Explore the rich urban and architectural heritage of the Twin Cities with a presentation that reveals the history of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
THe Town of St. Anthony, Birthplace of Minneapolis
Did you know that the birthplace of Minneapolis was not Minneapolis? The point of origin was across the river from downtown, in the older city called St. Anthony. In this illustrated presentation about the town of St. Anthony and St. Anthony Falls, we’ll consider the history of the waterfall and its importance as the economic driver of the communities that became Minneapolis.
Building for Beer in the Twin Cities: The Landscape and Architecture of Brewing
St. Paul and Minneapolis were once dotted with breweries, biergartens, brewers' mansions, and saloons, all connected to the early brewing industry, and we have seen a renaissance of local beer spaces in recent years. In this presentation, we will explore the landscapes and architecture of beer from the mid-19th century to the present.
Twin Cities Spaces and Places to the 1870s
Beginning with sites long sacred to the region’s Native Americans, this illustrated presentation visits significant early Twin Cities locations as it considers the many enduring links to this historic heritage.
St. Paul’s Historic Irvine Park
Within sight of downtown and only a block off West Seventh Street, Irvine Park is one of St. Paul’s oldest neighborhoods. Located near the Alexander Ramsey House and built around a lovely park, its old houses tell an interesting story of settlement, development, change, and historic preservation.
the St. Anthony Park Neighborhood
Developed as a nineteenth century “railroad suburb” situated between Minneapolis and St. Paul, St. Anthony Park is one of the best-known neighborhoods in the Twin Cities. With lively business districts, lovely houses, interesting parks, and a small industrial area, St. Anthony Park and its neighbors—the University Grove, the St. Paul Campus, and the State Fairgrounds—tell a fascinating story of community and development.
St. Paul's Summit Avenue
Everyone in the Twin Cities knows about Summit Avenue, with its grand homes, its colleges, and the Cathedral of St. Paul. In this fully illustrated presentation, we will learn a bit more about these familiar places, and we will also dig into the avenue's history to understand more about this community treasure.
A Place to Call Home: Residential architecture of the 1950s and 1960s
This class examines the social and historical influences that defined the unique residential styles and trends most associated with the mid-mod era. We'll look not only at common forms like the Cape Cod and the ranch house, but also some high-style examples designed by prominent architects. The fascinating story behind 1950s and 60s homes, neighborhoods, and suburbs will leave you with a new appreciation for Minnesota's mid-century properties.
Scandinavian-American Churches in the Twin Cities
Hundreds of thousands of Scandinavian immigrants flooded into Minneapolis and St. Paul in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As they put down roots, they established scores of congregations and other religious institutions for worship, service, and fellowship. Many of these places have vanished, but a number of the “descendants” survive, even as their Scandinavian origins are now obscured or hidden. In this slide presentation, we’ll look at some of the earliest congregations through the heyday of the late 1800s-early 1900s and at current buildings and places related to the Scandinavian immigrant traditions.
I can adapt this presentation to emphasize a specific Scandinavian group or to focus on either Minneapolis or St. Paul; I can also tell the story of a particular Scandinavian congregation’s locations and buildings.
Fascinating Falcon Heights
Full of famous places and fascinating stories, Falcon Heights is perched on the northern edge of St. Paul, right between Roseville and Lauderdale. Beginning with the Dakota, we'll move forward in history toward a contemporary view of this small suburb. Get to know the people and places of Falcon Heights in this fully illustrated presentation.
Take Me Out to the Ballgame: A History of Twin Cities Ballparks
A richly illustrated presentation about the historic and contemporary baseball parks of the Twin Cities. Beginning with the early baseball grounds and simple wooden ballparks of the late 19th century, we'll also visit Nicollet Park and Lexington Park in the early 20th century, see Midway and Met Stadiums at mid-century, and finish our virtual tour with a look at two modern wonders, Target Field and CHS Field.
A Church on Every Corner: Sacred Spaces in Northeast Minneapolis
The rich diversity of ethnic groups settling in Northeast Minneapolis created an amazing array of worship spaces in the Nordeast neighborhoods. In this fully illustrated presentation, we will look at the heritage of religious buildings in Nordeast, from the 1840s to the present.
Holy Ground: Historic Cemeteries of the Twin Cities
Whether military, religious, or non-denominational, cemeteries large and small dot the local landscape. Learn about the evolution of cemeteries in and around Minneapolis and St. Paul, from private family plots, through the beautiful Victorian garden cemeteries of the nineteenth century, to contemporary designs and settings.
Churches of St. Anthony Park
Like other thriving neighborhoods around the Twin Cities, St. Anthony Park has a mix of residential, commercial, and institutional spaces. This presentation focuses on the many places used for religious purposes in St. Anthony Park, starting in the 1880s with the community’s oldest churches.
Garden Suburbs of the Twin Cities
Many nineteenth century American cities were dotted with evocatively-named neighborhoods, designed to emphasize the picturesque beauty of curving streets, abundant green space, and interesting topography. In this presentation, we will explore some of the garden suburbs of St. Paul and Minneapolis, including Macalester Park, Burlington Heights, Washburn Park, and St. Anthony Park.
Sacred Space: Historic Churches of the Twin Cities
In this virtual tour of landmark churches in Minneapolis and St. Paul, we will consider the worship spaces of various denominations, meet some important church architects, and see a variety of different styles of building over the past 150 years.
The Architecture of Target Field
Target Field is the third stadium used by the Minnesota Twins. Their second home, the Metrodome, left a lot to be desired, but it provided great inspiration for Target Field. In this illustrated presentation, we will explore the architectural history of our beautifully designed and award-winning downtown ballpark.
Twin Cities Skyways: Second-Story Sidewalks of Minneapolis and St. Paul
The extensive skyway systems of Minneapolis and St. Paul consist of nearly fifteen miles of walkways protected from the sometimes-harsh Minnesota weather. Whether designed as original parts of buildings or retrofitted into existing structures, the skyways connect commuters to their bus stops or parking ramps and provide access to dozens of skyway-level restaurants and shops. In this presentation, we’ll look at the history of the skyway system and visit some of its most interesting places.