James J. Hill House

James J. Hill House

The James J. Hill House in Saint Paul, Minnesota, was built by railroad magnate James J. Hill. The house, completed in 1891, is near the eastern end of Summit Avenue near the Cathedral of Saint Paul. The house, for its time, was very large and was the "showcase of St. Paul" until James J. Hill's death in 1916. Hill bought three lots on Summit Avenue in 1882, during an era when wealthy citizens were scrambling to build fashionable homes in the neighborhood. After James J. Hill died in 1916 and his wife died in 1921, the children eventually moved out. In 1925, four of the daughters purchased the house from the estate and donated it to the Church. The Church used it for the next fifty-three years as space for offices, residences, and a teacher's college for women. Fortunately, the church preserved it well and did not make any significant alterations, although most of the original furniture was sold during this period. In 1961, the United States Department of Interior designated the house a National historic landmark. The Minnesota Historical Society acquired the house in 1978. The house has been restored and is now open for tours.

The Architects of the house were Peabody and Stearns which was a premier architectural firm in the Eastern United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Based in Boston Massachusetts, the firm consisted of Robert Swain Peabody (1845-1917) and John Goddard Stearns Jr. (1843-1917).