Malt-O-Meal founder's Edina creekside home on market for $3.2 million

There was a time in the history of Malt-O-Meal that the company's headquarters moved to the Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis while production remained in Northfield. To be closer to the main office, founder John Campbell moved his family to the Twin Cities.

In 1936, John and Isabel Campbell built a Colonial-style home with a spacious yard against the backdrop of Minnehaha Creek in Edina, where they raised their three daughters.

Three generations later, homeowners Allyson and Todd Aldrich have put the family home on the market. The listing went live on Thursday.

"It's hard to think about leaving," said Allyson, who also lived in the home as a teenager. "But it makes sense for where we're at in our lives right now."

The 4,883-square-foot, two-story, five-bedroom, six-bathroom estate on Browndale Avenue is surrounded by natural beauty, said listing agent Chad Larsen.

"It sits at the most coveted spot in all of the Edina Country Club neighborhood right on the corner of Minnehaha Creek's mill pond. You can see five bends in the creek from the home," he said. "Two sides of the property [face] the creek, so you have only one neighbor. There is a park across from the home."

The Aldrichs are the third members of the Campbell family to own the home, after buying the place in 1988 from Allyson's parents, D. William Smith and Annette Campbell Smith.

Since moving in 33 years ago, the Aldrichs have made major renovations to add square footage and update the home.

"We've done a significant remodel on the home," Allyson said.

On the first and second floors, a 3-foot bump-out of the wall that faces the creek has provided more space. Bumping out a section of the first level, along with taking out a closet and pantry, allowed the family to extend the breakfast room to add an informal seating area.

"We gained extra space for an open-concept family room, and it also allowed the kitchen to be more open so someone working in the kitchen has a nice view of the creek," Allyson said.

On the second floor, the bump-out addition in the main bedroom allowed the couple to expand and reconfigure a sitting area and dual walk-in closets. While they were at it, they updated the en suite with granite countertops and new flooring.

They also added a mudroom and a portico in the entryway, converted a bedroom into an office and added a half-bath in the basement.

The home's two heating systems, common when the home was built, have since been replaced with one central system.

The two-car garage also received a makeover and expansion.

"We did a bump-out by another 4 to 6 feet, which gave us a nice storage area with a design from California Closets and allowed us to add a sink in there," Todd said.

While the home has had many updates, Todd and Allyson maintained its traditional character and stayed true to the classic architecture.

There's the antique built-in cabinet in the dining room that her grandmother sourced from the East Coast. The fireplace in the library features a type of fine Italian Portoro marble that is no longer available. The library also features butternut wood paneling and hidden cabinets.

The driveway is paved using bricks and old kiln plates that Allyson's grandfather found at a boilermaker factory.

"We maintain it," Todd said. "Some of the stones have deteriorated, so we fill it. And we just put a new walkway in the front so there's a new stone walkway in addition."

With their children both living out of the state and the couple spending more time on the West Coast, the Aldrichs decided to put the house on the market.

"The setting is very unique, and we're very sad to leave," Allyson said. "We've raised our two children in the home and we had hoped that one of them might be interested in buying it someday.

Allyson hopes that the next family who lives there will build great memories that last generations, just as her family did.

Some of her earliest memories are of visiting her grandparents and ice skating on the creek with her cousins. Grandma Isabel would make hot chocolate for the grandkids afterward.

When her own family moved into the home, family game nights and holidays in front of the fireplace were among the highlights.

"It's a family home that needs a family," Allyson said. "It's time to pass it on to somebody else who will love it and take care of it and honor its traditions and heritage — and to enjoy the beautiful setting."

Chad Larsen (612-968-6030, chad@berglarsengroup.com) and Barry Berg (612-925-8404, barry@berglarsengroup.com) of Berg Larsen Group at Coldwell Banker Realty have the $3.2 million listing.