a lot that is 150 xlS0 feet square. Both the house and property are in poor condition. While my mother was not lacking in resources to maintain the house, she found it was just too difficult to keep up with repairs over the years on a house that had outgrown its useful life. The roof needs replacing (we are not even able to have it insured), of the 6 bathrooms only 2 are in working order, plumbing is a continual problem, there are water leaks in the basement, the furnace is in need of replacement, there is no central air, and one of the garages is in danger of collapse. It would take considerable time and expense to put the property in a livable condition, and as a result, the home has been mostly vacant since my mother passed and is suffering further and more rapid decline. While the house served its purpose for our large family of 8 over the past 50 years, we have found that there is little interest in the house in its present state. Potential buyers of the property have expressed a strong interest in demolishing and replacing the structure. One interested buyer investigated the potential for duplex and triplex conversion and found it was not cost effective. We have no plans for demolishing the house ourselves, so the application is being sought to give flexibility to a new owner.

As the historical review included (prepared by Amy Lucas) notes, the house has no historical significance. The architect and architecture are not unique or noteworthy and the alterations over the years have compromised any original integrity. The neighborhood has some examples nearby of homes that have successfully sold where the new owner replaced an old and historically insignificant home, including the house directly across the street on W. 26th Street, a home several houses north on Lake Place, and one on the same block on Lake of the Isles Parkway. We have kept neighbors informed of our plans to sell the house and the potential demolition and redevelopment by a new owner, and have given them an opportunity to express concerns. At this time we are not aware of any objections specifically or generally from neighbors (in fact the neighbor to the immediate east expressed interest in working with a developer who was interested in the property). So it is with this background we respectfully request that you consent to a demolition permit which would allow a buyer of the property to proceed with a demolition.

Sincerely,

net Cory Daughter and Executor of the Estate of Ann M. Bailly

Contact Information: Janet [email protected] 312.623.7274 Janet B. Cory 1449 W. Glenlake Ave Chicago, IL 60660

Determination of Eligibility Study

1647 West 26th Street Minneapolis, Minnesota

Prepared for

Nate Wissink Streeter Homes/Elevation Companies and Estate of Ann Bailly

By Amy M. Lucas M.S. Landscape Research, LLC

October 2020

Table of Contents

List of Figures 3

1.0 STUDY OBJECTIVES AND METHODS 5

2.0 PROJECT BACKGROUND 5

3.0 PROPERTY DESCRIPTION 5 3.1 Location 5 3.2 Property Description 6 3.3 History of Alterations 9

4.0 HISTORY OF LAND USE AND OCCUPANCY 12 4.1 Lake of the Isles Addition to Minneapolis 12 4.2 Ownership of 1647 West 26th Street 16 4.3 Architecture 21

5.0 EVALUATION 23 5.1 Local Designation Criteria for Evaluation 23 5.2 Previous Evaluations 23 5.3 Integrity 24 5.4 Evaluation 25 5.5 Recommendation 27

6.0 SOURCES CONSULTED 28

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 2 List of Figures

Cover: 1647 West 26th Street. (April 2020)

1. Location Map 4

Fig. 2. 1647 West 26th Street outlined in blue. (Hennepin County, 2020) 6

Fig. 3. North elevation of 1647 West 26th Street. (Oct. 2020) 7

Fig. 4. West elevation of 1647 West 26th Street. (Oct. 2020) 7

Fig. 5. East elevation of 1647 West 26th Street. (Oct. 2020) 8

Fig. 6. South (rear) elevation of 1647 West 26th Street. (Oct. 2020) 8

Fig. 7. Garage built in 1911. (Oct. 2020) 9

Fig. 8. Garage built in 1965. (Oct. 2020) 9

Fig. 9. 1647 West 26th Street in 1971, with earlier front door canopy. (Bailly) 9

Fig. 10. Survey of 1647 West 26th Street in 1971 before the swimming pool was built in 1972. 10

Fig. 11. Main Entrance system, ca. 1970. (March 2020) 10

Fig. 12. Main Stair, ca. 1930s. (Oct. 2020) 10

Fig. 13. South (rear) elevation basement patio (1932). (Oct. 2020) 11

Fig. 14. Rear addition (1923). (Oct. 2020) 11

Fig. 15. Section 33, noting Russell’s land at the east side of Lake of the Isles in 1873. 12

Fig. 16. Lake of the Isles Addition to Minneapolis plat, 1882. (Hennepin County) 13

Fig. 17. The east side of Lake of the Isles in 1885 with the few residences highlighted in yellow. 14

Fig. 18. Lake of the Isles Addition in 1903. (Plate 8, Atlas of Minneapolis, Hennepin Co.) 15

Fig. 19. Lake of the Isles Addition in 1914. (Plate 8, Atlas of Minneapolis, Hennepin Co.) 15

Fig. 20. 1647 West 26th Street, 1912. (Sanborn Map Co.) 16

Fig. 21. Aerial in 1938 with 1647 West 26th Street circled. (Hennepin County) 18

Fig. 22. George Neilson ca. 1940. (George W. Neilson Foundation) 19

Fig. 23. William Kirtley, date unknown (Legacy) 19

Fig. 24. William F. Casey in 1967. (Minneapolis Star) 20

Fig. 25. David Bailly, ca. 1980. (Legacy) 21

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 3

1647 West 26th Street

Fig. 1. Location Map Fig. 1. Location

Map 1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 4 1.0 STUDY OBJECTIVES AND METHODS

The objective of this study was to evaluate the property at 1647 West 26th Street to determine if it meets the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission local designation criteria. The house was evaluated as an individual property.

The property was photographed during site visits in October 2020. Historical research relied on Minneapolis maps and atlases, building permits, property deed, city directories, newspapers and U.S. Federal census records. The Lake of the Isles Historic District-Draft National Register Nomination (1984), the East Isles Neighborhood Historic Context Study (Zellie 2006) and the Historic Resources Inventory: Portions of Calhoun-Isles Area (Mead & Hunt 2006), were among other sources consulted.

2.0 PROJECT BACKGROUND

The house at 1647 West 26th Street is being listed for sale and interested parties have inquired about potential demolition. The house is sited on a large lot with 150 feet of street frontage along West 26th Street. Houses on the same side of the block occupy lots with 50 feet of frontage. Hennepin County estimated the land value at $768,600 and the improvements at $727,900. Annual property taxes are $25,105.

In February 2020, Nate Wissink of Elevation Companies inquired about the potential for demolition and completed a “historic review letter” application through the City of Minneapolis. In a letter dated February 24, 2020, City of Minneapolis staff John Smoley responded that the property is a historic resource and meets local criteria 2 and 4 for its association with master architect Septimius Bowler and resident David Bailly. In June 2020, Elevation Homes retained Landscape Research LLC to further evaluate the significance of 1647 West 26th Street.

3.0 PROPERTY DESCRIPTION

3.1 Location

The two- and one-half story house at 1647 West 26th Street (PID 3302924240124) was built in 1908. It is situated at the south side of West 26th Street and is midblock between West Lake of the Isles Parkway and Euclid Place. The house occupies Lot 4 and one-half of Lot 5 of Block 14 of Lake of the Isles Addition to the City of Minneapolis. The vernacular Tudor Revival style house faces northeast and the lot measures approximately 150 by 150 feet. The house is in the East Isles neighborhood, which is located along the east side of Lake of the Isles and is generally bounded by E. Lake of the Isles Parkway at the east, West 22nd Street at the north, Hennepin Avenue at the east and West Lake Street at the south.

The surrounding buildings are sited on lots of varying sizes. The Colonial Revival style house (1653 West 26th Street) at the west was built in 1903 and the Prairie style house (1635 West 26th Street) at the east was built in 1910. The house at the east was designed by Purcell, Feick and Elmslie for E. L. Powers, a vice-president at Butler Brothers. To accommodate the narrow lot, the Powers residence was designed with a side entrance, which faces the house at 1647 West 26th Street. The more recent surrounding construction includes the house across the street at the north, 2519 Lake Place, which was built in 2017.1 The Ranch style house (1700 West 26th Street) across West 26th Street at the northwest of the property was built in 1949.

1 The house faces West 26th Street, but sits on the corner of 26th Street and Lake Place and has a Lake Place address.

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 5

Fig. 2. 1647 West 26th Street outlined in blue. (Hennepin County, 2020)

3.2 Property Description

In 1908, Charles W. and Sarah Chase built the two- and one-half story, vernacular Tudor Revival style house at 1647 West 26th Street.2 The house was designed by local architect Septimus J. Bowler and built by the Chase’s son, Charles C. Chase, at an estimated cost of $6,500.3 The wood frame dwelling is clad in brick at the first story and the slightly overhanging upper stories are clad in stucco. The gable roof is clad in composition shingles and there are brick chimneys at the east and west roof ridges. Windows are wood sash with aluminum combination storm-screens and aluminum trim. Soffits and fascia boards are clad in aluminum. There is a three-bay brick garage (1911) at the south and a two-bay, wood frame garage (1965) at the southeast. The paved driveway runs along the west side of the house.

North Elevation

The north elevation faces West 26th Street and has an offset front gable. The central entrance is flanked by a projecting bay at the west bay. The entrance (ca. 1950s) has a canopy with aluminum soffits. Windows at the first floor have one-over-one wood sash. The double-hung wood windows at the second story have divided lights at the upper sash. Windows at the third story have aluminum replacement sash. The dormer on the north slope appears to be a later addition (date unknown).

2 Minneapolis Building Permit #B76108, May 8, 1908. 3 Ibid.

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Fig. 3. North elevation of 1647 West 26th Street. (Oct. 2020)

West Elevation

The west elevation is organized under a wide gable. This elevation has a parged foundation with brick cladding at the first floor and stucco cladding at the upper floors. Windows at this elevation are wood sash at the first and second story and aluminum replacement sash at the third story.

Fig. 4. West elevation of 1647 West 26th Street. (Oct. 2020)

East Elevation

The east elevation is organized under a wide gable with a central, brick endwall chimney. A flat- roofed, two-story brick and stucco addition (1926) is located at the south bay. There is an in- ground swimming pool at the south yard, which measures 25 by 50 feet.

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 7

Fig. 5. East elevation of 1647 West 26th Street. (Oct. 2020)

South Elevation

The south elevation has a brick foundation and stucco cladding at the upper floors. The offset entrance was added in 1923 and stone and concrete stair. Windows are wood, double-hung sash. The basement was renovated in 1932 and included a new below-grade entrance. The stone facing of the lower-level patio was clad in stone ca. 1980s. This elevation faces the two, hipped-roof, detached garages. The three-bay brick garage (1911) has wood brackets and eaves and wood overhead doors. The two-bay garage (1965) has wood, log walls and metal overhead doors.

Fig. 6. South (rear) elevation of 1647 West 26th Street. (Oct. 2020)

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Fig. 7. Garage built in 1911. Fig. 8. Garage built in 1965.

Interior

The house has been renovated multiple times including the kitchen and bathrooms. The main staircase and railing appear to date from the 1930s. In 1932, the basement was converted into a recreation space and includes a below-grade entrance and patio.

3.3 History of Alterations

The interior and exterior of the original house have been heavily altered since construction in 1908. The house originally had a full-width front porch that was removed in the 1930s and replaced with a canopy resting on columns. The north gable appears to have a later dormer addition. The front door system and current canopy were added after 1971. Other changes after 1971 include aluminum replacement windows at the third story and aluminum window trim and soffits at all elevations. Additions were built at the south and east elevations. The brick and stucco veneer and brick chimneys have been painted.

Fig. 9. 1647 West 26th Street in 1971, with earlier front door canopy. (Bailly)

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Fig. 10. Survey of 1647 West 26th Street in 1971 before the swimming pool was built in 1972.

Fig. 11. Main Entrance system, ca. 1970. Fig. 12. Main Stair, ca. 1930s.

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Fig. 13. South (rear) elevation basement patio (1932). Fig. 14. Rear addition (1923).

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4.0 HISTORY OF LAND USE AND OCCUPANCY

4.1 Lake of the Isles Addition to Minneapolis

In 1851, pioneer Roswell P. Russell (1820-1896) secured a claim extending from the east shore of Lake of the Isles to present-day Lyndale Avenue, and from West 26th Street at the north to Lake Street at the south.4 Russell divided his land holdings into several additions, including Russell’s Addition (1879), Lake of the Isles Addition (1882) and Russell’s Third Addition (1886).5 Section 33, which includes the Lake of the Isles Addition, was annexed to the City of Minneapolis in 1883.6 Russell’s house was located near present-day Hennepin Avenue and West 28th Street and he continued to farm his parcel into the 1880s.7 In 1890, Russell’s 15-person household constituted much of the area’s total population.8

Fig. 15. Section 33, noting Russell’s land at the east side of Lake of the Isles in 1873.

The Lake of the Isles Addition (1882) extends approximately from Franklin Avenue at the north and 28th Street at the south, to the lake shore at the west and present-day Humboldt Avenue at the

4 Carole Zellie, “East Isles Neighborhood Historic Context Study,” Prepared by Landscape Research LLC for the East Isles Residents Association: Minneapolis, 2007, 3-4. 5 Ibid, 18-19. 6 Ibid, 3. 7 Ibid, 4. 8 Ibid, 12.

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 12 east. With his partners, Thomas Lowry, Calvin G. Goodrich, and Abram Reid, Russell provided 100-foot frontage lots for most of the 16-block addition.9

Fig. 16. Lake of the Isles Addition to Minneapolis plat, 1882. (Hennepin County)

Lots in the Lake of the Isles Addition developed slowly. In 1879-81 the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad (CM&StP) developed along 29th Street and divided Russell’s land. Railroad construction was completed as the Minneapolis Board of Park Commissioners (Park Board) was working on parkway plans for Lake of the Isles. The Park Board acquired the land around Lake of the Isles in 1887 and started dredging the shoreline for the following three years with subsequent roadway construction.10 By 1885, only five houses had been constructed in the Lake of the Isles Addition. (Fig. 17)

9 Ibid, 11. 10 Ibid, 12-15.

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Fig. 17. The east side of Lake of the Isles in 1885 with the few residences highlighted in yellow.

By 1900 Minneapolis was the world’s largest wheat and flour market and the city experienced exponential population growth.11 The area east of Lake of the Isles attracted builders and upper middle class residents who were in management and professional occupations.12 Real estate atlases show that the Lake of the Isles Addition was transformed into a dense urban neighborhood between 1903 and 1914. The majority of the addition’s larger parcels, which were located away from the lake shore, were divided into smaller parcels.

11 Ibid, 17. 12 Ibid.

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Fig. 18. Lake of the Isles Addition in 1903. (Plate 8, Atlas of Minneapolis, Hennepin County)

Fig. 19. Lake of the Isles Addition in 1914. (Plate 8, Atlas of Minneapolis, Hennepin County)

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4.2 Ownership of 1647 West 26th Street

Charles and Sarah Chase

In 1906, Charles and Sarah Chase purchased vacant land on West 26th Street from Llewellyn Fife (1851-1922), a cutlery merchant.13 Chase purchased Lot 4 of Block 14 of the Lake of the Isles Addition in August 1906 for $1,900 and the west half of Lot 5 in October 1906 for $1,300.14 In May 1908, Sarah Chase applied for a building permit for a two- and one-half story brick and stucco house, which measured 38 by 49 feet and was built at an estimated $6,500.15 The permit lists S. J. Bowler as the architect and Chase’s son, Charles C. Chase, as the contractor. In August of the same year, Charles W. Chase applied for a building permit for a one- and one-half story brick barn, which measured 18 by 28 feet and was built at an estimated cost of $300.16 The 150- foot lot allowed for the house to be situated lengthwise on the lot. The 1912 map (Fig. 20) indicates the house had a full-width front porch and a one-story porch at the east elevation. In 1911, the barn was razed and Charles C. Chase built a brick garage measuring 20 by 26 feet.17

Fig. 20. 1647 West 26th Street, 1912. (Sanborn Map Co.)

Charles Walter Chase (1853-1938) was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts and moved to St. Paul with his family in 1867.18 He married Sarah Agnes Scott (1856-1911) in 1876 and they resided in

13 U.S. Federal Census 1910, S.D. 5, E.D. 140, Sheet 8A. 14 Hennepin County Deed Book 605, Page 335, August 17, 1906; Hennepin County Deed Book 615, Page 326, October 22, 1906. 15 Minneapolis Building Permit #B76108, May 8, 1908. 16 Minneapolis Building Permit #B77736, August 7, 1908. 17 Minneapolis Building Permit #B96111, November 7, 1911. The 3-bay, brick garage appears to be original and is larger than the 20 by 26 foot permit description. 18 “Charles Walter Chase, Obituary,” Minneapolis Tribune, January 20, 1938.

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 16 St. Anthony Park in the 1890s.19 Chase listed his occupation as a real estate agent and financed loans; he operated the Chase Investment Company in the Security Bank Building in downtown Minneapolis.20 In 1909, the Chases moved to the house at 1647 West 26th Street with their ten children and a housekeeper.21 Notably, the house was built with eight bedrooms. Sarah Chase died on October 12, 1911 and, in 1914, her widowed husband transferred the deed to the house on West 26th Street to his children. He moved to 1500 West 22nd Street.22 Chase’s son, Charles Clement Chase (1882-1960), listed his occupation as an architect and builder in 1910 and was the contractor for the house at 1647 West 26th Street; by 1920 he listed his occupation as a real estate agent.23 In 1920, the Chase siblings sold the house at 1647 West 26th Street to Joseph Foster Atwood. At the time of the sale, Charles C. Chase lived in the house with five siblings.24

By 1920, Charles C. Chase and his brothers, Elbridge (b.1888), Chauncy (b. 1896), and Kenneth (b.1905), operated the Chase Investment Company which moved to the McKnight Building in 1919.25 In 1927, Charles W. Chase married Charlotte Ireland Donaldson (1860-1955), a widow, and they moved to Los Angeles, California where Chase died in 1938.26 Charles C. Chase retired to Palm Beach, Florida where he died in 1960.27

Joseph Foster and Ruby Atwood

In 1920, Joseph and Ruby Atwood purchased the house at 1647 West 26th Street for $28,000.28 In 1923, the Atwoods added a 4-by-20-foot brick addition to the rear (south) elevation, which created an enclosed rear entry; the same permit also noted a brick garage addition.29 In 1926, they enclosed the screen porch at the east elevation and added a second story to the porch for an estimated cost of $1,000.30 Other improvements included remodeled bathrooms.31 The Atwoods lived in the house with their three sons, Thomas (b. 1902), John (b. 1907), and George (b. 1913).32 In 1932, they sold the house to George and Maude Neilson and moved to 2433 Irving Avenue South.33

Joseph Foster Atwood (1873-1939) was born in Chicago and married Ruby Teasdale (1877-1944) in 1899.34 Atwood was employed at Bayer Coffee and Teas in Chicago before moving to Minneapolis in 1902.35 Atwood and his brother, Ebenezer “Eben” Atwood (1879-1948), operated Atwood & Holstad, a wholesale coffee company.36 In 1905, the brothers organized Atwood

19 St. Paul Directory, 1898-1909; Minneapolis Directory, 1910. 20 Minneapolis Directory, 1907. 21 U.S. Federal Census 1910, S.D. 5, E.D. 155, Sheet 4B. 22“Notice of Mortgage,” Echo de L’ouest, June 20, 1919; Minneapolis Directory, 1912; Hennepin County Deed Book 769, Page 34, November 30, 1914. 23 U.S. Federal Census 1910, S.D. 5, E.D. 155, Sheet 4B; U.S. Federal Census 1920, S.D. 5, E.E. 170, Sheet 7A. 24 U.S. Federal Census 1920, S.D. 5, E.E. 170, Sheet 7A. 25 Minneapolis Directories 1920, 1925, 1930, 1935, 1940. 26 In the 1930 census Charles and Charlotte Chase lived at 4700 Aldrich Avenue South in Minneapolis. It appears Chase had homes on Lake Minnetonka and Los Angeles. Following his death, his widow returned to Minneapolis and resided with her son, Frank Donaldson. One of Charles W. Chase’s daughters was married to Frank Donaldson. 27 “Charles Chase Dies in Florida; Was Investor,” Minneapolis Star, April 13, 1960. 28 Hennepin County Recorder, Deed Book 907, Page 400, June 21, 1920. 29 Minneapolis Building Permit #B167354, April 16, 1923. The dimensions on the permit are unclear, but this may have been the permit for a third stall on the garage. 30 Minneapolis Building Permit #B195688, April 1, 1926. The permit noted the 11-by-15 foot porch and “repair to frame building.” This may have been when the full-length front porch was removed and replaced with a canopy at the entrance. 31 David A. Bailly, “Genealogy of 1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota,” 1972. 32 U.S. Federal Census 1920, S.D. 7, E.D. 277, Sheet 23A. 33 Minneapolis Directory, 1933. 34 Census of Minnesota 1905, S.D. 5, E.D. 155, Sheet 9B. 35 “Coffee Firm Founder Dies,” Minneapolis Star, March 11, 1939. 36 The wholesale operation also sold tea, extracts and baking powder.

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 17 Coffee Company and Joseph Foster Atwood remained president until his retirement in 1931; he died in 1939.37 Eben Atwood was president of Atwood Coffee until his death in 1948.38 Eben’s son, Henry M. Atwood, was president of the company until it merged with another local roaster, McGarvey Coffee, in 1956. In 1961, Henry Atwood sold his interests in the company.39

George and Maude Neilson

In 1932, George Neilson and his wife, Maude, purchased the house at 1647 West 26th Street.40 That same year, the Neilsons completed a major renovation of the house at an estimated cost of $4,500, which included a first floor den and a basement amusement room with a walkout basement patio.41 The interior metal railing and central staircase redesign appear to date from the 1930s. The Neilsons lived in the house with their daughter, Katharine (1925-2000), and remained in the house until George Neilson’s death in 1962.42

Fig. 21. Aerial in 1938 with 1647 West 26th Street circled. (Hennepin County)

George William Neilson (1883-1962) was born in Virginia and attended The Summit Academy in Summit, New Jersey before moving to Minneapolis ca. 1905.43 In 1910, he was a salesman for the Lavoris chemical company and boarded at 2511 Fremont Avenue South.44 In 1919, Neilson was hired as assistant sales manager at Pence Automobile Company and continued to rent a room on Fremont Avenue.45 In 1924, Neilson and Donald H. Lansing organized the Lansing-Neilson

37 “Coffee Firm Founder Dies,” Minneapolis Star, March 11, 1939. 38 “Eben Atwood, Coffee Firm Co-Founder, Dies,” Minneapolis Star, December 28, 1948. 39 “H.M. Atwood Buys Moving Firm,” Minneapolis Star, April 19, 1963. 40 Hennepin County Recorder Deed Book 1309, Page 586, June 16, 1932. 41 Minneapolis Building Permit #B232718, July 5, 1932. 42 Minneapolis Directories, various years. 43 U.S. Federal Census 1900, S.D. 4, E.D. 138, Sheet 6A. 44 U.S. Federal Census 1910, S.D. 5, E.D. 144, Sheet 13B. 45 Minneapolis Directory, 1919.

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 18 Company, which sold shock absorbers and operated a service station on Harmon Place.46 That same year, Neilson, at the age of 40, married Maude Delmar (1887-1963) and they had a daughter the following year.47 The Neilsons lived at 4817 Lyndale Avenue South before purchasing the house at 1647 West 26th Street in 1932.48 Neilson returned to the Lavoris Company in 1931 as the advertising manager and retired from the company in 1941.49 Following Neilson’s death in 1962, his wife moved to the Calhoun Beach Hotel where she died in 1963.50 The executors of Maude Neilson’s estate sold the house at 1647 West 26th Street to William and Hazel Kirtley in 1963.

Fig. 22. George Neilson ca. 1940. (George W. Neilson Foundation)

William F. and Hazel Kirtley

In 1963, William and Hazel Kirtley purchased the house at 1647 West 26th Street for $35,000.51 Two years later, the Kirtleys built a second garage at the rear (south) of the house.52 The two-bay, wood frame garage was built at an estimated cost of $3,500. The Kirtleys and their three children lived in the house for four years before they sold it in 1967.

Fig. 23. William Kirtley, date unknown (Legacy)

William Franklin Kirtley (1928-2005) was born in Indiana and married Susan Ann Vlaskamp (1927-2009) in 1944.53 Their son, William, Jr. (1945-2005) was born in 1945.54 Kirtley divorced in 1946 and married Hazel Marie Moody (1928-1995) in 1948.55 They had two children, Kathey (b. 1951) and Kristy (b. 1956).56 Kirtley worked in car dealerships in Indiana before moving to Minneapolis in ca. 1963 to work at British Leyland Motors.57 The Kirtleys sold the house on West 26th Street in 1967 and moved to Florida in 1973; they divorced in 1979. Kirtley married

46 “Lansing-Neilson Company, Distributors of Shock Absorbers, Open Office,” Minneapolis Star, July 30, 1924. 47 U.S. Federal Census 1930, S.D. 7, E.D. 22-255, Sheet 29B. 48 U.S. Federal Census 1930; Minneapolis Directory, various years. 49 “Announcements,” Minneapolis Star, December 5, 1931. 50 “Mrs. Maude Neilson, obituary,” Minneapolis Star, January 19, 1963. 51 Hennepin County Deed Book 2598, Page 253, October 3, 1963. 52 Minneapolis Building Permit #B393342, August 11, 1965. 53 Indiana Birth Certificate, March 5, 1945; Indiana Death Certificate 14212, April 7, 2005. 54 Indiana Birth Certificate, March 5, 1945. 55 Tallahassee Florida Marriage Record 002115811, February 7, 1948. 56 Star Press (Muncie, Indiana), December 14, 2005 57 “William F. Kirtley, obituary,” Star Press (Muncie, Indiana), December 14, 2005; “William F. Kirtley, obituary,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, December 18, 2005; Indiana Directories, various years.

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 19 Phyllis Pierson (b. 1947) in 1980.58 William Kirtley’s career included time as a cattle rancher in Houston and general manager of a club in Bloomington, Indiana from 1982 to 1990.59 Kirtley died in Sarasota, Florida in 2005.60

William F. and Rosemary Casey

In 1967, William and Rosemarie Casey purchased the house at 1647 West 26th Street for $57,500.61 William F. Casey (1926-2014) was born in Minneapolis and married Rosemarie “Robie” Hessburg (1926-2016) in 1950.62 Like his father, William Casey began his career in sheet metal manufacturing.63 In 1957, Casey was named president of Stainless & Steel Products Company of St. Paul.64 In 1967, Butler Manufacturing Company of Kansas City purchased Stainless & Steel Products Company and Casey remained manager of the Minneapolis division.65 That same year Casey and his wife moved to 1647 West 26th Street with their nine children.66 In 1969, Casey was named vice-president of Kodiak, Inc., a conglomerate company, which included the Brown Tank & Fabricating Company and Minneapolis Tank Company.67 Casey resigned from Kodiak, Inc. in 1970 and moved to Durango, Colorado.68 Casey owned Andrew’s Auto Parts in Durango and was a Council Member and Mayor of Durango.69 He retired to Denver in 1990 and died in 2014.70

Fig. 24. William F. Casey in 1967. (Minneapolis Star)

David and Ann Bailly

In 1971, David and Ann Bailly purchased the house at 1647 West 26th Street for $62,500.71 The next year, the Baillys built a below-grade swimming pool at the east of the house; a stucco-clad wall was built around the pool.72 In 1988, all of the windows, soffit, fascia, and porch canopy were wrapped in aluminum.73 The Baillys raised their six children in the house and remained in

58 Dallas Texas Marriage Record, August 1, 1980. 59 “William F. Kirtley, obituary,” Star Press (Muncie, Indiana), December 14, 2005; “William F. Kirtley, obituary,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, December 18, 2005. 60 Ibid. 61 Hennepin County Deed Book 2598 Page 593, August 16, 1967. 62 “Casey-Hessburg Vows Exchanged,” Minneapolis Star, June 29, 1950. 63 Census records and Minneapolis Directories indicate that William Casey’s father, Patrick, was employed by Brown Sheet Metal Company. 64 “William F. Casey,” Minneapolis Star, May 5, 1969. The Stainless & Steel Products Company was founded in 1913 and manufactured truck trailers for transporting foods. 65 “Butler Firm Buys Stainless & Steel Products Firm,” Minneapolis Star, May 11, 1967. 66 “Michael D. Casey, Obituary,” Minneapolis Star, June 29, 1976. 67 “Kodiak Appoints Two Executives,” Minneapolis Star, January 31, 1969. 68 “William F. Casey,” Minneapolis Star, October 8, 1970. 69 “William F. Casey, obituary,” The Durango Herald, April 25, 2014. 70 Ibid. 71 Hennepin County Deed Book 71, Document 3918386, November 22, 1971. 72 Minneapolis Building Permit #B434546, May 2, 1972. 73 Minneapolis Building Permit #B559203, July 18, 1988.

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 20 the house until their deaths; David Bailly died in 1990 and Ann Bailly died in 2020. The Bailly heirs continue to own the residence and a caretaker resides in the house.

Fig. 25. David Bailly, ca. 1980. (Legacy)

David Bailly (1932-1990) was born in Minneapolis in 1932 and received his undergraduate and law degree from the University of Minnesota.74 Bailly married Ann MacLennan (1935-2020), a graduate of the University of Minnesota, in 1953.75 Bailly founded Cragg & Bailly (later Bailly & Bailly in 1990) law firm and his wife worked in the Academic Affairs office at the University of Minnesota for thirty years.76 The Baillys lived at 1916 James Avenue South from 1957 to 1971 before they moved to the house at 1647 West 26th Street in 1971.77 The following year, David Bailly purchased twenty acres in Hastings and planted grapes for a vineyard. The winery received the state’s fourth bonded winery permit.78 In 1978, when Bailly’s first vintage was bottled, there were only two state vintners.79 The University of Minnesota (U of M) began a grape breeding program in 1908, which flourished in 1984 when the Minnesota legislature appropriated $125,000 to develop cold-hardy cultivars.80 The U of M Horticultural Research Center grape releases include: Frontenac (1996), La Crescent (2002), Frontenac Gris (2003), Marquette (2006) and Itasca (2017).81 In 1990, there were two licensed wineries in Minnesota and, in 2013, there were 41 wineries.82 The Alexis Bailly Vineyard is operated by the Baillys’ daughter, Nan.

4.3 Architecture

Tudor Revival Style

The Tudor Revival style was a dominant style for domestic building throughout the United States during the first half of the twentieth century and is well represented in Minneapolis.83 Most houses in this style emphasize high-pitched, gabled roofs with decorative half-timbering, narrow windows with multi-paned glazing and massive chimneys.84 A small percentage of Tudor houses

74 “Lawyer and winemaker David Bailly dies at age 57,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, April 17, 1990. 75 “Couples Granted Licenses to Wed,” Globe Gazette (Mason City, Iowa), October 17, 1953. 76 “Ann MacLennan Bailly, obituary,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, April 12, 2020. 77 Minneapolis Directory, various years. 78 “Grapes Suffer But Wine Won’t,” Minneapolis Star, September 23, 1977. Permit Registry No. BW-MN-4. The first Minnesota bonded license was issued, after Prohibition, to Phillip L. Memmer and Dr. Herman Kesting under the label, Old Sibley House. Winery license no. 2 was issued to Leland Gohlike in 1972. License No. 3 was issued to David Macgregor (Lake Sylvia Vineyard) in 1976. 79 “No Sour Grapes for State Vintners,” Minneapolis Tribune, October 29, 1980. 80 “Science-drive Minnesota wines pioneer the unforgiving North,” City Pages, December 4, 2019. 81 “As wine preferences have changed, so have the options in the Twin Cities,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, October 16, 2019. 82 “A serious local wine industry is taking root in region,” MinnPost, July 15, 2013 (largely reprinted from Twin Cities Business Journal). A large percentage of the state’s winery business continues to be tourism related to event planning and tasting rooms over wine production sales. 83 Virginia and Lee McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1989), 358. 84 Ibid, 355.

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 21 have stucco walls, which are most common on modest examples built before the widespread adoption of brick and stone veneering in the 1920s.85 Tudor Revival style houses often highlight the main entrance with a Tudor arch and brickwork surrounds.86 The windows are frequently groups of casements with diamond-paned divided lights.87

The house at 1647 West 26th Street is a vernacular Tudor Revival style house with a high-pitched gable roof and windows at the second floor retain the diamond panes. The house lacks the more common traits of including half-timber, a decorative entrance, decorative brickwork and massive chimneys. Furthermore, the house has lost the front porch and original entrance.

Septimus J. Bowler

The house at 1647 West 26th Street was designed by local architect Septimus James Bowler (1868-1940) in 1908. Bowler was born in England and arrived in Minneapolis about 1884.88 He worked as a carpenter and established an architecture practice in 1888.89 Bowler married Cora Read, a piano teacher, in 1888 and they had four children.

Bowler’s Minneapolis commissions include the Montefiore Cemetery Chapel (1894) at 4153 Third Avenue South, First Church of Christ Scientist (1897) at 614-620 East 15th Street, and Mikro Kodesh Synagogue (1927) at 1000 Oliver Avenue North.90 Bowler designed a number of houses, apartment houses and commercial buildings in Minneapolis, but he was not a member of the Minneapolis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. In 1921, the chapter president wrote that Bowler “has never been considered eligible for Chapter membership…I have not heard much of him for the past few years since Prohibition went into effect; previous to that time, I believe he was sober only occasionally. His work, architecturally, consisted of rough sketch plans made for the mostly cheaper class of speculative builders.”91 In 1907, Bowler’s drinking problem was chronicled in the local news when he “came home at a late hour and was in such a condition that his family was maltreated until they cried for help.”92 The Bowlers’ daughter, Ethel, died in 1902 and Cora Bowler moved with the children to Covina, California in 1912 where she died in 1936.93 Bowler lived in a succession of hotels throughout the 1920s.94 He died at the Rochester State Hospital in 1940 and is buried in the hospital cemetery.95

85 Ibid. 86 Ibid, 358. 87 Ibid, 356. 88 Alan Lathrop, Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010), 26. 89 Ibid. 90 All three buildings are locally designated landmarks. 91 Lathrop, 27. 92 “Ejected, S.J. Bowler Throws Wife and Family Out of Home, Barricades Self,” Minneapolis Star, September 24, 1907. 93 “Mrs. Cora Bowler, obituary,” Minneapolis Star, July 10, 1936. 94 Minneapolis Directory, various years. 95 U.S. Federal Census 1940, S.D. 1, E.D. 55, Sheet 1B. Bowler’s condition at the time of his death is unknown, but the 1940 census spelled his first name as Septapus and his grave marker in the Rochester State Hospital Cemetery also lists him as Septapus Bowler.

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5.0 EVALUATION

5.1 Local Designation Criteria for Evaluation

Chapter 599, Heritage Preservation Regulations of the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances, outlines the process for reviewing historic resources and designation criteria. When evaluating the potential destruction of a historic resource, the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission “shall consider, but not be limited to, the significance of the property, the integrity of the property, and the economic value or usefulness of the existing structure” (Section 599.480). When evaluating a property for local designation the property must meet at least one of the designation criteria.

According to Section 599.210, the following criteria shall be considered in determining whether a property is worthy of designation as a landmark or historic district because of its historical, cultural, architectural, archaeological or engineering significance:

(1) The property is associated with significant events or with periods that exemplify broad patterns of cultural, political, economic or social history.

(2) The property is associated with the lives of significant persons or groups.

(3) The property contains or is associated with distinctive elements of city identity.

(4) The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural or engineering type or style, or method of construction.

(5) The property exemplifies a landscape design or development pattern distinguished by innovation, rarity, uniqueness or quality of design or detail.

(6) The property exemplifies works of master builders, engineers, designers, artists, craftsmen or architects.

(7) The property has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.

5.2 Previous Evaluations

The East Isles Neighborhood Historic Context Study (Zellie, 2006) suggests that the “neighborhood’s primary period of significance is ca. 1873-1930, extending from the construction of Roswell P. Russell’s stylish brick house at Hennepin and 28th Street to the last apartment and residential construction on the eve of the Great Depression.”96 The house at 1647 West 26th Street was not recommended for further evaluation in this report.

The “Lake of the Isles Historic District-Draft National Register Nomination” was completed in 1984 by the City of Minneapolis, but local and/or national designation of the district was not pursued. This draft nomination provides information on the first tier properties facing Lake of the Isles and established a period of significance from 1905 to 1930. The house at 1647 East 26th Street is located outside this survey area around Lake of the Isles and was not evaluated.

96 Zellie, management summary.

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 23 In July 2006, the City of Minneapolis retained historic consultants, Mead & Hunt, to conduct further survey of the region. In the report, “Historic Resources Inventory-Portions of Calhoun- Isles Area,” Mead & Hunt concluded did not recommend the house at 1647 West 26th Street for further evaluation. The report recommended further evaluation of the neighboring E. L. Powers House at 1635 West 26th Street.

5.3 Integrity

Section 599.480 (b) of the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances states that integrity of a potential historic resource must be considered when reviewing demolition, but does not explain how to evaluate integrity. The U.S. Department of the Interior-National Park Service provides interpretation of the seven aspects of integrity when evaluating a property for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The NRHP bulletin 15, How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, explains that location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association of a property should be considered before historic significance.97

NRHP Bulletin 15 chapter, Understanding the Aspects of Integrity, follows:

Location is the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred. Except in rare cases, the relationship between a property and its historic associations is destroyed if the property is moved.

Design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property. Design includes such elements as organization of space, proportion, scale, technology, ornamentation, and materials.

Setting is the physical environment of a historic property. Whereas location refers to the specific place where a property was built or an event occurred, setting refers to the character of the place in which the property played its historical role.

Materials are the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property. A property must retain the key exterior materials dating from the period of its historic significance.

Workmanship is the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory. Workmanship is important because it can furnish evidence of the technology of a craft, illustrate the aesthetic principles of a historic or prehistoric period, and reveal individual, local, regional, or national applications of both technological practices and aesthetic principles.

Feeling is a property's expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time.

Association is the direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property.

NRHP Bulletin 15 chapter, Understanding the Aspects of Integrity, also explains how to review integrity as follows:

97 U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, 2002.

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 24 Visibility of Physical Features

Properties eligible must not only retain their essential physical features, but the features must be visible enough to convey their significance. This means that even if a property is physically intact, its integrity is questionable if its significant features are concealed under modern construction. Archeological properties are often the exception to this; by nature they usually do not require visible features to convey their significance.

5.4 Evaluation

Integrity

NRHP Bulletin 15, How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, explains that location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association of a property should be considered before historic significance.

The house at 1647 West 26th Street maintains its historic location, but possesses poor integrity in design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. The majority of the historic features of the 1908 design have been altered. The front porch has been removed and the front entrance has been replaced with a modern system. Windows have been replaced and all windows have aluminum storms and aluminum trim. The soffit and fascia have been clad in aluminum and the brick foundation and chimneys have been painted. Additions have been built at the south and east elevations and the basement (south) has been exposed with a stone entrance and patio.

The few original Tudor Revival style design elements of the house have been altered with window alterations and porch removal.

The setting has changed with garage additions, swimming pool and retaining walls. The two houses across the street were built after the suggested period of significance and further alter the setting.

The original materials and workmanship including wood windows and open wood porch have been lost.

The house no longer represents the feeling of the period of construction.

The house is not representative of a direct link or association with the owner, builder or architect.

City of Minneapolis Criteria

1. The property is associated with significant events or with periods that exemplify broad patterns of cultural, political, economic or social history.

The house at 1647 West 26th Street is representative of the East Isles residential neighborhood construction built between 1873 and 1930, but it is not any more important than the surrounding houses and does not individually exemplify the broad patterns of Minneapolis’ cultural, political, economic or social history. The house is not individually significant under Criterion 1.

2. The property is associated with the lives of significant persons or groups.

The house at 1647 West 26th Street was built for Charles W. and Sarah Chase and research did not indicate they are significant persons in the history of Minneapolis. Furthermore, their tenure in the residence was short-lived. The City of Minneapolis Historic Review Letter (February 24,

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 25 2020) indicates the house may be significant as the residence of David A. Bailly, founder of the Alexis Bailly Winery in Hastings. Bailly lived in the house at 1647 West 26th Street from 1971 to 1990, but he did not build it. He previously lived at 2209 Fremont Avenue South for eighteen years. Houses in the Kenwood, Lowry Hill and East Isles neighborhoods have long attracted the upper middle-class residents and most of these houses have a history of multiple tenancies with important business affiliations. Bailly’s residency at 1647 West 26th Street is not more significant than the surrounding houses and their residents. Furthermore, Bailly’s residency occurred after the recommended period of significance, 1873-1930, for the East Isles neighborhood. The house at 1647 West 26th Street is not associated with the lives of significant persons or groups.

The Alexis Bailly Winery, founded in 1972, is extant and its impact on the state’s economy may be important and more representative of Bailly’s wine business than his multiple residences in Minneapolis. Much of the continuing success of the winery is attributed to Bailly’s daughter, Nan, operator of the winery since 1990.

3. The property contains or is associated with distinctive elements of city identity.

The property is not associated with distinctive elements of the city or neighborhood identity and is not significant under Criterion 3. Tudor Revival style houses are located throughout the city and the building type or style is not indigenous to Minneapolis or particularly identified with Minneapolis.

4. The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural or engineering type or style, or method of construction.

The house was originally designed as a simplified Tudor Revival style residence with minimal design elements linking it to a specific style. Furthermore, significant alterations have further damaged the characteristics of the style and the house is not significant under Criterion 4.

5. The property exemplifies a landscape design or development pattern distinguished by innovation, rarity, uniqueness or quality of design or detail.

The property does not exemplify a landscape design or development pattern distinguished by innovation, rarity, uniqueness or quality of design or detail and is not significant under Criterion 5.

6. The property exemplifies works of master builders, engineers, designers, artists, craftsmen or architects.

The house at 1647 West 26th Street is associated with the architect Septimus J. Bowler. Bowler produced some distinctive architectural landmarks like the Montefiore Cemetery Chapel and Mikro Kodesh Synagogue and these buildings have been recognized by the City of Minneapolis. Bowler was also prolific and all of his designs, including this residence, do not warrant designation or landmark status. Charles C. Chase is listed as the builder of the house on West 26th, but his career as a builder seems short-lived and research did not find further examples of his work. This house does not exemplify the work of the architect or builder and is not significant under Criterion 6.

7. The property has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 26 City property atlas maps, Sanborn fire insurance maps and historic photographs provide information about previous use and development at the site. The property has not yielded information important in prehistory and, therefore, is not significant under Criterion 7.

5.5 Recommendation

The house at 1647 West 26th Street is not eligible for local designation.

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 27 6.0 SOURCES CONSULTED

Bailly, David, A. “Genealogy of 1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota,” 1972.

______. “Vineyards and Wineries of Minnesota,” 1987.

Gebhard, David. Purcell & Elmslie: Prairie Progressive Architects. Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith, 2006.

Lanegran, David A., and Ernest R. Sandeen. The Lake District of Minneapolis: A History of the Calhoun Isles Community. St. Paul: Living History Museum, 1979.

McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1989.

Mead & Hunt. “Historic Resources Inventory: Portions of Calhoun Isles Area, City of Minneapolis.” Prepared for the City of Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission and Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, July 2006.

Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission. “Lake of the Isles Historic District Study,” 1984.

United States Census of Population, 1900-1940.

Zellie, Carole. “East Isles Neighborhood Historic Context Study.” Prepared by Landscape Research for the East Isles Residents Association (EIRA), Minneapolis, 2007.

Maps

Atlas of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Minneapolis: Minneapolis Real Estate Board, 1903.

Atlas of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Minneapolis: Minneapolis Real Estate Board, 1914.

Atlas of the City of Minneapolis. Minneapolis: C. M. Foote, 1898.

Complete Set of Surveys and Plats of Properties in the City of Minneapolis, Minn. Philadelphia: G. M. Hopkins, C.E., 1885.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of Minneapolis, Minnesota. New York: Sanborn Map Publishing Co., 1912-51.

Directories

Minneapolis City Directory. Minneapolis: Minneapolis Directory Company, 1885-1930.

Collections

Borchert Map Library, University of Minnesota Hennepin County Library, Minneapolis Collection

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 28 Hennepin History Museum Hennepin County Deeds and Mortgage Books, Hennepin County

1647 West 26th Street, Minneapolis October 2020 / Landscape Research LLC 29

POOL PAVERS 4581 SF FRONT WALK DRIVE/CONC PATIO/POOL DECK POOL HOUSE HOUSE GARAGE SUNKEN STONE PATIO OA MRVMN RA11085 SF TOTAL IMPROVEMENT AREA WALLS EXISTING IMPROVED AREAS: IMPROVED % 356 SF 1223 SF 298 SF 311 SF 249 SF 636 SF 1223 SF 2208 SF 49.1% 0

NORTH 020 10

ALLEY W. 26TH STREET 26TH W. 1. BEARINGS ARE BASED ON COORDINATES SUPPLIED BY EFFECTIVE DATE OF NOV. 4, 2016 INSURANCE RATE MAP NUMBER 27053CO358F HAVING AN PER THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS PROPERTY INFO ADDRESS 3. THERE MAY SOME UNDERGROUND UTILITIES, GAS, HB-41946, dated March 10, 2020. Builders Title, LLC as agent for Old Republic National No schedule B exceptions were listed on Custom Home = 22,586 SQ. FT. / 0.52 ACRES PARCEL AREA HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA. (Abstract). LAKE OF THE ISLES ADDITION TO MINNEAPOLIS, Lot 4 and the Southeasterly 50 feet of 5, Block 14, HB-41946, dated March 10, 2020. Home Builders Title, LLC as agent for Old Republic CHANCE FLOODPLAIN, AS SHOWN ON FEMA FLOOD SEARCH CONDUCTED ON MAY 15, 2020. 2. UNDERGROUND UTILITIES SHOWN PER VISIBLE AREAS DETERMINED TO BE OUTSIDE THE 0.2% ANNUAL THIS PROPERTY LIES WITHIN THE UNSHADED ZONE X, THIS PROPERTY IS ZONED R-1 - SINGLE FAMILY DISTRICT WITH A SH - SHORELAND OVERLAY. The following Legal Description is as shown on Custom Title Insurance Company National Title Insurance Company ZONING INFORMATION: FLOOD INFORMATION: UTILITIES OF WHICH WE ARE UNAWARE MAY EXIST. RESPOND TO THE LOCATE REQUEST. ADDITIONAL LOCATE TICKET NUMBER(S) 201362962. SOME MAPS NOT WARRANT THAT THE UNDERGROUND UTILITIES EXISTING DRAWINGS. THE SURVEYOR MAKES NO LOCATED FROM FIELD SURVEY INFORMATION AND SHOWN ARE IN THE EXACT LOCATION INDICATED SERVICE OR ABANDONED. THE SURVEYOR FURTHER DOES COMPRISE ALL SUCH UTILITIES IN THE AREA, EITHER GUARANTEE THAT THE UNDERGROUND UTILITIES SHOWN TITLE NOTES: SURVEY NOTES: WERE RECEIVED, WHILE OTHER UTILITIES DID NOT THE UNDERGROUND UTILITIES. GOPHER STATE ONE CALL AVAILABLE. THIS SURVEY HAS NOT PHYSICALLY LOCATED AS ACCURATELY POSSIBLE FROM THE INFORMATION ALTHOUGH HE DOES CERTIFY THAT THEY ARE LOCATED THE UNDERGROUND UTILITIES SHOWN HAVE BEEN AREA: LEGAL DESCRIPTION: UNDERGROUND UTILITIES NOTES: PLACE, HAVING A PUBLISHED ELEVATION OF 868.98 LOCATED ON 26TH STREET WEST NORTHWEST OF LAKE (NGVD29) BENCHMARKS CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS GEODETIC MONUMENT #452A *PROJECT BENCHMARK SHOWN GRAPHICALLY. ELECTRIC, ETC. NOT SHOWN OR LOCATED. LOCATIONS ONLY. THE HENNEPIN COUNTY SURVEYORS OFFICE. HENNEPIN THE LEGEND: MARKED RLS NO. 25718 FOUND MONUMENT FLARED END SECTION POWER POLE LIGHT POLE ELECTRIC TRANSFORMER ELECTRIC PEDESTAL ELECTRIC METER ELECTRIC MANHOLE CABLE TV PEDESTAL SET 1/2" IRON PIPE STORM MANHOLE STORM DRAIN CATCH BASIN SANITARY MANHOLE SANITARY CLEANOUT GAS METER GAS MANHOLE GUY WIRE AIR CONDITIONER TELEPHONE PEDESTAL TELEPHONE MANHOLE TOLL FREE: TWIN CITY AREA: Gopher State One Call CALL BEFORE YOU DIG! FENCE UNDERGROUND GAS UNDERGROUND TELEPHONE UNDERGROUND FIBER OPTIC UNDERGROUND CABLE TV UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC STORM SEWER SANITARY SEWER OVERHEAD UTILITY CONTOURS CURB [TYPICAL] WATERMAIN

Title Commitment No. 1-800-252-1166 651-454-0002 DECIDUOUS TREE UNKNOWN MANHOLE MAIL BOX FLAG POLE BOLLARD POST INDICATOR VALVE HYDRANT FIRE DEPT. CONNECTION CONIFEROUS TREE SPOT ELEVATION SOIL BORING CURB STOP TRAFFIC SIGNAL TRAFFIC SIGN WATER VALVE WATER METER WATER MANHOLE WATER WELL

Title Commitment No. LAND SURVEYING, INC. CORNERSTONE BOUNDARY/TOPOGRAPHIC

1647 26TH STREET W

1647 COUNTY HENNEPIN MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

CITY OF PID#3302924240124 51-00INITIAL ISSUE 05-15-2020 MINNEAPOLIS 18312 Minnetonka Boulevard COUNTY/CITY: Email: nwissink@ Phone: 952.449.9448 PROJECT LOCATION: STREETER CUSTOM BUILDER CONTACT: Date:______Daniel L. Thurmes Registration Number: 25718 me, or under my direct supervision, and that I am I hereby certify that this plan was prepared by CERTIFICATION: REVISIONS: PROJECT NO. FILE NAME a duly Licensed Land Surveyor under the laws of ATTN: Nate Wissink the state of Minnesota. Wayzata, MN 55391 W. 26TH STREET DATE 05-15-2020 streeterhomes.com 1970 Northwestern Ave REVISION Phone 651.275.8969 Stillwater, MN 55082 Fax 651.275.8976 SURVEY STR20072/A SURVSTR72 Suite #200 cssurvey dan@ .net