During its 135-year history, the massive red-brick mansion on St. Paul's iconic Summit Avenue has been many things — a home to titans of industry, a nunnery, a would-be hotel and even a designer showcase house.
Most recently, it's been home to Susan and Tom Handley, who bought the place in 2013.
"My husband loved the look of this house — regal — it has the widest presence on the avenue," Susan said.
"It was not water-tight or critter-free," she recalled of its condition when they bought it. "But such a beautiful house deserved to be restored."
The Handleys undertook a massive restoration to update the home for modern living. They reconfigured and refreshed interior spaces, creating a modern owners' suite with a luxurious bath and sauna. They also updated the mechanicals and systems, making the house water-tight and energy-efficient, with spray-foam insulation.
The kitchen, which had been wedged into an old butler's pantry because the original kitchen was in the basement, was gutted, opened to the breakfast room and transformed into a culinary showplace. It boasts a walk-in pantry, dual sinks, dishwashers and Wolf ovens, plus cherry cabinets and Cararra marble countertops. "It's spectacular," said Susan.
Armed with the original blueprints, the Handleys took pains to maintain the home's character. "I tried to give a nod to history," Susan said. "We did a lot of scavenging at estate sales."
Their home's history is long and rich. Built in 1884 for Frederick Driscoll, owner of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, it's the work of two renowned architects. Driscoll commissioned William Willcox, who designed Macalester College's Old Main, to design the original Queen Anne Victorian. Then in 1900, Driscoll sold the house to lumber baron Frederick Weyerhaeuser, who later hired Emmanuel Masqueray, architect for the St. Paul Cathedral, to design a large addition with Beaux Arts influences.
