Macalester closes on purchase of century-old house, averting teardown

To the relief of many neighbors, Macalester College finally owns a century-old house near campus that only three months ago was being readied for demolition to make room for two new houses in St. Paul's Tangletown neighborhood.

After fixing plumbing that was wrecked during a recent cold snap, the college plans to put the house on the market as soon as next month, said Tom Welna, director of Macalester's High Winds Fund, which invests in the neighborhood surrounding the college.

"We need to get it into the hands of someone who cares about preserving a 104-year-old house in one of St. Paul's greatest neighborhoods," Welna said.

The large white Dutch colonial house was purchased in November for $475,000 by Sherelyn Ogden and Allan Thenen, who said they planned to split the double lot it sat on, sell one lot and build a new house on the other. They had planned to renovate the house, they said, but found it too expensive.

Neighbors rallied to save the house, saying that new construction wouldn't fit in the traditional neighborhood and would endanger a landmark elm tree nearby. They complained that they were kept in the dark about the teardown plans until it was nearly too late to change them.

Ogden and Thenen agreed last week to sell the house to Macalester, which closed on the purchase Tuesday for $509,000. Welna said Xcel Energy has agreed to cover the cost of pipes, radiators and a dishwasher that froze and broke when the utility failed to restore electricity that had been shut off for demolition.

The house will be sold with a covenant or deed restriction that ensures it stays standing for a long time, Welna said. At least half a dozen parties have already expressed interest in buying it, he said.