MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota

Transcription

1 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 Identification Historic Name Filling Station Current Name Parking lot Field # N/A Address 2201 Plymouth Avenue North City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ NENE USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15T Datum WGS84 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-0733 Review and Compliance Number N/A Form (New or Updated) New Description Linear Feature? No StReg No Local Designation Proposed Resource Type N/A Architect/Engineer Unknown Style N/A Construction Date 2011 Original Use Residential Current Use Parking lot Sub Area Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description In 1925 the David C. Bell Investment Company built a 12 x 18 frame office building for an estimated cost of $500. In 1931 the Crescent Oil Company built a 27 x 43 one story brick filling station. In 1956 a 55 x 36 one story addition to the filling station was built. In 1989 a wrecking permit describes a demolition of the structures on site. At present, the parcel is a paved parking lot. Integrity N/A Recommendation This property is recommended as a non-contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Availability Recommendation Eligible Non-contributing Prepared By City of Minneapolis, CPED HE-MPC-0733

2 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 Date November 2015 Property Photograph View from Northeast HE-MPC-0733

3 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 Property Map HE-MPC-0733

4 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address 2201 Plymouth Avenue North Historical Addresses 2201 Plymouth Avenue North PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-0733 HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 2011 Original Owner City of Minneapolis - CPED Architect Unknown Builder Unknown On this parcel is a paved parking lot. Prior to 1990 a small frame office building built in 1925 and a brick filling station built in 1931 occupied this site.

5 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 Identification SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-0734 Historic Name House Review and Compliance Number N/A Current Name Field # N/A Parking lot Form (New or Updated) New Description Address 2215 Plymouth Avenue North Linear Feature? No City/Twp Minneapolis StReg No Local Designation Proposed County Hennepin Resource Type N/A Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ NENE Architect/Engineer Unknown USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15T Datum WGS84 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) Style N/A Construction Date 2011 Original Use Residential Current Use Parking lot Sub Area Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description A dwelling was previously on this site. While no building permit exists for this address, index cards show that in 1943 an addition for a doctor s clinic was added onto an existing dwelling. The property on this site was wrecked in 1990 and in 2011 a paved parking lot was constructed on his parcel and the parcels adjacent to it at 2201 Plymouth Avenue North and 1245 Penn Avenue North. Integrity N/A Recommendation This property is recommended as a non-contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Availability Recommendation Eligible Noncontributing Prepared By City of Minneapolis, CPED HE-MPC-0734

6 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 Date November 2015 Property Photograph View from north HE-MPC-0734

7 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 Property Map HE-MPC-0734

8 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address 2215 Plymouth Avenue North Historical Addresses 2215 Plymouth Avenue North PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-0734 HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 2011 Original Owner City of Minneapolis - CPED Architect Unknown Builder Unknown On this parcel is a paved parking lot. Before 1990, a dwelling stood that was built prior to 1943.

9 Historic Name Identification Presbyterian Church / Kenesseth Israel Synagogue SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-7598 Review and Compliance Number Current Name Seventh Day Adventist Church Field # 4579 Address 2309 PLYMOUTH AVE N City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) NENE Form (New or Updated) Updated Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Not Designated Resource Type Religious Architect/Engineer Unknown Style Period Revival Construction Date 1910 Original Use Religious Current Use Religious SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This two-story building has a rock-faced concrete block foundation, is clad in stucco, and has a front gable roof features with wide eaves that is covered with asphalt shingles (Figure 94-95; Appendix B Map 29). There are engaged buttresses at the corners of the building. The front façade and the rear elevations have raised wall parapets that conceal the roof. The three-bay façade features a small front-gable portico with large wooden brackets, a concrete stoop, and wrought iron railings. Fenestration on the façade consists of a recessed double-leaf door with a five-light transom; one-over-one replacement windows; six-over-six, double-hung, wood windows; and four-light wood casement windows. At the east and west edges of the façade are wrought iron Stars of David, and canted buttresses are located on the corners of the building. Fenestration on each the east and west elevations consists of paired one-over-one replacement windows. An exterior brick-faced chimney is located on at the ridgeline at the rear elevation. Integrity - Fair This property retains its integrity of location and setting. The integrity of design and materials of this property has been slightly compromised by replacement windows and doors. Two wrought-iron Stars of David, which were present during the 106 Group s 2011 survey, have been removed, slightly compromising the property s sense of feeling and association as a Jewish synagogue. Overall, the building has fair integrity in terms of feeling and association. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, The Near North Side of Minneapolis was home to a large concentration of Jewish residents, primarily because North Minneapolis neighborhoods were more welcoming to Jews than other areas of the city. North Side Jews were mostly of Eastern European stock, Russians, Poles, and Lithuanians, stemming from migrations following the 1882 assassination of Alexander II, and fleeing succeeding Czars, the Russian Orthodox Church, and anti-semitic laws and pogroms. This migration lasted until HE-MPC-7598

10 about Another migration from the same Eastern European areas occurred immediately after the Russian Revolution and World War I (Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission 1986). Corresponding with these immigration events, the Jewish population in Minneapolis grew to 8,000 by 1910, of which 4,500 resided on the North Side (Berman 1981: ; Schmid 1937:147). First North Minneapolis Jewish Settlement, On the North Side, from approximately 1890 until around 1930, Jews tended to settle first near Washington and Fifth Avenues North, with the earliest immigrants settling in an area roughly bounded by First and Second Avenues North, and Third and Fifth Streets North (Holmquist 1981:493; Gordon 1949). Around 1911, Jewish residents in this area started to move north and west towards Plymouth and Penn Avenues North. As some Jews attained more affluence and moved west and northwest, this area continued to be a Jewish enclave inhabited by working class Jews and by newly arriving immigrants. However, as Minneapolis grew in the first half of the twentieth century and the downtown and warehouse districts grew and eventually took over this area, the Jewish community moved further west and northwest (Holmquist 1981:495). Reflecting this pattern, most Jewish-related property types from this first settlement area no longer appear to be extant. Second North Minneapolis Jewish Settlement, ca As Jewish immigrants assimilated into the community economically and socially, they moved westward along Sixth Avenue North (now Olson Memorial Highway), then northwestward towards Penn and Plymouth Avenues North; this occurred approximately from 1911 until the late 1960s (Holmquist 1981:494). This is a similar route followed by earlier, United Statesborn settlers and for the same reasons: from lower income working class areas to neighborhoods reflecting their rising affluence, and then continuing a western migration to the suburbs as subsequent low-income groups following the same path move into the neighborhood, resulting in redevelopment and recycling of neighborhoods. With their northwesterly move, the Jewish population established a second community in North Minneapolis. Correspondingly, Jewish social institutions slowly abandoned their facilities in the original settlement area near Washington and Fifth Avenues North, and moved west and northwest, following their members, and built new facilities. This included a number of second generation synagogues, including new ones built by Tifereth B nai Jacob and Mikro Kodesh. Although some Jews began to move to the suburbs after World War II, mainly St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, this second area remained a vibrant Jewish enclave well into the 1960s (Peterson 1997:12). Jewish Religious Institutions The first Jewish congregation in Minneapolis was founded in 1878 and built its first synagogue in 1880 on the 100 Block of Fifth Street South (Peterson 1997). Several more synagogues were constructed in the downtown area in ensuing decades. As Jewish immigrants settled in North Minneapolis, they established and built synagogues on the North Side to serve the religious needs of their growing community. There are many denominations of Judisam, including Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. The majority of the Jewish congregations established in North Minneapolis appear to have been Orthodox. Orthodox congregations strictly adhere to the laws and ethics of the Torah. Eastern European Jewish immigrants were generally Orthodox, German Jews were generally Reform. Conservative Judaism was established after the turn of the twentieth century as a middle ground between Orthodox and Reform (Peterson 1997:6). Kenesseth Israel, an Orthodox congregation, founded in 1891 by Lithuanians, built a synagogue at 518 Lyndale Avenue North in Mikro Kodesh, founded by Russians in 1890 as the Orthodox Anshei Russia, moved to a new Greek Revival style synagogue at Eighth Avenue North and Oak Park Avenue in Gemelus Chesed, an Orthodox congregation founded in 1913, moved the former Anshei Tavrig building to 815 Girard Ave North in In 1916, Sharei Zedeck, an Orthodox congregation established by Lithuanians in 1906, built a synagogue at Bryant and 8th Avenues North. In 1926, Beth El, a Conservative congregation constructed its first synagogue at 1349 Penn Avenue North. That same year, both the Tifereth B nai Jacob and Mikro Kodesh congregations built synagogues in North Minneapolis. Tifereth B nai Jacob, founded in 1890 by Bessarabian s (now part of the Republic of Moldova), built their synagogue at Elwood Avenue North (HE-MPC-8080). Mikro Kodesh s synagogue was located at Oliver and Oak Park (Peterson 1997:10-11). While these were the first synagogues built by these organizations, they were built during the second generation of Jewish institution construction ( ) as identified in the Jewish Settlement in Minneapolis, 1860s-1972 context in the second Jewish community established in North Minneapolis (Peterson 1997:17). HE-MPC-7598

11 From their initial arrival though the mid-twentieth century, Minneapolis Jews were subject to considerable discrimination. A 1946 article in Common Ground by Carey McWilliams gave Minneapolis the distinction as, the capital of anti-semitism in the United States. Minneapolis Jewish population never numbered more than five percent of the population; however they did received a disproportionate share of ostracism. In 1945, Mayor Hubert H. Humphrey s Committee on Human Relations concluded that discrimination was indeed a problem in Minneapolis. By 1947, the Minneapolis City Council passed a fair employment practices ordinance that banned discrimination in the city and established a commission to investigate allegations of violations. These formal actions did not end discrimination in Minneapolis, but did improve tolerance within the city (City of Minneapolis CPED 2011:16). Post World War II Institutions Reflecting the steady Jewish population in North Minneapolis in the first two decades after World War II and its increasing prosperity, a number of prominent new buildings for Jewish social institutions were built in North Minneapolis. The Talmud Torah constructed a large and thoroughly modern new school building at 1616 Queen Avenue North in In 1953, the I.L. Peretz Community Center was built at 2418 Plymouth Avenue North. During this period Kenesseth Israel moved from downtown into the former Homewood Presbyterian Church 2309 Plymouth Avenue North in 1948, Gemelus Chesed constructed a new synagogue at 1230 Logan Avenue North in 1955, and Tifereth B nai Jacob built a new synagogue at 1501 Xerxes Avenue North (HE-GVC-311) in Suburban Jewish Settlement, Although the Jewish population in North Minneapolis remained strong through the 1950s, by the late 1960s, a majority of the population had moved west to suburbs such as Golden Valley and St. Louis Park. By the mid-twentieth century, many of the covenants and restrictions limiting where Jews could live were slowly lifted. This, coupled with the passage of the Servicemen s Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, which offered a range of benefits to returning World War II G.I.s, such as low-cost mortgages, loans to start a business or farm, tuition and living expenses to attend college, allowed returning veterans to consider other housing options including suburban life, contributed to the beginning of a population decline of Jews in Minneapolis. Also at this time, smaller synagogues and institutions, such as Gemelus Chesed and the I.L Peretz Community Center relocated to St. Louis Park. In July, 1967, urban riots on Plymouth Avenue, spurred by racial tensions, prompted much of the Jewish population to leave Minneapolis and relocate to the suburbs. In the five years following the 1967 riots, every Jewish institution and the majority of the Jewish population left North Minneapolis. In 1967, the Talmud Torah also moved to St. Louis Park. In 1968, the popular and large Beth El congregation also moved to St. Louis Park; their leaving encouraged other congregations to consider leaving as well. In 1969, Kenesseth Israel, Sharei Zedeck, and Mikro Kodesh all moved to St. Louis Park. (Garneth Peterson, MnDOT CRU, personal communication 2012). Homewood Presbyterian Church In 1908, the Minneapolis Presbytery authorized the erection of an 18 foot by 34 foot portable chapel on Lot 15, Block 3 of Pratt s Addition to Minneapolis at the northwest corner of Penn and Plymouth Avenues North. The building was completed in early November of that year. The congregation planned for a permanent place of worship, and on March 1st of 1910 a contract was awarded to George W. Spriestersbach to build a church (Homewood Presbyterian Church 1910). The 40 foot by 64 foot plaster veneered church was built at an estimated cost of $10,000 (City of Minneapolis 1910a:Building Permit #B86048). The building was dedicated on September 11, 1910 (Homewood Presbyterian Church 1910). It is unknown when the Presbyterian congregation vacated the church. The Kenesseth Israel Congregation In 1888, a small group of Jewish immigrant men from the Lithuanian section of Czarist Russia established a Jewish congregation in Minneapolis. The congregation took the name of O Hel Jacob and rented a meeting space from Abraham Farsht over his store at 605 2nd Street North. The establishment of the congregation as the parent of Kenesseth Israel marked the advent of the third Jewish congregation in Minneapolis (Kenesseth Israel 1938:6). A permanent synagogue was needed to house the congregation, and in 1891, a lot was purchased at th Street North. That same year, the congregation was HE-MPC-7598

12 dissolved and reorganized on December 24th as Chnessis Israel (Kenesseth Israel 1938:8). Their synagogue was dedicated on April 15, 1894, and on August 9, 1894, the congregation changed the spelling of its name from Chnessis Israel to Kenesseth Israel (Kenesseth Israel 1938:10). Also in 1894, the congregation launched the Kenesseth Israel Hebrew Free School, also known as the Talmud Torah to give its children a Jewish education (Kenesseth Israel 1938:10-12). Another social institution developed by the congregation was the Kenesseth Israel Ladies Auxiliary, established in 1912 (Kenesseth Israel 1938:14). As an orthodox congregation, Kenesseth Israel also was partly responsible for the establishment of the Jewish Sheltering Home for Children and the Hebrew Sheltering Home, both in 1919 (Peterson 1997:17). From 1912 to 1948 Kenesseth Israel was located at 518 Lyndale Avenue North. According to a historical contract, the congregation negotiated with the architectural firm of Liebenberg & Kaplan in 1946 to erect a synagogue on Lots 4, 5, and 6 in Block 4 of the Homewood Addition (American Institute of Architects 1946). Historical aerial photographs indicate that the synagogue was never erected in this location (University of Minnesota 2012a). However, in 1948 concern for the congregation s survival prompted it to relocate to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church building at the intersection of Plymouth and Queen Avenues North, near the new hub of the Jewish population in North Minneapolis. At this time, the congregation was forced to make serious compromises to the traditional orthodox practices, which included allowing mixed seating of the sexes. There were two reasons for this compromise: one was that the former church had no balcony which would allow for separate seating; the other was to attract members back to the church who had left the orthodox practices of Kenesseth Israel for conservative congregations. Seating was not again segregated until 1961 (Minnesota Jewish Life 1988:32). Reflecting the broader trend of the Jewish population of North Minneapolis moving to the suburbs in the late 1960s, especially after the 1967 race riots, in 1969 Kenesseth Israel left North Minneapolis and moved to new facility located at 4330 West 28th Street in St. Louis Park, Minnesota (Minnesota Jewish Life 1988:32). The congregation still resides at this location in St. Louis Park today. In October of 1969 the New Salem Missionary Baptist Church moved into the building. During the 1980s, the building was home to several summits conducted by the congregation and the community in an attempt to quell the rise in gang violence which was taking place at the time (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). It is unknown exactly how long the Baptist congregation occupied the building (Mead & Hunt 2002e). In 2011, the building on Plymouth Avenue was occupied by the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). A historic plat map indicates that by 1903, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Figures HE-MPC-7598

13 96-97) (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed.. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been recreated. Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants reflecting the desire to keep out undesirable neighbors were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. If correct, these restrictions were lifted by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. However, there is some question as to whether any covenants were ever put in place to exclude certain groups of people from buying lots in Homewood. Research has shown that the original plat does not include any such restriction, nor do the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). Moreover, the developer of Homewood, David C. Bell, and his wife, while not Jewish, had strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthy Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of HE-MPC-7598

14 commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012b; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance The Homewood Presbyterian Church / Kenesseth Israel Synagogue is a contributing property to the Homewood Historic District, which has local significance under NRHP Criterion A, within the area of community planning and development, and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features single-family houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid- 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the late 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Recommendation Homewood Presbyterian Church / Kenesseth Israel Synagogue is recommended as eligible for the NRHP as a contributing property to the Homewood Historic District. The Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible for the NRHP for its local significance under Criterion A, within the area of community planning and development, and social history. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period in which Homewood has significance in the area of community planning and development begins in 1889, when the first half of the area was platted with a park and curvilinear streets, and continues to 1946, when the last Period Revival houses in the district were constructed. Buildings constructed in the district after this time were typically infill or replacement buildings constructed according to styles popular after World War II that are not cohesive with the architectural character of the district during the period of significance. For its significance in the area of social history for its association with Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, the district has a period of significance that begins circa 1916, the year in which some of the first prominent Jewish residents are known to have moved into Homewood, and continues until 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, HE-MPC-7598

15 Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Berman, Hyman 1981 "The Jews." In They Chose Minnesota: A Survey of the State's Ethnic Groups, edited by June Drenning Holmquist, pp Minnesota Historical Society Press, Saint Paul, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. City of Minneapolis 1910 Building Permit #B On file at the Minneapolis Development Review, Minneapolis, Minnesota. City of Minneapolis CPED 2011 CPED Planning Division Heritage Preservation Commission Designation Study for 4636 Elwood Avenue North. On file at the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Committee, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company 1892 City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Gordon, Albert I Jews in Transition. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Holmquist, June Drenning 1981 They Chose Minnesota: A Survey of the State's Ethnic Groups. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Homewood Presbyterian Church 1910 Services in Dedication of the Homewood Presbyterian Church. Homewood Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Kenessth Israel 1938 Kenesseth Israel: A History of 50 Years. Kenesseth Israel Synagogue, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002 North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. HE-MPC-7598

16 Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903 Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 22. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903 Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903 Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 63. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Minnesota Jewish Life 1988 Kenesseth Israel Celebrates 100 Years. August. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O Jewish Settlement in Minneapolis, 1860s Historic Context for Minneapolis Preservation Plan. Prepared by Landscape Research, St. Paul, Minnesota. Schmid, Calvin F Social Saga of Two Cities. Bureau of Social Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Eligible - Contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-7598

17 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 1 Property Photograph Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 2 Facing SE Property Photograph Facing S HE-MPC-7598

18 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Property Photograph Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 4 Facing SW Property Photograph Facine W HE-MPC-7598

19 M K:\Bottineau Transitway 5 Property Location Map HE-MPC-7598 HE-MPC-7598

20 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address 2309 Plymouth Avenue North Historical Addresses 2309 Plymouth Avenue North PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-7598 HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1910 Original Owner Homewood Presbyterian Church Architect None listed Builder G.W. Spriestersbach Permits indicate that the stucco was re-dashed in In 1993 the rear exterior exit stairs were replaced. The roof was last replaced in Visual evidence indicates that the front door may be a contemporary replacement. Some windows appear to be original, others appear to be replacements, and some windows are covered by modern storm windows. The Homewood Presbyterian Church was an early congregation in Homewood. It is not known when the congregation left this church. George W. Spriestersbach is listed in the 1909 Minneapolis city directory as a contractor. He was the builder of record for several properties in Homewood. In 1909 he resided with his wife Elvina, a seamstress, and his son George Jr, a carpenter at 2906 Emerson Avenue North.

21 Historic Name Identification Apartment Building SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC Review and Compliance Number Current Name Apartment Building Field # 21 Address 2419 PLYMOUTH AVE N City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) NENE Form (New or Updated) New Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Not Designated Resource Type Apartment Architect/Engineer Unknown Style Modern Construction Date 1957 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This three-story multi-family dwelling has a concrete foundation, is brick clad, has one-over-one windows, and an asphalt shingle hipped roof. The symmetrical facade is comprised of three stories of two ribbons of four double-hung windows paired with a single double-hung window flanking a large double sliding window that is set above a single leaf entry door with rectangular sidelight enclosed by an asphalt shingle hip roof supported by decorative wrought iron columns. There is an interior brick-faced chimney near the ridgeline. The Homewood Historic District encompasses a large, rectangular shaped, 80-acre, hilly area that is eight blocks by two blocks in size, and bounded by Plymouth Avenue on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Tenth Avenue North (now Oak Park Avenue) on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. The area includes two plats, the Oak Park Supplement which was platted in 1893 and covers that area on the east side of Thomas Avenue, and Homewood, which was platted in 1909 and encompasses the Oak Park Supplement as well as the area on the west side of Thomas Avenue. The area generally has a grid pattern with north-south streets following the grid and the east-west streets within the area following curvilinear alignments. The area includes 12 extant stone entrance markers around the perimeter of the district, at the intersections of Plymouth Avenue N and Vincent, Upton, Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North on the north boundary; and at the intersections of Oak Park Avenue North and Queen, Russell, and Sheridan Avenues North on the south boundary. The area also includes sidewalks, alleyways, mature deciduous trees lining the boulevards, and lots with one residence per parcel. The lots range in size from 40 feet by 129 feet to 112 feet by 120 feet. Residences face the street, which remain as they were originally platted, and are generally set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of the lot. The tops of foundations vary from at least one foot to approximately five feet above the sidewalk level, depending on the terrain. The district includes 254 parcels primarily developed from 1910 to 1946 with houses constructed in a variety of popular architectural styles from the period including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses vary from one to two-and-a-half stories and feature various cladding materials including stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and faux stone. The majority of houses in the area have a one-story garage located to their rear. Within the district there is a neighborhood park (Farwell Park), located on 12th Avenue North between Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North. Three post-1950 apartment buildings are located along the northern boundary of Homewood on Plymouth Avenue North. In addition, a church, a church/synagogue, and a recreational field are located along the perimeter of the district, including the Abraham Lincoln Junior High School s athletic field, which is located on the block bounded by 12th Avenue North on the north, Penn HE-MPC-11096

22 Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Queen Avenue North on the west. Integrity - Good This apartment building has generally good integrity. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative According to Hennepin County Assessor data, this property was developed in 1957 and is located in the Homewood area of Minneapolis. Homewood History Residential Subdivisions In the second half of the nineteenth century, American cities grew rapidly as they industrialized. The degraded conditions common throughout many American cities at the time, coupled with a growing demand for housing in an environment that melded nature with community, created pressures for movement out of the central city. Advances in transportation, most notably the introduction of the electric streetcar in 1887 and the mass production of gasoline-powered automobiles after 1908, allowed an increasingly broad spectrum of households to move away from the urban core and into residential subdivisions near the periphery of the city or beyond its borders (National Park Service 2002:2). In the United States, the origin of the residential subdivision can be traced to the Romantic landscape movement of the midnineteen century. The two residential developments recognized as the design prototypes of the modern, self-contained subdivision, where single-family houses were located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, were Llewellyn Park (1857), in Orange, New Jersey, just west of New York City, and Riverside (1869), Illinois, west of Chicago (National Park Service 2002:2-3). Sites (including the overall plan, house lots, and community spaces), buildings (primarily houses), structures (including walls, fences, streets and roads both serving the suburb and connecting it to corridors leading to the larger metropolitan area), and objects (signs, fountains, statuary, etc.) make up historic residential subdivisions (National Park Service 2002:7). Subdivision development typically occurred in several clearly defined stages, which can be read as a series of layers imprinted on the land. The first layer resulted from the selection of a parcel of land dedicated for residential use and is defined by geographical location and relationship to natural topography and cultural factors, such as proximity to places of employment and availability of transportation. The second corresponds to the subdivision design, usually the result of a predetermined plan or plat with very precise boundaries. This layer is characterized by an internal circulation network, a system of utilities, blocks of buildable house lots, and, sometimes, community facilities. The third represents the arrangement of each home and yard with its dwelling, garage, lawn, driveway, gardens, walls, fences, and plantings (National Park Service 2002:8). Residential Subdivision Development in Minneapolis The late 1800s was a period of great growth for the city of Minneapolis. During this time, the city s population more than tripled from 46,887 in 1880 to 164,738 in City boundaries expanded to the modern edges of North Minneapolis. By 1884, Xerxes Avenue was established as the western extent of Minneapolis. During the period from 1880 to 1920, much of North Minneapolis developed (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). As a result, much of the most significant building stock in North Minneapolis dates to this forty year period. Few neighborhoods were built up all at once or exhibit one homogenous building style. Thus, while homogeneity is rare in the pre-world War I era, the resulting neighborhoods offer a pleasing mixture of appealing styles that blend together (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). By the 1880s, new residential subdivisions that attempted to highlight topography and natural features became popular in North HE-MPC-11096

23 Minneapolis. Such planned subdivisions featured curvilinear streets and small parks. The Oak Lake subdivision, a 60-acre tract near Lyndale and 6th Avenues North, was platted in 1873, and the Forest Heights Addition was platted in 1883 near presentday Broadway and Humboldt Avenues North (Peterson & Zellie 1998:16). However, platting of subdivisions at this time often occurred long before their actual development. By 1898, nearly all the land east of Humboldt Avenue and south of 44th Street North had been platted, as had the land between 32nd and 38th Avenues North and west to the city boundary at Xerxes Avenue. This large portion of North Minneapolis was platted in a generally homogenous, gridded pattern with uniform rectangular blocks and lots facing east or west. Only a small number of subdivisions interrupted the gridded pattern (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). By the 1920s, construction in North Minneapolis focused on single-family homes. These homes were intended for those of moderate income and were of good quality. Particularly adjacent to Theodore Wirth Park, ample scenic open space was available unlike any other area in North Minneapolis (Peterson & Zellie 1998:34). Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). Although the area appears to have been platted on paper at this time, it is does not appear that physical platting of the land actually took place as early as A historic plat map indicates that by 1909, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there still were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909).According to Hennepin County parcel data, several houses (1128, 1210, 1216 Sheridan Avenue North; 1025, 1114, 1119 Thomas Avenue North) were built in 1910, shortly after acceptance of the plat by the Minneapolis city council. Also in 1910, water mains were laid along Queen Avenue North from 10th Avenue North (presently Oak Park Avenue North) to Plymouth Avenue North; along Russell Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to 12th Avenue North; and along Upton Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to Farwell Place. In addition, sidewalks on both sides of Queen, Russell, Sheridan, and Thomas Avenues North were planned for 1911 (Rinker 1910: 107e, 109e, 75e). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been reconstructed. Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per HE-MPC-11096

24 parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. It would appear that any such restrictions were not recognized by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. Research for this survey was unable to confirm that such restrictions or covenants were actually established, based on a review of the original plat and of the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). It is also interesting to note that a 1956 article in the Minneapolis Star characterized David C. Bell, Homewood s developer, and his wife, as not Jewish, but with strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthier Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance This property is located within the boundaries of the Homewood Historic District. Today, Homewood retains the majority of its historic plat and the majority of its original housing stock which embodies a mixture of appealing architectural styles that reflect the steady development of the subdivision from 1910 through the 1940s. A number of houses in the area were designed by noted Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan. These include the houses located at 1243 Russell Avenue North and 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1222 Washburn Avenue North. The characteristics of a HE-MPC-11096

25 planned subdivision, including the large, lot-and-a-half sized lots; a park; as well as the curvilinear streets and hilly, park-like setting of Homewood, remain unchanged. While the homes within Homewood vary in size and scale, they present a cohesive whole and embody the planning restrictions of the original development including one residence per parcel, improvements costing no less than $3,000, improvements placed 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of each building site, tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level, and undivided corner lots. These characteristics are evident throughout the majority of the district. The Homewood plat has local significance for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, within the areas of community planning and development and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features singlefamily houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue (1926) at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh (1926) Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck (1936) Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, in 1948 the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Architecturally, while Homewood contains a good concentration of early twentieth century Period Revival style houses that are larger and more prominent than houses found in the surrounding areas, there are other better collections of more distinctive Period Revival style domestic architecture in Minneapolis that more fully embody this movement in architecture. As a result, Homewood as a whole does not possess enough character-defining features architecturally to distinguish from other better collections of Period Revival domestic architecture in the city; therefore it does not appear to meet NRHP Criterion C. While the entirety of Homewood does not have architectural significance under Criterion C, there is a small concentration of houses located at 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1045 Washburn Avenue North, that stand out from the rest of Homewood for their size and distinctive architectural designs. Three of these houses, at 1015, 1025, and 1035 Washburn, were designed by architects Liebenberg and Kaplan between 1933 and 1938, all in the French Provincial style. The fourth, at 1045 Washburn, was designed by Tyrie and Chapman in 1921 in the French Provincial style. These houses are much larger than other houses in the district and are located on very large lots that have panoramic views of Theodore Wirth Park to the west. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period begins in 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, and continues until 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. Recommendation HE-MPC-11096

26 This property is recommended as a contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. In 2002, Mead & Hunt conducted a reconnaissance level historic resources inventory of North Minneapolis. This inventory identified the Homewood Historic District as eligible for designation as a local historic district by the City of Minneapolis under Minneapolis Criterion 1 for its association with residential development patterns in North Minneapolis (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-7). This survey also recommended further research to determine its potential eligibility for listing in the NRHP as a historic district. The 106 Group evaluated the proposed Homewood Historic District in 2012 to determine its eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of this evaluation, the Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible under NRHP Criterion A, in the areas of community planning and development as a significant early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis and social history, within the historic context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, , for the significant role it played in the development of the western portion of North Minneapolis as the second Jewish community in North Minneapolis from 1911 until the late 1960s. Given its desirable characteristics as a result of its distinctive and well planned plat, Homewood was the most desirable area for upper-middle class Jews to reside and became the focal point of the Jewish community in North Minneapolis. The proposed district encompasses the entire 80-acres of the original plat and follows its as-developed boundaries: Plymouth Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. Although a small number of non-contributing properties are located throughout the district, the original elements of the planned subdivision remain largely intact and are evident throughout the entire 80-acre area. Distinctive design elements include curvilinear streets; a rolling, park-like setting; large, one-and-a-half size lots with one house oriented towards the street and set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north lot line; and tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level. The district has a proposed period of significance from 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, to 1962, corresponding with the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. The district contains 230 contributing properties and 24 non-contributing properties. In addition, the original plat, streets, alleyways, sidewalks, boulevard trees, and entry markers may be non-countable contributing features to the district for their representation of the original plat development and the attempt to create a picturesque, park-like setting. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company 1892 City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Hennepin County Library HE-MPC-11096

27 2012 A History of Minneapolis. Electronic document, accessed August 7, Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a Certificate of Title, Security Land & Investment Company. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1909b Certificate of Title, Lester A. Boyce. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota Certificate of Title, Abraham N. Bearman. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Lathrop, Alan K Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002a North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Directory Company 1915 Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Minneapolis Star Tribune 1999 Spotlight on Homewood. 20 March. Minneapolis, Minnesota. HE-MPC-11096

28 National Park Service [NPS] 2002 National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O. and Carole Zellie 1998 North Minneapolis Historic Context Study. Prepared by Landscape Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rinker, Andrew 1910 Annual Report of the City Engineer of the City of Minneapolis for the Year Ending December 21, Syndicate Printing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Eligible - Contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-11096

29 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 1 Property Photograph Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 2 Facing SE Property Photograph Facing SW HE-MPC-11096

30 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Property Photograph M K:\Bottineau Transitway 4 Facing SE Property Location Map HE-MPC HE-MPC-11096

31 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address 2419 Plymouth Avenue North Historical Addresses 2419 Plymouth Avenue North PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1957 Original Owner Unknown Architect Unknown Builder Durable Home Builders Building permits do not describe any significant alterations to the exterior visual appearance of this property. The Durable Home Builders Incorporated constructed this property. This building had six residential listings in This building contractor was led by Maurice, Irwin and Nisson Mandel who formed the executive leadership of this firm. Their office was located at 1014 Plymouth Avenue. A stone street marker is located on the northwest corner of the lot. It is constructed of a polychrome stone masonry, with a light colored mortar. The capital is made of cast concrete and has SHERIDAN AVE cast in capital letters on the west side of the capital. These markers were repaired in the late 1990s. 1 1 November 30, from Bev Roberts to Matthew Ramadan: Stone Markers, Homewood Potential Historic District Resource File, Planning Division, Community Planning and Economic Development Department, Minneapolis, MN. The Homewood Stone Markers Project, (The Homewood Block Club Coalition: 1996) Homewood Potential Historic District Resource File, Planning Division, Community Planning and Economic Development Department, Minneapolis, MN. August 19, from Jack Whitehurst to John Smoley and Bob Cooper: Homewood Stone Markers, Minneapolis, Minnesota Neighborhood Revitalization Program Contracts, #C , #C , Homewood Potential Historic District Resource File, Planning Division, Community Planning and Economic Development Department, Minneapolis, MN.

32 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum Identification Historic Name D.A.O. House Current Name Ronald L. Hill House Field # N/A Address 2420 North 12 th Avenue City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ NENE USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15T Datum WGS84 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-0730 Review and Compliance Number N/A Form (New or Updated) New Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Proposed Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer None listed Style Ranch Construction Date 1971 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential Sub Area Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This 26 x 48 one-story, Ranch style, frame dwelling was built in It features an asphalt shingled hip roof, wide horizontal siding, double hung windows and decorative storm shutters. The garage has an asphalt shingle lowpitched hip roof, wide horizontal siding, a double-width door and a concrete foundation. There is a mature oak tree situated on the southeast corner of the lot. Integrity - Good Recommendation This property is recommended as a non-contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Availability Recommendation Eligible Non-contributing HE-MPC-0730

33 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum Prepared By City of Minneapolis, CPED Date June 2015 Property Photograph South elevation HE-MPC-0730

34 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum Property Photograph West elevation Property Photograph Northwest elevation HE-MPC-0730

35 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum Property Photograph Northeast elevation Property Photograph Garage HE-MPC-0730

36 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum Property Location Map HE-MPC-0730

37 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address 2420 North 12 th Avenue Historical Addresses 2420 North 12 th Avenue PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-0730 HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1971 Original Owner D. A. O. House Architect None listed Builder D. A. O. Corporation Building permits show that the dwelling has not undergone major alterations. In 1995 a new roof was installed and in 2004 eight windows were replaced with similar windows in existing openings.

38 Identification SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC Historic Name House Review and Compliance Number Current Name House & Garage Field # 4622 Address TH AVE N City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) NENE Form (New or Updated) New Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Unknown Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer Unknown Style Prairie Construction Date 1915 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This two-story, stucco, frame house, has one-over-one windows, an asphalt-shingle hip roof with wide eaves, and a dormer on the front facade, and a two-story wing with an asphalt-shingle hip roof on the east elevation. The symmetrical facade is comprised of two sets of two double hung windows above a centrally located door with gable pediment entry porch flanked by two ribbons of three double-hung windows. The Homewood Historic District encompasses a large, rectangular shaped, 80-acre, hilly area that is eight blocks by two blocks in size, and bounded by Plymouth Avenue on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Tenth Avenue North (now Oak Park Avenue) on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. The area includes two plats, the Oak Park Supplement which was platted in 1893 and covers that area on the east side of Thomas Avenue, and Homewood, which was platted in 1909 and encompasses the Oak Park Supplement as well as the area on the west side of Thomas Avenue. The area generally has a grid pattern with north-south streets following the grid and the east-west streets within the area following curvilinear alignments. The area includes 12 extant stone entrance markers around the perimeter of the district, at the intersections of Plymouth Avenue N and Vincent, Upton, Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North on the north boundary; and at the intersections of Oak Park Avenue North and Queen, Russell, and Sheridan Avenues North on the south boundary. The area also includes sidewalks, alleyways, mature deciduous trees lining the boulevards, and lots with one residence per parcel. The lots range in size from 40 feet by 129 feet to 112 feet by 120 feet. Residences face the street, which remain as they were originally platted, and are generally set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of the lot. The tops of foundations vary from at least one foot to approximately five feet above the sidewalk level, depending on the terrain. The district includes 254 parcels primarily developed from 1910 to 1946 with houses constructed in a variety of popular architectural styles from the period including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses vary from one to two-and-a-half stories and feature various cladding materials including stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and faux stone. The majority of houses in the area have a one-story garage located to their rear. Within the district there is a neighborhood park (Farwell Park), located on 12th Avenue North between Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North. Three post-1950 apartment buildings are located along the northern boundary of Homewood on Plymouth Avenue North. In addition, a church, a church/synagogue, and a recreational field are located along the perimeter of the district, including the Abraham Lincoln Junior High School s athletic field, which is located on the block bounded by 12th Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Queen Avenue North on the west. HE-MPC-10482

39 Integrity - Good The integrity of this house is slightly compromosed by replacement windows. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative According to Hennepin County Assessor data, this property was developed in 1915 and is located in the Homewood area of Minneapolis. Homewood History Residential Subdivisions In the second half of the nineteenth century, American cities grew rapidly as they industrialized. The degraded conditions common throughout many American cities at the time, coupled with a growing demand for housing in an environment that melded nature with community, created pressures for movement out of the central city. Advances in transportation, most notably the introduction of the electric streetcar in 1887 and the mass production of gasoline-powered automobiles after 1908, allowed an increasingly broad spectrum of households to move away from the urban core and into residential subdivisions near the periphery of the city or beyond its borders (National Park Service 2002:2). In the United States, the origin of the residential subdivision can be traced to the Romantic landscape movement of the midnineteen century. The two residential developments recognized as the design prototypes of the modern, self-contained subdivision, where single-family houses were located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, were Llewellyn Park (1857), in Orange, New Jersey, just west of New York City, and Riverside (1869), Illinois, west of Chicago (National Park Service 2002:2-3). Sites (including the overall plan, house lots, and community spaces), buildings (primarily houses), structures (including walls, fences, streets and roads both serving the suburb and connecting it to corridors leading to the larger metropolitan area), and objects (signs, fountains, statuary, etc.) make up historic residential subdivisions (National Park Service 2002:7). Subdivision development typically occurred in several clearly defined stages, which can be read as a series of layers imprinted on the land. The first layer resulted from the selection of a parcel of land dedicated for residential use and is defined by geographical location and relationship to natural topography and cultural factors, such as proximity to places of employment and availability of transportation. The second corresponds to the subdivision design, usually the result of a predetermined plan or plat with very precise boundaries. This layer is characterized by an internal circulation network, a system of utilities, blocks of buildable house lots, and, sometimes, community facilities. The third represents the arrangement of each home and yard with its dwelling, garage, lawn, driveway, gardens, walls, fences, and plantings (National Park Service 2002:8). Residential Subdivision Development in Minneapolis The late 1800s was a period of great growth for the city of Minneapolis. During this time, the city s population more than tripled from 46,887 in 1880 to 164,738 in City boundaries expanded to the modern edges of North Minneapolis. By 1884, Xerxes Avenue was established as the western extent of Minneapolis. During the period from 1880 to 1920, much of North Minneapolis developed (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). As a result, much of the most significant building stock in North Minneapolis dates to this forty year period. Few neighborhoods were built up all at once or exhibit one homogenous building style. Thus, while homogeneity is rare in the pre-world War I era, the resulting neighborhoods offer a pleasing mixture of appealing styles that blend together (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). By the 1880s, new residential subdivisions that attempted to highlight topography and natural features became popular in North Minneapolis. Such planned subdivisions featured curvilinear streets and small parks. The Oak Lake subdivision, a 60-acre tract HE-MPC-10482

40 near Lyndale and 6th Avenues North, was platted in 1873, and the Forest Heights Addition was platted in 1883 near presentday Broadway and Humboldt Avenues North (Peterson & Zellie 1998:16). However, platting of subdivisions at this time often occurred long before their actual development. By 1898, nearly all the land east of Humboldt Avenue and south of 44th Street North had been platted, as had the land between 32nd and 38th Avenues North and west to the city boundary at Xerxes Avenue. This large portion of North Minneapolis was platted in a generally homogenous, gridded pattern with uniform rectangular blocks and lots facing east or west. Only a small number of subdivisions interrupted the gridded pattern (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). By the 1920s, construction in North Minneapolis focused on single-family homes. These homes were intended for those of moderate income and were of good quality. Particularly adjacent to Theodore Wirth Park, ample scenic open space was available unlike any other area in North Minneapolis (Peterson & Zellie 1998:34). Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). Although the area appears to have been platted on paper at this time, it is does not appear that physical platting of the land actually took place as early as A historic plat map indicates that by 1909, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there still were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909).According to Hennepin County parcel data, several houses (1128, 1210, 1216 Sheridan Avenue North; 1025, 1114, 1119 Thomas Avenue North) were built in 1910, shortly after acceptance of the plat by the Minneapolis city council. Also in 1910, water mains were laid along Queen Avenue North from 10th Avenue North (presently Oak Park Avenue North) to Plymouth Avenue North; along Russell Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to 12th Avenue North; and along Upton Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to Farwell Place. In addition, sidewalks on both sides of Queen, Russell, Sheridan, and Thomas Avenues North were planned for 1911 (Rinker 1910: 107e, 109e, 75e). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been reconstructed. Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 HE-MPC-10482

41 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. It would appear that any such restrictions were not recognized by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. Research for this survey was unable to confirm that such restrictions or covenants were actually established, based on a review of the original plat and of the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). It is also interesting to note that a 1956 article in the Minneapolis Star characterized David C. Bell, Homewood s developer, and his wife, as not Jewish, but with strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthier Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance This property is located within the boundaries of the Homewood Historic District. Today, Homewood retains the majority of its historic plat and the majority of its original housing stock which embodies a mixture of appealing architectural styles that reflect the steady development of the subdivision from 1910 through the 1940s. A number of houses in the area were designed by noted Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan. These include the houses located at 1243 Russell Avenue North and 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1222 Washburn Avenue North. The characteristics of a planned subdivision, including the large, lot-and-a-half sized lots; a park; as well as the curvilinear streets and hilly, park-like setting of Homewood, remain unchanged. While the homes within Homewood vary in size and scale, they present a cohesive HE-MPC-10482

42 whole and embody the planning restrictions of the original development including one residence per parcel, improvements costing no less than $3,000, improvements placed 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of each building site, tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level, and undivided corner lots. These characteristics are evident throughout the majority of the district. The Homewood plat has local significance for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, within the areas of community planning and development and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features singlefamily houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue (1926) at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh (1926) Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck (1936) Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, in 1948 the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Architecturally, while Homewood contains a good concentration of early twentieth century Period Revival style houses that are larger and more prominent than houses found in the surrounding areas, there are other better collections of more distinctive Period Revival style domestic architecture in Minneapolis that more fully embody this movement in architecture. As a result, Homewood as a whole does not possess enough character-defining features architecturally to distinguish from other better collections of Period Revival domestic architecture in the city; therefore it does not appear to meet NRHP Criterion C. While the entirety of Homewood does not have architectural significance under Criterion C, there is a small concentration of houses located at 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1045 Washburn Avenue North, that stand out from the rest of Homewood for their size and distinctive architectural designs. Three of these houses, at 1015, 1025, and 1035 Washburn, were designed by architects Liebenberg and Kaplan between 1933 and 1938, all in the French Provincial style. The fourth, at 1045 Washburn, was designed by Tyrie and Chapman in 1921 in the French Provincial style. These houses are much larger than other houses in the district and are located on very large lots that have panoramic views of Theodore Wirth Park to the west. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period begins in 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, and continues until 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. Recommendation This property is recommended as a contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. HE-MPC-10482

43 In 2002, Mead & Hunt conducted a reconnaissance level historic resources inventory of North Minneapolis. This inventory identified the Homewood Historic District as eligible for designation as a local historic district by the City of Minneapolis under Minneapolis Criterion 1 for its association with residential development patterns in North Minneapolis (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-7). This survey also recommended further research to determine its potential eligibility for listing in the NRHP as a historic district. The 106 Group evaluated the proposed Homewood Historic District in 2012 to determine its eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of this evaluation, the Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible under NRHP Criterion A, in the areas of community planning and development as a significant early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis and social history, within the historic context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, , for the significant role it played in the development of the western portion of North Minneapolis as the second Jewish community in North Minneapolis from 1911 until the late 1960s. Given its desirable characteristics as a result of its distinctive and well planned plat, Homewood was the most desirable area for upper-middle class Jews to reside and became the focal point of the Jewish community in North Minneapolis. The proposed district encompasses the entire 80-acres of the original plat and follows its as-developed boundaries: Plymouth Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. Although a small number of non-contributing properties are located throughout the district, the original elements of the planned subdivision remain largely intact and are evident throughout the entire 80-acre area. Distinctive design elements include curvilinear streets; a rolling, park-like setting; large, one-and-a-half size lots with one house oriented towards the street and set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north lot line; and tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level. The district has a proposed period of significance from 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, to 1962, corresponding with the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. The district contains 230 contributing properties and 24 non-contributing properties. In addition, the original plat, streets, alleyways, sidewalks, boulevard trees, and entry markers may be non-countable contributing features to the district for their representation of the original plat development and the attempt to create a picturesque, park-like setting. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company 1892 City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Hennepin County Library 2012 A History of Minneapolis. Electronic document, HE-MPC-10482

44 accessed August 7, Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a Certificate of Title, Security Land & Investment Company. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1909b Certificate of Title, Lester A. Boyce. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota Certificate of Title, Abraham N. Bearman. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Lathrop, Alan K Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002a North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Directory Company 1915 Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Minneapolis Star Tribune 1999 Spotlight on Homewood. 20 March. Minneapolis, Minnesota. HE-MPC-10482

45 National Park Service [NPS] 2002 National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O. and Carole Zellie 1998 North Minneapolis Historic Context Study. Prepared by Landscape Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rinker, Andrew 1910 Annual Report of the City Engineer of the City of Minneapolis for the Year Ending December 21, Syndicate Printing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Eligible - Contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-10482

46 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 1 Property Photograph Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 2 Facing SW Property Photograph Facing SE HE-MPC-10482

47 M K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Property Location Map HE-MPC HE-MPC-10482

48 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address th Avenue North Historical Addresses th Avenue North PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1915 Original Owner L. O. Tollefson Architect None listed Builder G. W. Spriestersbach Permits indicate that the garage was built in In 1946 alterations were made and in 1976 miscellaneous repairs were made. In 1994 the soffit, fascia, trim gutters and downspouts were repaired or replaced. In 2000, two storm windows were replaced. Visual evidence indicates that modern storm windows have been installed at some point in time. Lawrence O. Tollefson is listed in the 1916 Minneapolis city directory as the resident at th Avenue North. The directory shows that he was the president of the L. O. Tollefson Company and Western Mortgage Loan Company, a firm that specialized in loans. The firm had an office suite in the Security Building in downtown Minneapolis. City directories from this time period indicate that G. W. Spriestersbach was a general contractor who resided at 2906 Emerson Ave North.

49 Identification SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC Historic Name House Review and Compliance Number Current Name House & Garage Field # 4621 Address 2502 FARWELL PL City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) NENE Form (New or Updated) New Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Unknown Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer Unknown Style Prairie Construction Date 1916 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This two-story frame house has a brick-faced foundation, is stucco clad, has one-over-one and casement windows, an asphalt shingle pyramidal roof, a one-story projected entry bay with asphalt shingle hip roof on the front facade, and addition with attached walk through on the back elevation. The facade is comprised of multiple sets of double-hung windows above the entry porch including a ribbon of three double-hung windows and entry door with sidelights, concrete stoop, and brick knee walls. There are double hung windows paired with the entry bay on the front facade. There is an exterior brick-faced chimney on the east elevation. There is a two-car garage with vinyl siding and asphalt shingle gable roof located behind the house. The Homewood Historic District encompasses a large, rectangular shaped, 80-acre, hilly area that is eight blocks by two blocks in size, and bounded by Plymouth Avenue on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Tenth Avenue North (now Oak Park Avenue) on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. The area includes two plats, the Oak Park Supplement which was platted in 1893 and covers that area on the east side of Thomas Avenue, and Homewood, which was platted in 1909 and encompasses the Oak Park Supplement as well as the area on the west side of Thomas Avenue. The area generally has a grid pattern with north-south streets following the grid and the east-west streets within the area following curvilinear alignments. The area includes 12 extant stone entrance markers around the perimeter of the district, at the intersections of Plymouth Avenue N and Vincent, Upton, Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North on the north boundary; and at the intersections of Oak Park Avenue North and Queen, Russell, and Sheridan Avenues North on the south boundary. The area also includes sidewalks, alleyways, mature deciduous trees lining the boulevards, and lots with one residence per parcel. The lots range in size from 40 feet by 129 feet to 112 feet by 120 feet. Residences face the street, which remain as they were originally platted, and are generally set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of the lot. The tops of foundations vary from at least one foot to approximately five feet above the sidewalk level, depending on the terrain. The district includes 254 parcels primarily developed from 1910 to 1946 with houses constructed in a variety of popular architectural styles from the period including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses vary from one to two-and-a-half stories and feature various cladding materials including stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and faux stone. The majority of houses in the area have a one-story garage located to their rear. Within the district there is a neighborhood park (Farwell Park), located on 12th Avenue North between Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North. Three HE-MPC-10561

50 post-1950 apartment buildings are located along the northern boundary of Homewood on Plymouth Avenue North. In addition, a church, a church/synagogue, and a recreational field are located along the perimeter of the district, including the Abraham Lincoln Junior High School s athletic field, which is located on the block bounded by 12th Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Queen Avenue North on the west. Integrity - Good This house has generally good integrity that is slightly compromised by additions. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative According to Hennepin County Assessor data, this property was developed in 1916 and is located in the Homewood area of Minneapolis. Homewood History Residential Subdivisions In the second half of the nineteenth century, American cities grew rapidly as they industrialized. The degraded conditions common throughout many American cities at the time, coupled with a growing demand for housing in an environment that melded nature with community, created pressures for movement out of the central city. Advances in transportation, most notably the introduction of the electric streetcar in 1887 and the mass production of gasoline-powered automobiles after 1908, allowed an increasingly broad spectrum of households to move away from the urban core and into residential subdivisions near the periphery of the city or beyond its borders (National Park Service 2002:2). In the United States, the origin of the residential subdivision can be traced to the Romantic landscape movement of the midnineteen century. The two residential developments recognized as the design prototypes of the modern, self-contained subdivision, where single-family houses were located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, were Llewellyn Park (1857), in Orange, New Jersey, just west of New York City, and Riverside (1869), Illinois, west of Chicago (National Park Service 2002:2-3). Sites (including the overall plan, house lots, and community spaces), buildings (primarily houses), structures (including walls, fences, streets and roads both serving the suburb and connecting it to corridors leading to the larger metropolitan area), and objects (signs, fountains, statuary, etc.) make up historic residential subdivisions (National Park Service 2002:7). Subdivision development typically occurred in several clearly defined stages, which can be read as a series of layers imprinted on the land. The first layer resulted from the selection of a parcel of land dedicated for residential use and is defined by geographical location and relationship to natural topography and cultural factors, such as proximity to places of employment and availability of transportation. The second corresponds to the subdivision design, usually the result of a predetermined plan or plat with very precise boundaries. This layer is characterized by an internal circulation network, a system of utilities, blocks of buildable house lots, and, sometimes, community facilities. The third represents the arrangement of each home and yard with its dwelling, garage, lawn, driveway, gardens, walls, fences, and plantings (National Park Service 2002:8). Residential Subdivision Development in Minneapolis The late 1800s was a period of great growth for the city of Minneapolis. During this time, the city s population more than tripled from 46,887 in 1880 to 164,738 in City boundaries expanded to the modern edges of North Minneapolis. By 1884, Xerxes Avenue was established as the western extent of Minneapolis. During the period from 1880 to 1920, much of North Minneapolis developed (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). As a result, much of the most significant building stock in North Minneapolis dates to this forty year period. Few neighborhoods were built up all at once or exhibit one homogenous building style. Thus, while homogeneity is rare in the pre-world War I era, the resulting neighborhoods offer a pleasing mixture of HE-MPC-10561

51 appealing styles that blend together (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). By the 1880s, new residential subdivisions that attempted to highlight topography and natural features became popular in North Minneapolis. Such planned subdivisions featured curvilinear streets and small parks. The Oak Lake subdivision, a 60-acre tract near Lyndale and 6th Avenues North, was platted in 1873, and the Forest Heights Addition was platted in 1883 near presentday Broadway and Humboldt Avenues North (Peterson & Zellie 1998:16). However, platting of subdivisions at this time often occurred long before their actual development. By 1898, nearly all the land east of Humboldt Avenue and south of 44th Street North had been platted, as had the land between 32nd and 38th Avenues North and west to the city boundary at Xerxes Avenue. This large portion of North Minneapolis was platted in a generally homogenous, gridded pattern with uniform rectangular blocks and lots facing east or west. Only a small number of subdivisions interrupted the gridded pattern (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). By the 1920s, construction in North Minneapolis focused on single-family homes. These homes were intended for those of moderate income and were of good quality. Particularly adjacent to Theodore Wirth Park, ample scenic open space was available unlike any other area in North Minneapolis (Peterson & Zellie 1998:34). Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). Although the area appears to have been platted on paper at this time, it is does not appear that physical platting of the land actually took place as early as A historic plat map indicates that by 1909, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there still were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909).According to Hennepin County parcel data, several houses (1128, 1210, 1216 Sheridan Avenue North; 1025, 1114, 1119 Thomas Avenue North) were built in 1910, shortly after acceptance of the plat by the Minneapolis city council. Also in 1910, water mains were laid along Queen Avenue North from 10th Avenue North (presently Oak Park Avenue North) to Plymouth Avenue North; along Russell Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to 12th Avenue North; and along Upton Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to Farwell Place. In addition, sidewalks on both sides of Queen, Russell, Sheridan, and Thomas Avenues North were planned for 1911 (Rinker 1910: 107e, 109e, 75e). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been reconstructed. HE-MPC-10561

52 Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. It would appear that any such restrictions were not recognized by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. Research for this survey was unable to confirm that such restrictions or covenants were actually established, based on a review of the original plat and of the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). It is also interesting to note that a 1956 article in the Minneapolis Star characterized David C. Bell, Homewood s developer, and his wife, as not Jewish, but with strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthier Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance This property is located within the boundaries of the Homewood Historic District. Today, Homewood retains the majority of its historic plat and the majority of its original housing stock which embodies a HE-MPC-10561

53 mixture of appealing architectural styles that reflect the steady development of the subdivision from 1910 through the 1940s. A number of houses in the area were designed by noted Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan. These include the houses located at 1243 Russell Avenue North and 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1222 Washburn Avenue North. The characteristics of a planned subdivision, including the large, lot-and-a-half sized lots; a park; as well as the curvilinear streets and hilly, park-like setting of Homewood, remain unchanged. While the homes within Homewood vary in size and scale, they present a cohesive whole and embody the planning restrictions of the original development including one residence per parcel, improvements costing no less than $3,000, improvements placed 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of each building site, tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level, and undivided corner lots. These characteristics are evident throughout the majority of the district. The Homewood plat has local significance for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, within the areas of community planning and development and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features singlefamily houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue (1926) at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh (1926) Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck (1936) Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, in 1948 the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Architecturally, while Homewood contains a good concentration of early twentieth century Period Revival style houses that are larger and more prominent than houses found in the surrounding areas, there are other better collections of more distinctive Period Revival style domestic architecture in Minneapolis that more fully embody this movement in architecture. As a result, Homewood as a whole does not possess enough character-defining features architecturally to distinguish from other better collections of Period Revival domestic architecture in the city; therefore it does not appear to meet NRHP Criterion C. While the entirety of Homewood does not have architectural significance under Criterion C, there is a small concentration of houses located at 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1045 Washburn Avenue North, that stand out from the rest of Homewood for their size and distinctive architectural designs. Three of these houses, at 1015, 1025, and 1035 Washburn, were designed by architects Liebenberg and Kaplan between 1933 and 1938, all in the French Provincial style. The fourth, at 1045 Washburn, was designed by Tyrie and Chapman in 1921 in the French Provincial style. These houses are much larger than other houses in the district and are located on very large lots that have panoramic views of Theodore Wirth Park to the west. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period begins in 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, and continues until HE-MPC-10561

54 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. Recommendation This property is recommended as a contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. In 2002, Mead & Hunt conducted a reconnaissance level historic resources inventory of North Minneapolis. This inventory identified the Homewood Historic District as eligible for designation as a local historic district by the City of Minneapolis under Minneapolis Criterion 1 for its association with residential development patterns in North Minneapolis (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-7). This survey also recommended further research to determine its potential eligibility for listing in the NRHP as a historic district. The 106 Group evaluated the proposed Homewood Historic District in 2012 to determine its eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of this evaluation, the Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible under NRHP Criterion A, in the areas of community planning and development as a significant early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis and social history, within the historic context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, , for the significant role it played in the development of the western portion of North Minneapolis as the second Jewish community in North Minneapolis from 1911 until the late 1960s. Given its desirable characteristics as a result of its distinctive and well planned plat, Homewood was the most desirable area for upper-middle class Jews to reside and became the focal point of the Jewish community in North Minneapolis. The proposed district encompasses the entire 80-acres of the original plat and follows its as-developed boundaries: Plymouth Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. Although a small number of non-contributing properties are located throughout the district, the original elements of the planned subdivision remain largely intact and are evident throughout the entire 80-acre area. Distinctive design elements include curvilinear streets; a rolling, park-like setting; large, one-and-a-half size lots with one house oriented towards the street and set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north lot line; and tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level. The district has a proposed period of significance from 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, to 1962, corresponding with the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. The district contains 230 contributing properties and 24 non-contributing properties. In addition, the original plat, streets, alleyways, sidewalks, boulevard trees, and entry markers may be non-countable contributing features to the district for their representation of the original plat development and the attempt to create a picturesque, park-like setting. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company 1892 City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, HE-MPC-10561

55 accessed July 10, Hennepin County Library 2012 A History of Minneapolis. Electronic document, accessed August 7, Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a Certificate of Title, Security Land & Investment Company. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1909b Certificate of Title, Lester A. Boyce. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota Certificate of Title, Abraham N. Bearman. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Lathrop, Alan K Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002a North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Directory Company 1915 Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, accessed July 10, HE-MPC-10561

56 Minneapolis Star Tribune 1999 Spotlight on Homewood. 20 March. Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Park Service [NPS] 2002 National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O. and Carole Zellie 1998 North Minneapolis Historic Context Study. Prepared by Landscape Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rinker, Andrew 1910 Annual Report of the City Engineer of the City of Minneapolis for the Year Ending December 21, Syndicate Printing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Eligible - Contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-10561

57 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 1 Property Photograph Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 2 Facing NE Property Photograph Facing NW HE-MPC-10561

58 M K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Property Location Map HE-MPC HE-MPC-10561

59 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address 2502 Farwell Place Historical Addresses 2502 Farwell Place PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1916 Original Owner David C. Bell Investment Company Architect None listed Builder W. P. Hultgren Permits show that in 1925 a 12 x 12 addition was built to the rear. In 1933 the roof was re-shingled and in 1938, non-specific alterations were made to the dwelling. In 1956 a 24 x 22 frame addition was built to the rear off of the 1925 addition. In 1998 a permit described work to install vinyl siding on the house this work was either reversed or was never done. There is no vinyl siding on the house at present. In 1983 the flat roof on the addition was repaired and in 2005 a new 24 x 26 detached frame garage was built to the rear of the property. Visual evidence indicates that the brick chimney has been painted white; the front entry door appears to be a replacement also. The David C. Bell Investment Company is listed as the original owner. This firm promoted the development of Homewood and built several houses on speculation within Homewood. A 1916 permit for a frame garage lists a Mrs. Nellie Sieg as the owner, she is also listed as the resident in the 1916 City Directory, and she took in a boarder, one Mabel D. Klitz who was employed as a clerk. W. P. Hultgren is listed as the original builder of record; the 1916 city directory lists this individual alongside other Minneapolis architects.

60 Historic Name Identification House & Garage SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC Review and Compliance Number Current Name House & Garage Field # 4620 Address 2506 FARWELL PL City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) NENE Form (New or Updated) New Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Unknown Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer Unknown Style Tudor Revival Construction Date 1926 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This one-and-a-half story frame house has a brick-faced foundation, is stucco clad, has one-over-one and casement windows, an asphalt shingle cross gable roof, and two gable dormers on the front elevation. The symmetrical facade is comprised of two small casement windows in gables above an entry door with fanlight enclosed in an asphalt shingle half-timbered gable with eave returns that is flanked by two sets of two double-hung windows with metal awnings. There is a two-car garage with an asphalt-shingle pyramidal roof located behind the house. The Homewood Historic District encompasses a large, rectangular shaped, 80-acre, hilly area that is eight blocks by two blocks in size, and bounded by Plymouth Avenue on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Tenth Avenue North (now Oak Park Avenue) on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. The area includes two plats, the Oak Park Supplement which was platted in 1893 and covers that area on the east side of Thomas Avenue, and Homewood, which was platted in 1909 and encompasses the Oak Park Supplement as well as the area on the west side of Thomas Avenue. The area generally has a grid pattern with north-south streets following the grid and the east-west streets within the area following curvilinear alignments. The area includes 12 extant stone entrance markers around the perimeter of the district, at the intersections of Plymouth Avenue N and Vincent, Upton, Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North on the north boundary; and at the intersections of Oak Park Avenue North and Queen, Russell, and Sheridan Avenues North on the south boundary. The area also includes sidewalks, alleyways, mature deciduous trees lining the boulevards, and lots with one residence per parcel. The lots range in size from 40 feet by 129 feet to 112 feet by 120 feet. Residences face the street, which remain as they were originally platted, and are generally set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of the lot. The tops of foundations vary from at least one foot to approximately five feet above the sidewalk level, depending on the terrain. The district includes 254 parcels primarily developed from 1910 to 1946 with houses constructed in a variety of popular architectural styles from the period including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses vary from one to two-and-a-half stories and feature various cladding materials including stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and faux stone. The majority of houses in the area have a one-story garage located to their rear. Within the district there is a neighborhood park (Farwell Park), located on 12th Avenue North between Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North. Three post-1950 apartment buildings are located along the northern boundary of Homewood on Plymouth Avenue North. In addition, a church, a church/synagogue, and a recreational field are located along the perimeter of the district, including the Abraham HE-MPC-10562

61 Lincoln Junior High School s athletic field, which is located on the block bounded by 12th Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Queen Avenue North on the west. Integrity - Good This house has generally good integrity that is slightly compromised by the addition of awnings. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative According to Hennepin County Assessor data, this property was developed in 1926 and is located in the Homewood area of Minneapolis. Homewood History Residential Subdivisions In the second half of the nineteenth century, American cities grew rapidly as they industrialized. The degraded conditions common throughout many American cities at the time, coupled with a growing demand for housing in an environment that melded nature with community, created pressures for movement out of the central city. Advances in transportation, most notably the introduction of the electric streetcar in 1887 and the mass production of gasoline-powered automobiles after 1908, allowed an increasingly broad spectrum of households to move away from the urban core and into residential subdivisions near the periphery of the city or beyond its borders (National Park Service 2002:2). In the United States, the origin of the residential subdivision can be traced to the Romantic landscape movement of the midnineteen century. The two residential developments recognized as the design prototypes of the modern, self-contained subdivision, where single-family houses were located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, were Llewellyn Park (1857), in Orange, New Jersey, just west of New York City, and Riverside (1869), Illinois, west of Chicago (National Park Service 2002:2-3). Sites (including the overall plan, house lots, and community spaces), buildings (primarily houses), structures (including walls, fences, streets and roads both serving the suburb and connecting it to corridors leading to the larger metropolitan area), and objects (signs, fountains, statuary, etc.) make up historic residential subdivisions (National Park Service 2002:7). Subdivision development typically occurred in several clearly defined stages, which can be read as a series of layers imprinted on the land. The first layer resulted from the selection of a parcel of land dedicated for residential use and is defined by geographical location and relationship to natural topography and cultural factors, such as proximity to places of employment and availability of transportation. The second corresponds to the subdivision design, usually the result of a predetermined plan or plat with very precise boundaries. This layer is characterized by an internal circulation network, a system of utilities, blocks of buildable house lots, and, sometimes, community facilities. The third represents the arrangement of each home and yard with its dwelling, garage, lawn, driveway, gardens, walls, fences, and plantings (National Park Service 2002:8). Residential Subdivision Development in Minneapolis The late 1800s was a period of great growth for the city of Minneapolis. During this time, the city s population more than tripled from 46,887 in 1880 to 164,738 in City boundaries expanded to the modern edges of North Minneapolis. By 1884, Xerxes Avenue was established as the western extent of Minneapolis. During the period from 1880 to 1920, much of North Minneapolis developed (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). As a result, much of the most significant building stock in North Minneapolis dates to this forty year period. Few neighborhoods were built up all at once or exhibit one homogenous building style. Thus, while homogeneity is rare in the pre-world War I era, the resulting neighborhoods offer a pleasing mixture of appealing styles that blend together (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). HE-MPC-10562

62 By the 1880s, new residential subdivisions that attempted to highlight topography and natural features became popular in North Minneapolis. Such planned subdivisions featured curvilinear streets and small parks. The Oak Lake subdivision, a 60-acre tract near Lyndale and 6th Avenues North, was platted in 1873, and the Forest Heights Addition was platted in 1883 near presentday Broadway and Humboldt Avenues North (Peterson & Zellie 1998:16). However, platting of subdivisions at this time often occurred long before their actual development. By 1898, nearly all the land east of Humboldt Avenue and south of 44th Street North had been platted, as had the land between 32nd and 38th Avenues North and west to the city boundary at Xerxes Avenue. This large portion of North Minneapolis was platted in a generally homogenous, gridded pattern with uniform rectangular blocks and lots facing east or west. Only a small number of subdivisions interrupted the gridded pattern (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). By the 1920s, construction in North Minneapolis focused on single-family homes. These homes were intended for those of moderate income and were of good quality. Particularly adjacent to Theodore Wirth Park, ample scenic open space was available unlike any other area in North Minneapolis (Peterson & Zellie 1998:34). Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). Although the area appears to have been platted on paper at this time, it is does not appear that physical platting of the land actually took place as early as A historic plat map indicates that by 1909, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there still were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909).According to Hennepin County parcel data, several houses (1128, 1210, 1216 Sheridan Avenue North; 1025, 1114, 1119 Thomas Avenue North) were built in 1910, shortly after acceptance of the plat by the Minneapolis city council. Also in 1910, water mains were laid along Queen Avenue North from 10th Avenue North (presently Oak Park Avenue North) to Plymouth Avenue North; along Russell Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to 12th Avenue North; and along Upton Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to Farwell Place. In addition, sidewalks on both sides of Queen, Russell, Sheridan, and Thomas Avenues North were planned for 1911 (Rinker 1910: 107e, 109e, 75e). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been reconstructed. Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell HE-MPC-10562

63 Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. It would appear that any such restrictions were not recognized by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. Research for this survey was unable to confirm that such restrictions or covenants were actually established, based on a review of the original plat and of the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). It is also interesting to note that a 1956 article in the Minneapolis Star characterized David C. Bell, Homewood s developer, and his wife, as not Jewish, but with strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthier Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance This property is located within the boundaries of the Homewood Historic District. Today, Homewood retains the majority of its historic plat and the majority of its original housing stock which embodies a mixture of appealing architectural styles that reflect the steady development of the subdivision from 1910 through the 1940s. A number of houses in the area were designed by noted Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan. These include the houses HE-MPC-10562

64 located at 1243 Russell Avenue North and 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1222 Washburn Avenue North. The characteristics of a planned subdivision, including the large, lot-and-a-half sized lots; a park; as well as the curvilinear streets and hilly, park-like setting of Homewood, remain unchanged. While the homes within Homewood vary in size and scale, they present a cohesive whole and embody the planning restrictions of the original development including one residence per parcel, improvements costing no less than $3,000, improvements placed 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of each building site, tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level, and undivided corner lots. These characteristics are evident throughout the majority of the district. The Homewood plat has local significance for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, within the areas of community planning and development and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features singlefamily houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue (1926) at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh (1926) Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck (1936) Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, in 1948 the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Architecturally, while Homewood contains a good concentration of early twentieth century Period Revival style houses that are larger and more prominent than houses found in the surrounding areas, there are other better collections of more distinctive Period Revival style domestic architecture in Minneapolis that more fully embody this movement in architecture. As a result, Homewood as a whole does not possess enough character-defining features architecturally to distinguish from other better collections of Period Revival domestic architecture in the city; therefore it does not appear to meet NRHP Criterion C. While the entirety of Homewood does not have architectural significance under Criterion C, there is a small concentration of houses located at 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1045 Washburn Avenue North, that stand out from the rest of Homewood for their size and distinctive architectural designs. Three of these houses, at 1015, 1025, and 1035 Washburn, were designed by architects Liebenberg and Kaplan between 1933 and 1938, all in the French Provincial style. The fourth, at 1045 Washburn, was designed by Tyrie and Chapman in 1921 in the French Provincial style. These houses are much larger than other houses in the district and are located on very large lots that have panoramic views of Theodore Wirth Park to the west. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period begins in 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, and continues until 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. HE-MPC-10562

65 Recommendation This property is recommended as a contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. In 2002, Mead & Hunt conducted a reconnaissance level historic resources inventory of North Minneapolis. This inventory identified the Homewood Historic District as eligible for designation as a local historic district by the City of Minneapolis under Minneapolis Criterion 1 for its association with residential development patterns in North Minneapolis (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-7). This survey also recommended further research to determine its potential eligibility for listing in the NRHP as a historic district. The 106 Group evaluated the proposed Homewood Historic District in 2012 to determine its eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of this evaluation, the Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible under NRHP Criterion A, in the areas of community planning and development as a significant early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis and social history, within the historic context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, , for the significant role it played in the development of the western portion of North Minneapolis as the second Jewish community in North Minneapolis from 1911 until the late 1960s. Given its desirable characteristics as a result of its distinctive and well planned plat, Homewood was the most desirable area for upper-middle class Jews to reside and became the focal point of the Jewish community in North Minneapolis. The proposed district encompasses the entire 80-acres of the original plat and follows its as-developed boundaries: Plymouth Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. Although a small number of non-contributing properties are located throughout the district, the original elements of the planned subdivision remain largely intact and are evident throughout the entire 80-acre area. Distinctive design elements include curvilinear streets; a rolling, park-like setting; large, one-and-a-half size lots with one house oriented towards the street and set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north lot line; and tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level. The district has a proposed period of significance from 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, to 1962, corresponding with the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. The district contains 230 contributing properties and 24 non-contributing properties. In addition, the original plat, streets, alleyways, sidewalks, boulevard trees, and entry markers may be non-countable contributing features to the district for their representation of the original plat development and the attempt to create a picturesque, park-like setting. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company 1892 City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, accessed July 10, HE-MPC-10562

66 Hennepin County Library 2012 A History of Minneapolis. Electronic document, accessed August 7, Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a Certificate of Title, Security Land & Investment Company. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1909b Certificate of Title, Lester A. Boyce. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota Certificate of Title, Abraham N. Bearman. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Lathrop, Alan K Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002a North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Directory Company 1915 Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, accessed July 10, HE-MPC-10562

67 Minneapolis Star Tribune 1999 Spotlight on Homewood. 20 March. Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Park Service [NPS] 2002 National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O. and Carole Zellie 1998 North Minneapolis Historic Context Study. Prepared by Landscape Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rinker, Andrew 1910 Annual Report of the City Engineer of the City of Minneapolis for the Year Ending December 21, Syndicate Printing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Eligible - Contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-10562

68 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 1 Property Photograph Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 2 Facing NW Property Photograph Facing NE HE-MPC-10562

69 M K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Property Location Map HE-MPC HE-MPC-10562

70 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address 2506 Farwell Place Historical Addresses 2506 Farwell Place PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1926 Original Owner Sam Katz Architect None listed Builder Sam Katz Permits show that in 1942 the exterior stucco was re-dashed. In 1974 the roof was re-shingled and general repairs were made to the house. In 1988 the soffit and fascia were repaired and in 1994 the roof was re-shingled. In 1995 the stucco was repaired at the chimney and in 2012 the front door was replaced. Visual evidence indicates that storm windows have been installed as well as a plastic awning. Sam Katz appears to have been a small contractor active in Minneapolis in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1926 he was living at 1410 Upton Avenue North. Sam Katz is known to have constructed homes and apartment buildings throughout Minneapolis. 1 The earliest residential listing for this property is in Samuel Figen is listed as the resident; he was the president and treasurer of Figen Millinery Shops Incorporated. He had two shops in Downtown, one at 19 South 7 th Street and another at 10 South 8 th Street. 1 Andrew Frenz with Christopher Vrchota, Golden Valley Road Historic District Designation Study, Prepared for the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission, Planning Division, Department of Community Planning and Economic Development Department, Minneapolis, MN, 2015, 11,

71 Historic Name Identification David Haas House SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-7640 Review and Compliance Number Current Name House & Garage Field # 4623 Address TH AVE N City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) NENE Form (New or Updated) Updated Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Unknown Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer Perry Crosier Style Prairie Construction Date 1920 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This two-story, stucco, frame house, has one-over-one windows, an asphalt-shingle hip roof with wide eaves, and a one-story projected bay with an asphalt-shingle hip roof on the west elevation. The symmetrical facade has brick beneath the windows is comprised of three sets of two double hung windows above a centrally located door with arched pediment entry porch flanked by matching picture windows with narrow double-hung windows. There is an exterior brick-faced chimney located on the east elevation. The Homewood Historic District encompasses a large, rectangular shaped, 80-acre, hilly area that is eight blocks by two blocks in size, and bounded by Plymouth Avenue on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Tenth Avenue North (now Oak Park Avenue) on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. The area includes two plats, the Oak Park Supplement which was platted in 1893 and covers that area on the east side of Thomas Avenue, and Homewood, which was platted in 1909 and encompasses the Oak Park Supplement as well as the area on the west side of Thomas Avenue. The area generally has a grid pattern with north-south streets following the grid and the east-west streets within the area following curvilinear alignments. The area includes 12 extant stone entrance markers around the perimeter of the district, at the intersections of Plymouth Avenue N and Vincent, Upton, Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North on the north boundary; and at the intersections of Oak Park Avenue North and Queen, Russell, and Sheridan Avenues North on the south boundary. The area also includes sidewalks, alleyways, mature deciduous trees lining the boulevards, and lots with one residence per parcel. The lots range in size from 40 feet by 129 feet to 112 feet by 120 feet. Residences face the street, which remain as they were originally platted, and are generally set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of the lot. The tops of foundations vary from at least one foot to approximately five feet above the sidewalk level, depending on the terrain. The district includes 254 parcels primarily developed from 1910 to 1946 with houses constructed in a variety of popular architectural styles from the period including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses vary from one to two-and-a-half stories and feature various cladding materials including stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and faux stone. The majority of houses in the area have a one-story garage located to their rear. Within the district there is a neighborhood park (Farwell Park), located on 12th Avenue North between Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North. Three post-1950 apartment buildings are located along the northern boundary of Homewood on Plymouth Avenue North. In addition, a church, a church/synagogue, and a recreational field are located along the perimeter of the district, including the Abraham Lincoln Junior High School s athletic field, which is located on the block bounded by 12th Avenue North on the north, Penn HE-MPC-7640

72 Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Queen Avenue North on the west. Integrity - Good The integrity of this house is slightly compromised by replacement windows. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative According to Hennepin County Assessor data, this property was developed in 1920 and is located in the Homewood area of Minneapolis. Homewood History Residential Subdivisions In the second half of the nineteenth century, American cities grew rapidly as they industrialized. The degraded conditions common throughout many American cities at the time, coupled with a growing demand for housing in an environment that melded nature with community, created pressures for movement out of the central city. Advances in transportation, most notably the introduction of the electric streetcar in 1887 and the mass production of gasoline-powered automobiles after 1908, allowed an increasingly broad spectrum of households to move away from the urban core and into residential subdivisions near the periphery of the city or beyond its borders (National Park Service 2002:2). In the United States, the origin of the residential subdivision can be traced to the Romantic landscape movement of the midnineteen century. The two residential developments recognized as the design prototypes of the modern, self-contained subdivision, where single-family houses were located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, were Llewellyn Park (1857), in Orange, New Jersey, just west of New York City, and Riverside (1869), Illinois, west of Chicago (National Park Service 2002:2-3). Sites (including the overall plan, house lots, and community spaces), buildings (primarily houses), structures (including walls, fences, streets and roads both serving the suburb and connecting it to corridors leading to the larger metropolitan area), and objects (signs, fountains, statuary, etc.) make up historic residential subdivisions (National Park Service 2002:7). Subdivision development typically occurred in several clearly defined stages, which can be read as a series of layers imprinted on the land. The first layer resulted from the selection of a parcel of land dedicated for residential use and is defined by geographical location and relationship to natural topography and cultural factors, such as proximity to places of employment and availability of transportation. The second corresponds to the subdivision design, usually the result of a predetermined plan or plat with very precise boundaries. This layer is characterized by an internal circulation network, a system of utilities, blocks of buildable house lots, and, sometimes, community facilities. The third represents the arrangement of each home and yard with its dwelling, garage, lawn, driveway, gardens, walls, fences, and plantings (National Park Service 2002:8). Residential Subdivision Development in Minneapolis The late 1800s was a period of great growth for the city of Minneapolis. During this time, the city s population more than tripled from 46,887 in 1880 to 164,738 in City boundaries expanded to the modern edges of North Minneapolis. By 1884, Xerxes Avenue was established as the western extent of Minneapolis. During the period from 1880 to 1920, much of North Minneapolis developed (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). As a result, much of the most significant building stock in North Minneapolis dates to this forty year period. Few neighborhoods were built up all at once or exhibit one homogenous building style. Thus, while homogeneity is rare in the pre-world War I era, the resulting neighborhoods offer a pleasing mixture of appealing styles that blend together (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). By the 1880s, new residential subdivisions that attempted to highlight topography and natural features became popular in North HE-MPC-7640

73 Minneapolis. Such planned subdivisions featured curvilinear streets and small parks. The Oak Lake subdivision, a 60-acre tract near Lyndale and 6th Avenues North, was platted in 1873, and the Forest Heights Addition was platted in 1883 near presentday Broadway and Humboldt Avenues North (Peterson & Zellie 1998:16). However, platting of subdivisions at this time often occurred long before their actual development. By 1898, nearly all the land east of Humboldt Avenue and south of 44th Street North had been platted, as had the land between 32nd and 38th Avenues North and west to the city boundary at Xerxes Avenue. This large portion of North Minneapolis was platted in a generally homogenous, gridded pattern with uniform rectangular blocks and lots facing east or west. Only a small number of subdivisions interrupted the gridded pattern (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). By the 1920s, construction in North Minneapolis focused on single-family homes. These homes were intended for those of moderate income and were of good quality. Particularly adjacent to Theodore Wirth Park, ample scenic open space was available unlike any other area in North Minneapolis (Peterson & Zellie 1998:34). Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). Although the area appears to have been platted on paper at this time, it is does not appear that physical platting of the land actually took place as early as A historic plat map indicates that by 1909, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there still were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909).According to Hennepin County parcel data, several houses (1128, 1210, 1216 Sheridan Avenue North; 1025, 1114, 1119 Thomas Avenue North) were built in 1910, shortly after acceptance of the plat by the Minneapolis city council. Also in 1910, water mains were laid along Queen Avenue North from 10th Avenue North (presently Oak Park Avenue North) to Plymouth Avenue North; along Russell Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to 12th Avenue North; and along Upton Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to Farwell Place. In addition, sidewalks on both sides of Queen, Russell, Sheridan, and Thomas Avenues North were planned for 1911 (Rinker 1910: 107e, 109e, 75e). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been reconstructed. Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per HE-MPC-7640

74 parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. It would appear that any such restrictions were not recognized by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. Research for this survey was unable to confirm that such restrictions or covenants were actually established, based on a review of the original plat and of the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). It is also interesting to note that a 1956 article in the Minneapolis Star characterized David C. Bell, Homewood s developer, and his wife, as not Jewish, but with strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthier Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance This property is located within the boundaries of the Homewood Historic District. Today, Homewood retains the majority of its historic plat and the majority of its original housing stock which embodies a mixture of appealing architectural styles that reflect the steady development of the subdivision from 1910 through the 1940s. A number of houses in the area were designed by noted Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan. These include the houses located at 1243 Russell Avenue North and 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1222 Washburn Avenue North. The characteristics of a HE-MPC-7640

75 planned subdivision, including the large, lot-and-a-half sized lots; a park; as well as the curvilinear streets and hilly, park-like setting of Homewood, remain unchanged. While the homes within Homewood vary in size and scale, they present a cohesive whole and embody the planning restrictions of the original development including one residence per parcel, improvements costing no less than $3,000, improvements placed 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of each building site, tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level, and undivided corner lots. These characteristics are evident throughout the majority of the district. The Homewood plat has local significance for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, within the areas of community planning and development and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features singlefamily houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue (1926) at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh (1926) Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck (1936) Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, in 1948 the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Architecturally, while Homewood contains a good concentration of early twentieth century Period Revival style houses that are larger and more prominent than houses found in the surrounding areas, there are other better collections of more distinctive Period Revival style domestic architecture in Minneapolis that more fully embody this movement in architecture. As a result, Homewood as a whole does not possess enough character-defining features architecturally to distinguish from other better collections of Period Revival domestic architecture in the city; therefore it does not appear to meet NRHP Criterion C. While the entirety of Homewood does not have architectural significance under Criterion C, there is a small concentration of houses located at 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1045 Washburn Avenue North, that stand out from the rest of Homewood for their size and distinctive architectural designs. Three of these houses, at 1015, 1025, and 1035 Washburn, were designed by architects Liebenberg and Kaplan between 1933 and 1938, all in the French Provincial style. The fourth, at 1045 Washburn, was designed by Tyrie and Chapman in 1921 in the French Provincial style. These houses are much larger than other houses in the district and are located on very large lots that have panoramic views of Theodore Wirth Park to the west. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period begins in 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, and continues until 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. Recommendation HE-MPC-7640

76 This property is recommended as a contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. In 2002, Mead & Hunt conducted a reconnaissance level historic resources inventory of North Minneapolis. This inventory identified the Homewood Historic District as eligible for designation as a local historic district by the City of Minneapolis under Minneapolis Criterion 1 for its association with residential development patterns in North Minneapolis (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-7). This survey also recommended further research to determine its potential eligibility for listing in the NRHP as a historic district. The 106 Group evaluated the proposed Homewood Historic District in 2012 to determine its eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of this evaluation, the Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible under NRHP Criterion A, in the areas of community planning and development as a significant early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis and social history, within the historic context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, , for the significant role it played in the development of the western portion of North Minneapolis as the second Jewish community in North Minneapolis from 1911 until the late 1960s. Given its desirable characteristics as a result of its distinctive and well planned plat, Homewood was the most desirable area for upper-middle class Jews to reside and became the focal point of the Jewish community in North Minneapolis. The proposed district encompasses the entire 80-acres of the original plat and follows its as-developed boundaries: Plymouth Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. Although a small number of non-contributing properties are located throughout the district, the original elements of the planned subdivision remain largely intact and are evident throughout the entire 80-acre area. Distinctive design elements include curvilinear streets; a rolling, park-like setting; large, one-and-a-half size lots with one house oriented towards the street and set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north lot line; and tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level. The district has a proposed period of significance from 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, to 1962, corresponding with the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. The district contains 230 contributing properties and 24 non-contributing properties. In addition, the original plat, streets, alleyways, sidewalks, boulevard trees, and entry markers may be non-countable contributing features to the district for their representation of the original plat development and the attempt to create a picturesque, park-like setting. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company 1892 City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Hennepin County Library HE-MPC-7640

77 2012 A History of Minneapolis. Electronic document, accessed August 7, Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a Certificate of Title, Security Land & Investment Company. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1909b Certificate of Title, Lester A. Boyce. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota Certificate of Title, Abraham N. Bearman. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Lathrop, Alan K Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002a North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Directory Company 1915 Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Minneapolis Star Tribune 1999 Spotlight on Homewood. 20 March. Minneapolis, Minnesota. HE-MPC-7640

78 National Park Service [NPS] 2002 National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O. and Carole Zellie 1998 North Minneapolis Historic Context Study. Prepared by Landscape Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rinker, Andrew 1910 Annual Report of the City Engineer of the City of Minneapolis for the Year Ending December 21, Syndicate Printing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Eligible - Contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-7640

79 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 1 Property Photograph Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 2 Facing SW Property Photograph Facing SE HE-MPC-7640

80 M K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Property Location Map HE-MPC-7640 HE-MPC-7640

81 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address th Avenue North Historical Addresses th Avenue North PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-7640 HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1920 Original Owner David Haas Architect Perry E. Crosier Builder Day labor Permits indicate that in 1967 the roof was raised from the existing attached garage. In 1978 miscellaneous repairs were done to the house and in between 1980 and 1983 the exterior stucco was repaired. The roof was last replaced in Visual evidence indicates that modern storm windows and storm doors have been installed. The 1921 city directory shows that David Haas resided at th Avenue North. He was self-employed as a plumber. Perry Crosier designed several homes in Homewood and is regarded as a prominent Minneapolis architect. In 1922 city directories list him as an architect with his office in the Lumber Exchange Building located at Hennepin Avenue. He was originally from Minneapolis and learned his profession in the firms of Harry Jones, Bertrand and Chamberlin and others. After 1913 he practiced independently for the rest of his career, with the exception of 1921 when he worked with the firm of Liebenberg and Kaplan. He is especially noted for his design of movie theaters. He also designed dozens of notable apartment buildings in Minneapolis that remain extant. In addition to apartments, he designed houses and other commercial structures. 1 1 Alan K. Lathrop, Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010)

82 Historic Name Identification Max Kohn House SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-7638 Review and Compliance Number Current Name House Field # 4619 Address 2512 FARWELL PL City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) NENE Form (New or Updated) Updated Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Unknown Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer Unknown Style Period Revival Construction Date 1932 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This two-and-a-half story frame house has a rough-faced concrete block foundation, is stucco clad, has sliding and casement windows, an tile combined cross gable and hip roof, two wings with tile gable and shed roof on the front elevation, and a onestory wing on the east elevation. The facade is comprised of a single double-hung window, two narrow casements, and a sliding window above, two double-hung windows, an arched entry door with brick stoop paired with arched picture window flanked by two narrow double-hung windows, and a set of four narrow casement windows with elliptical pediments. There is stone on the first story highlighting the entry door. There is an interior brick-faced chimney located on the slope. The Homewood Historic District encompasses a large, rectangular shaped, 80-acre, hilly area that is eight blocks by two blocks in size, and bounded by Plymouth Avenue on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Tenth Avenue North (now Oak Park Avenue) on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. The area includes two plats, the Oak Park Supplement which was platted in 1893 and covers that area on the east side of Thomas Avenue, and Homewood, which was platted in 1909 and encompasses the Oak Park Supplement as well as the area on the west side of Thomas Avenue. The area generally has a grid pattern with north-south streets following the grid and the east-west streets within the area following curvilinear alignments. The area includes 12 extant stone entrance markers around the perimeter of the district, at the intersections of Plymouth Avenue N and Vincent, Upton, Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North on the north boundary; and at the intersections of Oak Park Avenue North and Queen, Russell, and Sheridan Avenues North on the south boundary. The area also includes sidewalks, alleyways, mature deciduous trees lining the boulevards, and lots with one residence per parcel. The lots range in size from 40 feet by 129 feet to 112 feet by 120 feet. Residences face the street, which remain as they were originally platted, and are generally set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of the lot. The tops of foundations vary from at least one foot to approximately five feet above the sidewalk level, depending on the terrain. The district includes 254 parcels primarily developed from 1910 to 1946 with houses constructed in a variety of popular architectural styles from the period including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses vary from one to two-and-a-half stories and feature various cladding materials including stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and faux stone. The majority of houses in the area have a one-story garage located to their rear. Within the district there is a neighborhood park (Farwell Park), located on 12th Avenue North between Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North. Three post-1950 apartment buildings are located along the northern boundary of Homewood on Plymouth Avenue North. In addition, a church, a church/synagogue, and a recreational field are located along the perimeter of the district, including the Abraham HE-MPC-7638

83 Lincoln Junior High School s athletic field, which is located on the block bounded by 12th Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Queen Avenue North on the west. Integrity - Poor The integrity of this house is compromised by the non-historic stucco, replacement windows, and additions. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative According to Hennepin County Assessor data, this property was developed in 1932 and is located in the Homewood area of Minneapolis. Homewood History Residential Subdivisions In the second half of the nineteenth century, American cities grew rapidly as they industrialized. The degraded conditions common throughout many American cities at the time, coupled with a growing demand for housing in an environment that melded nature with community, created pressures for movement out of the central city. Advances in transportation, most notably the introduction of the electric streetcar in 1887 and the mass production of gasoline-powered automobiles after 1908, allowed an increasingly broad spectrum of households to move away from the urban core and into residential subdivisions near the periphery of the city or beyond its borders (National Park Service 2002:2). In the United States, the origin of the residential subdivision can be traced to the Romantic landscape movement of the midnineteen century. The two residential developments recognized as the design prototypes of the modern, self-contained subdivision, where single-family houses were located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, were Llewellyn Park (1857), in Orange, New Jersey, just west of New York City, and Riverside (1869), Illinois, west of Chicago (National Park Service 2002:2-3). Sites (including the overall plan, house lots, and community spaces), buildings (primarily houses), structures (including walls, fences, streets and roads both serving the suburb and connecting it to corridors leading to the larger metropolitan area), and objects (signs, fountains, statuary, etc.) make up historic residential subdivisions (National Park Service 2002:7). Subdivision development typically occurred in several clearly defined stages, which can be read as a series of layers imprinted on the land. The first layer resulted from the selection of a parcel of land dedicated for residential use and is defined by geographical location and relationship to natural topography and cultural factors, such as proximity to places of employment and availability of transportation. The second corresponds to the subdivision design, usually the result of a predetermined plan or plat with very precise boundaries. This layer is characterized by an internal circulation network, a system of utilities, blocks of buildable house lots, and, sometimes, community facilities. The third represents the arrangement of each home and yard with its dwelling, garage, lawn, driveway, gardens, walls, fences, and plantings (National Park Service 2002:8). Residential Subdivision Development in Minneapolis The late 1800s was a period of great growth for the city of Minneapolis. During this time, the city s population more than tripled from 46,887 in 1880 to 164,738 in City boundaries expanded to the modern edges of North Minneapolis. By 1884, Xerxes Avenue was established as the western extent of Minneapolis. During the period from 1880 to 1920, much of North Minneapolis developed (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). As a result, much of the most significant building stock in North Minneapolis dates to this forty year period. Few neighborhoods were built up all at once or exhibit one homogenous building style. Thus, while homogeneity is rare in the pre-world War I era, the resulting neighborhoods offer a pleasing mixture of appealing styles that blend together (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). HE-MPC-7638

84 By the 1880s, new residential subdivisions that attempted to highlight topography and natural features became popular in North Minneapolis. Such planned subdivisions featured curvilinear streets and small parks. The Oak Lake subdivision, a 60-acre tract near Lyndale and 6th Avenues North, was platted in 1873, and the Forest Heights Addition was platted in 1883 near presentday Broadway and Humboldt Avenues North (Peterson & Zellie 1998:16). However, platting of subdivisions at this time often occurred long before their actual development. By 1898, nearly all the land east of Humboldt Avenue and south of 44th Street North had been platted, as had the land between 32nd and 38th Avenues North and west to the city boundary at Xerxes Avenue. This large portion of North Minneapolis was platted in a generally homogenous, gridded pattern with uniform rectangular blocks and lots facing east or west. Only a small number of subdivisions interrupted the gridded pattern (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). By the 1920s, construction in North Minneapolis focused on single-family homes. These homes were intended for those of moderate income and were of good quality. Particularly adjacent to Theodore Wirth Park, ample scenic open space was available unlike any other area in North Minneapolis (Peterson & Zellie 1998:34). Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). Although the area appears to have been platted on paper at this time, it is does not appear that physical platting of the land actually took place as early as A historic plat map indicates that by 1909, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there still were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909).According to Hennepin County parcel data, several houses (1128, 1210, 1216 Sheridan Avenue North; 1025, 1114, 1119 Thomas Avenue North) were built in 1910, shortly after acceptance of the plat by the Minneapolis city council. Also in 1910, water mains were laid along Queen Avenue North from 10th Avenue North (presently Oak Park Avenue North) to Plymouth Avenue North; along Russell Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to 12th Avenue North; and along Upton Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to Farwell Place. In addition, sidewalks on both sides of Queen, Russell, Sheridan, and Thomas Avenues North were planned for 1911 (Rinker 1910: 107e, 109e, 75e). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been reconstructed. Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell HE-MPC-7638

85 Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. It would appear that any such restrictions were not recognized by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. Research for this survey was unable to confirm that such restrictions or covenants were actually established, based on a review of the original plat and of the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). It is also interesting to note that a 1956 article in the Minneapolis Star characterized David C. Bell, Homewood s developer, and his wife, as not Jewish, but with strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthier Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance This property is located within the boundaries of the Homewood Historic District. Today, Homewood retains the majority of its historic plat and the majority of its original housing stock which embodies a mixture of appealing architectural styles that reflect the steady development of the subdivision from 1910 through the 1940s. A number of houses in the area were designed by noted Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan. These include the houses HE-MPC-7638

86 located at 1243 Russell Avenue North and 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1222 Washburn Avenue North. The characteristics of a planned subdivision, including the large, lot-and-a-half sized lots; a park; as well as the curvilinear streets and hilly, park-like setting of Homewood, remain unchanged. While the homes within Homewood vary in size and scale, they present a cohesive whole and embody the planning restrictions of the original development including one residence per parcel, improvements costing no less than $3,000, improvements placed 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of each building site, tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level, and undivided corner lots. These characteristics are evident throughout the majority of the district. The Homewood plat has local significance for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, within the areas of community planning and development and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features singlefamily houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue (1926) at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh (1926) Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck (1936) Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, in 1948 the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Architecturally, while Homewood contains a good concentration of early twentieth century Period Revival style houses that are larger and more prominent than houses found in the surrounding areas, there are other better collections of more distinctive Period Revival style domestic architecture in Minneapolis that more fully embody this movement in architecture. As a result, Homewood as a whole does not possess enough character-defining features architecturally to distinguish from other better collections of Period Revival domestic architecture in the city; therefore it does not appear to meet NRHP Criterion C. While the entirety of Homewood does not have architectural significance under Criterion C, there is a small concentration of houses located at 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1045 Washburn Avenue North, that stand out from the rest of Homewood for their size and distinctive architectural designs. Three of these houses, at 1015, 1025, and 1035 Washburn, were designed by architects Liebenberg and Kaplan between 1933 and 1938, all in the French Provincial style. The fourth, at 1045 Washburn, was designed by Tyrie and Chapman in 1921 in the French Provincial style. These houses are much larger than other houses in the district and are located on very large lots that have panoramic views of Theodore Wirth Park to the west. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period begins in 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, and continues until 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. HE-MPC-7638

87 Recommendation This property is recommended as a contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. In 2002, Mead & Hunt conducted a reconnaissance level historic resources inventory of North Minneapolis. This inventory identified the Homewood Historic District as eligible for designation as a local historic district by the City of Minneapolis under Minneapolis Criterion 1 for its association with residential development patterns in North Minneapolis (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-7). This survey also recommended further research to determine its potential eligibility for listing in the NRHP as a historic district. The 106 Group evaluated the proposed Homewood Historic District in 2012 to determine its eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of this evaluation, the Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible under NRHP Criterion A, in the areas of community planning and development as a significant early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis and social history, within the historic context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, , for the significant role it played in the development of the western portion of North Minneapolis as the second Jewish community in North Minneapolis from 1911 until the late 1960s. Given its desirable characteristics as a result of its distinctive and well planned plat, Homewood was the most desirable area for upper-middle class Jews to reside and became the focal point of the Jewish community in North Minneapolis. The proposed district encompasses the entire 80-acres of the original plat and follows its as-developed boundaries: Plymouth Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. Although a small number of non-contributing properties are located throughout the district, the original elements of the planned subdivision remain largely intact and are evident throughout the entire 80-acre area. Distinctive design elements include curvilinear streets; a rolling, park-like setting; large, one-and-a-half size lots with one house oriented towards the street and set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north lot line; and tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level. The district has a proposed period of significance from 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, to 1962, corresponding with the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. The district contains 230 contributing properties and 24 non-contributing properties. In addition, the original plat, streets, alleyways, sidewalks, boulevard trees, and entry markers may be non-countable contributing features to the district for their representation of the original plat development and the attempt to create a picturesque, park-like setting. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company 1892 City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, accessed July 10, HE-MPC-7638

88 Hennepin County Library 2012 A History of Minneapolis. Electronic document, accessed August 7, Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a Certificate of Title, Security Land & Investment Company. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1909b Certificate of Title, Lester A. Boyce. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota Certificate of Title, Abraham N. Bearman. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Lathrop, Alan K Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002a North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Directory Company 1915 Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, accessed July 10, HE-MPC-7638

89 Minneapolis Star Tribune 1999 Spotlight on Homewood. 20 March. Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Park Service [NPS] 2002 National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O. and Carole Zellie 1998 North Minneapolis Historic Context Study. Prepared by Landscape Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rinker, Andrew 1910 Annual Report of the City Engineer of the City of Minneapolis for the Year Ending December 21, Syndicate Printing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Eligible - Contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-7638

90 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 1 Property Photograph Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 2 Facing NE Property Photograph Facing NW HE-MPC-7638

91 M K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Property Location Map HE-MPC-7638 HE-MPC-7638

92 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address 2512 Farwell Place Historical Addresses 2512 Farwell Place PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-7638 HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1926 Original Owner Max Kohn Architect Carleton W. Farnham Builder Jacob Fine Permits indicate that in 1950 a foundation was built for a garage to be moved onto it. In 1976 general repairs were done to the house and in 2011 windows on the north elevation were replaced. In 2012 a 22 x 22 detached frame garage was built on the property, presumably replacing the one moved onsite in In 2012, concrete rear steps and a landing were reconstructed at the rear. Visual evidence indicates that the exterior stucco has been painted at some point in the past; it also appears as though insulation was blown into the building envelope due to visual evidence of patching at regular intervals in the exterior stucco. Windows on the second floor appear to have been replaced with several windows on the first floor; some appear to be covered with modern storm windows. Permits show that Max Kohn was the original owner; however as of 1930 there is no residential listing for this property. This property was likely built on speculation; Mr. Kohn is shown in Minneapolis city directories as residing at 1415 Thomas Avenue North during this time. Carleton Willard Farnham was born in Minneapolis on February 6, He graduated from North High School and attended the University of Minnesota where he took classes in architecture, but never graduated. He received further training through employment at several architecture firms in Minneapolis before starting his own firm in He designed homes and apartment buildings in Minneapolis during the 1920s and 1930s. 1 Jacob Fine was the builder of record. Staff has found no information that would verify an identity or career for him. 1 Alan K. Lathrop, Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010)

93 Historic Name Identification David Dworsky House SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-7641 Review and Compliance Number Current Name House & Garage Field # 4624 Address TH AVE N City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) NENE Form (New or Updated) Updated Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Unknown Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer Perry Crosier Style Spanish Eclectic Construction Date 1920 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This two-story, frame house, is brick-faced has one-over-one and eight-over-one windows, an tile hip roof with wide eaves, and a two-story projected bay with an tile lower hip roof on the back elevation. The symmetrical facade is comprised of three sets of two double hung windows above a belt course and centrally located door with arched pediment entry porch supported by columns flanked by matching picture windows with double-hung windows. The door is accessed by a brick-faced stoop paired with brick-faced knee walls. There is an interior brick-faced chimney located on the near east elevation. The Homewood Historic District encompasses a large, rectangular shaped, 80-acre, hilly area that is eight blocks by two blocks in size, and bounded by Plymouth Avenue on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Tenth Avenue North (now Oak Park Avenue) on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. The area includes two plats, the Oak Park Supplement which was platted in 1893 and covers that area on the east side of Thomas Avenue, and Homewood, which was platted in 1909 and encompasses the Oak Park Supplement as well as the area on the west side of Thomas Avenue. The area generally has a grid pattern with north-south streets following the grid and the east-west streets within the area following curvilinear alignments. The area includes 12 extant stone entrance markers around the perimeter of the district, at the intersections of Plymouth Avenue N and Vincent, Upton, Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North on the north boundary; and at the intersections of Oak Park Avenue North and Queen, Russell, and Sheridan Avenues North on the south boundary. The area also includes sidewalks, alleyways, mature deciduous trees lining the boulevards, and lots with one residence per parcel. The lots range in size from 40 feet by 129 feet to 112 feet by 120 feet. Residences face the street, which remain as they were originally platted, and are generally set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of the lot. The tops of foundations vary from at least one foot to approximately five feet above the sidewalk level, depending on the terrain. The district includes 254 parcels primarily developed from 1910 to 1946 with houses constructed in a variety of popular architectural styles from the period including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses vary from one to two-and-a-half stories and feature various cladding materials including stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and faux stone. The majority of houses in the area have a one-story garage located to their rear. Within the district there is a neighborhood park (Farwell Park), located on 12th Avenue North between Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North. Three post-1950 apartment buildings are located along the northern boundary of Homewood on Plymouth Avenue North. In addition, a church, a church/synagogue, and a recreational field are located along the perimeter of the district, including the Abraham Lincoln Junior High School s athletic field, which is located on the block bounded by 12th Avenue North on the north, Penn HE-MPC-7641

94 Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Queen Avenue North on the west. Integrity - Good The integrity of this house has good overall integrity. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative This stately house was built in 1920 for David Dworsky and is located in the Homewood area of Minneapolis. Homewood History Residential Subdivisions In the second half of the nineteenth century, American cities grew rapidly as they industrialized. The degraded conditions common throughout many American cities at the time, coupled with a growing demand for housing in an environment that melded nature with community, created pressures for movement out of the central city. Advances in transportation, most notably the introduction of the electric streetcar in 1887 and the mass production of gasoline-powered automobiles after 1908, allowed an increasingly broad spectrum of households to move away from the urban core and into residential subdivisions near the periphery of the city or beyond its borders (National Park Service 2002:2). In the United States, the origin of the residential subdivision can be traced to the Romantic landscape movement of the midnineteen century. The two residential developments recognized as the design prototypes of the modern, self-contained subdivision, where single-family houses were located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, were Llewellyn Park (1857), in Orange, New Jersey, just west of New York City, and Riverside (1869), Illinois, west of Chicago (National Park Service 2002:2-3). Sites (including the overall plan, house lots, and community spaces), buildings (primarily houses), structures (including walls, fences, streets and roads both serving the suburb and connecting it to corridors leading to the larger metropolitan area), and objects (signs, fountains, statuary, etc.) make up historic residential subdivisions (National Park Service 2002:7). Subdivision development typically occurred in several clearly defined stages, which can be read as a series of layers imprinted on the land. The first layer resulted from the selection of a parcel of land dedicated for residential use and is defined by geographical location and relationship to natural topography and cultural factors, such as proximity to places of employment and availability of transportation. The second corresponds to the subdivision design, usually the result of a predetermined plan or plat with very precise boundaries. This layer is characterized by an internal circulation network, a system of utilities, blocks of buildable house lots, and, sometimes, community facilities. The third represents the arrangement of each home and yard with its dwelling, garage, lawn, driveway, gardens, walls, fences, and plantings (National Park Service 2002:8). Residential Subdivision Development in Minneapolis The late 1800s was a period of great growth for the city of Minneapolis. During this time, the city s population more than tripled from 46,887 in 1880 to 164,738 in City boundaries expanded to the modern edges of North Minneapolis. By 1884, Xerxes Avenue was established as the western extent of Minneapolis. During the period from 1880 to 1920, much of North Minneapolis developed (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). As a result, much of the most significant building stock in North Minneapolis dates to this forty year period. Few neighborhoods were built up all at once or exhibit one homogenous building style. Thus, while homogeneity is rare in the pre-world War I era, the resulting neighborhoods offer a pleasing mixture of appealing styles that blend together (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). By the 1880s, new residential subdivisions that attempted to highlight topography and natural features became popular in North Minneapolis. Such planned subdivisions featured curvilinear streets and small parks. The Oak Lake subdivision, a 60-acre tract HE-MPC-7641

95 near Lyndale and 6th Avenues North, was platted in 1873, and the Forest Heights Addition was platted in 1883 near presentday Broadway and Humboldt Avenues North (Peterson & Zellie 1998:16). However, platting of subdivisions at this time often occurred long before their actual development. By 1898, nearly all the land east of Humboldt Avenue and south of 44th Street North had been platted, as had the land between 32nd and 38th Avenues North and west to the city boundary at Xerxes Avenue. This large portion of North Minneapolis was platted in a generally homogenous, gridded pattern with uniform rectangular blocks and lots facing east or west. Only a small number of subdivisions interrupted the gridded pattern (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). By the 1920s, construction in North Minneapolis focused on single-family homes. These homes were intended for those of moderate income and were of good quality. Particularly adjacent to Theodore Wirth Park, ample scenic open space was available unlike any other area in North Minneapolis (Peterson & Zellie 1998:34). Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). Although the area appears to have been platted on paper at this time, it is does not appear that physical platting of the land actually took place as early as A historic plat map indicates that by 1909, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there still were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909).According to Hennepin County parcel data, several houses (1128, 1210, 1216 Sheridan Avenue North; 1025, 1114, 1119 Thomas Avenue North) were built in 1910, shortly after acceptance of the plat by the Minneapolis city council. Also in 1910, water mains were laid along Queen Avenue North from 10th Avenue North (presently Oak Park Avenue North) to Plymouth Avenue North; along Russell Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to 12th Avenue North; and along Upton Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to Farwell Place. In addition, sidewalks on both sides of Queen, Russell, Sheridan, and Thomas Avenues North were planned for 1911 (Rinker 1910: 107e, 109e, 75e). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been reconstructed. Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 HE-MPC-7641

96 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. It would appear that any such restrictions were not recognized by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. Research for this survey was unable to confirm that such restrictions or covenants were actually established, based on a review of the original plat and of the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). It is also interesting to note that a 1956 article in the Minneapolis Star characterized David C. Bell, Homewood s developer, and his wife, as not Jewish, but with strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthier Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance This property is located within the boundaries of the Homewood Historic District. Today, Homewood retains the majority of its historic plat and the majority of its original housing stock which embodies a mixture of appealing architectural styles that reflect the steady development of the subdivision from 1910 through the 1940s. A number of houses in the area were designed by noted Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan. These include the houses located at 1243 Russell Avenue North and 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1222 Washburn Avenue North. The characteristics of a planned subdivision, including the large, lot-and-a-half sized lots; a park; as well as the curvilinear streets and hilly, park-like HE-MPC-7641

97 setting of Homewood, remain unchanged. While the homes within Homewood vary in size and scale, they present a cohesive whole and embody the planning restrictions of the original development including one residence per parcel, improvements costing no less than $3,000, improvements placed 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of each building site, tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level, and undivided corner lots. These characteristics are evident throughout the majority of the district. The Homewood plat has local significance for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, within the areas of community planning and development and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features singlefamily houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue (1926) at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh (1926) Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck (1936) Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, in 1948 the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Architecturally, while Homewood contains a good concentration of early twentieth century Period Revival style houses that are larger and more prominent than houses found in the surrounding areas, there are other better collections of more distinctive Period Revival style domestic architecture in Minneapolis that more fully embody this movement in architecture. As a result, Homewood as a whole does not possess enough character-defining features architecturally to distinguish from other better collections of Period Revival domestic architecture in the city; therefore it does not appear to meet NRHP Criterion C. While the entirety of Homewood does not have architectural significance under Criterion C, there is a small concentration of houses located at 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1045 Washburn Avenue North, that stand out from the rest of Homewood for their size and distinctive architectural designs. Three of these houses, at 1015, 1025, and 1035 Washburn, were designed by architects Liebenberg and Kaplan between 1933 and 1938, all in the French Provincial style. The fourth, at 1045 Washburn, was designed by Tyrie and Chapman in 1921 in the French Provincial style. These houses are much larger than other houses in the district and are located on very large lots that have panoramic views of Theodore Wirth Park to the west. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period begins in 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, and continues until 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. Recommendation HE-MPC-7641

98 This property is recommended as a contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. In 2002, Mead & Hunt conducted a reconnaissance level historic resources inventory of North Minneapolis. This inventory identified the Homewood Historic District as eligible for designation as a local historic district by the City of Minneapolis under Minneapolis Criterion 1 for its association with residential development patterns in North Minneapolis (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-7). This survey also recommended further research to determine its potential eligibility for listing in the NRHP as a historic district. The 106 Group evaluated the proposed Homewood Historic District in 2012 to determine its eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of this evaluation, the Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible under NRHP Criterion A, in the areas of community planning and development as a significant early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis and social history, within the historic context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, , for the significant role it played in the development of the western portion of North Minneapolis as the second Jewish community in North Minneapolis from 1911 until the late 1960s. Given its desirable characteristics as a result of its distinctive and well planned plat, Homewood was the most desirable area for upper-middle class Jews to reside and became the focal point of the Jewish community in North Minneapolis. The proposed district encompasses the entire 80-acres of the original plat and follows its as-developed boundaries: Plymouth Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. Although a small number of non-contributing properties are located throughout the district, the original elements of the planned subdivision remain largely intact and are evident throughout the entire 80-acre area. Distinctive design elements include curvilinear streets; a rolling, park-like setting; large, one-and-a-half size lots with one house oriented towards the street and set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north lot line; and tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level. The district has a proposed period of significance from 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, to 1962, corresponding with the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. The district contains 230 contributing properties and 24 non-contributing properties. In addition, the original plat, streets, alleyways, sidewalks, boulevard trees, and entry markers may be non-countable contributing features to the district for their representation of the original plat development and the attempt to create a picturesque, park-like setting. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company 1892 City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Hennepin County Library HE-MPC-7641

99 2012 A History of Minneapolis. Electronic document, accessed August 7, Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a Certificate of Title, Security Land & Investment Company. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1909b Certificate of Title, Lester A. Boyce. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota Certificate of Title, Abraham N. Bearman. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Lathrop, Alan K Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002a North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Directory Company 1915 Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Minneapolis Star Tribune 1999 Spotlight on Homewood. 20 March. Minneapolis, Minnesota. HE-MPC-7641

100 National Park Service [NPS] 2002 National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O. and Carole Zellie 1998 North Minneapolis Historic Context Study. Prepared by Landscape Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rinker, Andrew 1910 Annual Report of the City Engineer of the City of Minneapolis for the Year Ending December 21, Syndicate Printing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Eligible - Contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-7641

101 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 2 Property Photograph M K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Facing SW Property Location Map HE-MPC-7641 HE-MPC-7641

102 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address th Avenue North Historical Addresses th Avenue North PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-7641 HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1919 Original Owner Louis Fleisher Architect Perry Crosier Builder Louis Fleisher Permits indicate that repairs from fire damage were made in In 2003 the roof was repaired, this permit describes work to remove the old felt underlayment and rotted roof boards. New roof boards were installed along with an ice and water shield and a new felt underlayment. The existing roof tiles were reinstalled. Visual evidence indicates that modern storm windows and storm doors have been installed. Glass bricks have been installed in basement level windows. According to the original building permit, this is the only brick house and garage in Homewood, both are built with load bearing brick walls. The original building permit lists Louis Fleisher as the original owner and builder; however the 1920 directory lists a Samuel Fleisher as the resident at th Avenue North. He was employed as a contractor at the Louis Fleisher Construction Company. The Louis Fleisher Construction Company was a major contractor in Minneapolis. Brothers Louis and Samuel Fleischer operated the company, which was based at the Builder s Exchange. In the 1922 the company had twelve employees listed in the city directory, but likely employed many carpenters and laborers that were not listed as such in the directory. By the 1930s the company was constructing buildings around the Midwest, including in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Sioux City, IA, and Fort Wayne, IN. 1 While no catalog of the work of the Fleisher Construction Company exists, it can be surmised that the subject property, built by the Fleisher brothers as a personal residence for Samuel, might be one of the properties most associated with these two men. Louis Fleisher lived in a home at 927 Sheridan Ave N (also designed by Crosier), just outside the southern boundary of Homewood and about two blocks south of th Avenue North. Perry Crosier designed several homes in Homewood and is regarded as a master architect. In 1922 city directories list him as an architect with his office in the Lumber Exchange Building located at Hennepin Avenue. He was originally from Minneapolis and learned his profession in the firms of Harry W. Jones, Bertrand and Chamberlin and others. After 1913 he practiced independently for the rest of his career, with the exception of 1921 when he worked with the firm of Liebenberg and Kaplan. He is especially noted for his design of movie theaters. He also designed dozens of notable apartment buildings in Minneapolis that remain extant. In addition to apartments, he designed houses and other commercial structures. 2 1 Andrew Frenz with Christopher Vrchota, Golden Valley Road Historic District Designation Study, Prepared for the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission, Planning Division, Department of Community Planning and Economic Development Department, Minneapolis, MN, 2015, Alan K. Lathrop, Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010)

103 Historic Name Identification House & Garage SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC Review and Compliance Number Current Name House & Garage Field # 4631 Address 2518 FARWELL AVE N City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) NENE Form (New or Updated) New Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Unknown Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer Unknown Style Ranch Construction Date 1955 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This one story, frame house, has a brick-faced foundation, casement and one-over-one windows, and an asphalt shingle hip roof. The front facade has brick under the windows and is comprised of a central door with concrete stoop and wrought iron railing, paired with a picture window set flanked by two casement windows and an additional two windows. There is a single-car garage with a gabled asphalt shingle roof behind the house. The Homewood Historic District encompasses a large, rectangular shaped, 80-acre, hilly area that is eight blocks by two blocks in size, and bounded by Plymouth Avenue on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Tenth Avenue North (now Oak Park Avenue) on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. The area includes two plats, the Oak Park Supplement which was platted in 1893 and covers that area on the east side of Thomas Avenue, and Homewood, which was platted in 1909 and encompasses the Oak Park Supplement as well as the area on the west side of Thomas Avenue. The area generally has a grid pattern with north-south streets following the grid and the east-west streets within the area following curvilinear alignments. The area includes 12 extant stone entrance markers around the perimeter of the district, at the intersections of Plymouth Avenue N and Vincent, Upton, Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North on the north boundary; and at the intersections of Oak Park Avenue North and Queen, Russell, and Sheridan Avenues North on the south boundary. The area also includes sidewalks, alleyways, mature deciduous trees lining the boulevards, and lots with one residence per parcel. The lots range in size from 40 feet by 129 feet to 112 feet by 120 feet. Residences face the street, which remain as they were originally platted, and are generally set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of the lot. The tops of foundations vary from at least one foot to approximately five feet above the sidewalk level, depending on the terrain. The district includes 254 parcels primarily developed from 1910 to 1946 with houses constructed in a variety of popular architectural styles from the period including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses vary from one to two-and-a-half stories and feature various cladding materials including stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and faux stone. The majority of houses in the area have a one-story garage located to their rear. Within the district there is a neighborhood park (Farwell Park), located on 12th Avenue North between Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North. Three post-1950 apartment buildings are located along the northern boundary of Homewood on Plymouth Avenue North. In addition, a church, a church/synagogue, and a recreational field are located along the perimeter of the district, including the Abraham Lincoln Junior High School s athletic field, which is located on the block bounded by 12th Avenue North on the north, Penn HE-MPC-10558

104 Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Queen Avenue North on the west. Integrity - Good The integrity of this house is slightly compromised by replacement windows. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative According to Hennepin County Assessor data, this property was developed in 1955 and is located in the Homewood area of Minneapolis. Homewood History Residential Subdivisions In the second half of the nineteenth century, American cities grew rapidly as they industrialized. The degraded conditions common throughout many American cities at the time, coupled with a growing demand for housing in an environment that melded nature with community, created pressures for movement out of the central city. Advances in transportation, most notably the introduction of the electric streetcar in 1887 and the mass production of gasoline-powered automobiles after 1908, allowed an increasingly broad spectrum of households to move away from the urban core and into residential subdivisions near the periphery of the city or beyond its borders (National Park Service 2002:2). In the United States, the origin of the residential subdivision can be traced to the Romantic landscape movement of the midnineteen century. The two residential developments recognized as the design prototypes of the modern, self-contained subdivision, where single-family houses were located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, were Llewellyn Park (1857), in Orange, New Jersey, just west of New York City, and Riverside (1869), Illinois, west of Chicago (National Park Service 2002:2-3). Sites (including the overall plan, house lots, and community spaces), buildings (primarily houses), structures (including walls, fences, streets and roads both serving the suburb and connecting it to corridors leading to the larger metropolitan area), and objects (signs, fountains, statuary, etc.) make up historic residential subdivisions (National Park Service 2002:7). Subdivision development typically occurred in several clearly defined stages, which can be read as a series of layers imprinted on the land. The first layer resulted from the selection of a parcel of land dedicated for residential use and is defined by geographical location and relationship to natural topography and cultural factors, such as proximity to places of employment and availability of transportation. The second corresponds to the subdivision design, usually the result of a predetermined plan or plat with very precise boundaries. This layer is characterized by an internal circulation network, a system of utilities, blocks of buildable house lots, and, sometimes, community facilities. The third represents the arrangement of each home and yard with its dwelling, garage, lawn, driveway, gardens, walls, fences, and plantings (National Park Service 2002:8). Residential Subdivision Development in Minneapolis The late 1800s was a period of great growth for the city of Minneapolis. During this time, the city s population more than tripled from 46,887 in 1880 to 164,738 in City boundaries expanded to the modern edges of North Minneapolis. By 1884, Xerxes Avenue was established as the western extent of Minneapolis. During the period from 1880 to 1920, much of North Minneapolis developed (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). As a result, much of the most significant building stock in North Minneapolis dates to this forty year period. Few neighborhoods were built up all at once or exhibit one homogenous building style. Thus, while homogeneity is rare in the pre-world War I era, the resulting neighborhoods offer a pleasing mixture of appealing styles that blend together (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). By the 1880s, new residential subdivisions that attempted to highlight topography and natural features became popular in North HE-MPC-10558

105 Minneapolis. Such planned subdivisions featured curvilinear streets and small parks. The Oak Lake subdivision, a 60-acre tract near Lyndale and 6th Avenues North, was platted in 1873, and the Forest Heights Addition was platted in 1883 near presentday Broadway and Humboldt Avenues North (Peterson & Zellie 1998:16). However, platting of subdivisions at this time often occurred long before their actual development. By 1898, nearly all the land east of Humboldt Avenue and south of 44th Street North had been platted, as had the land between 32nd and 38th Avenues North and west to the city boundary at Xerxes Avenue. This large portion of North Minneapolis was platted in a generally homogenous, gridded pattern with uniform rectangular blocks and lots facing east or west. Only a small number of subdivisions interrupted the gridded pattern (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). By the 1920s, construction in North Minneapolis focused on single-family homes. These homes were intended for those of moderate income and were of good quality. Particularly adjacent to Theodore Wirth Park, ample scenic open space was available unlike any other area in North Minneapolis (Peterson & Zellie 1998:34). Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). Although the area appears to have been platted on paper at this time, it is does not appear that physical platting of the land actually took place as early as A historic plat map indicates that by 1909, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there still were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909).According to Hennepin County parcel data, several houses (1128, 1210, 1216 Sheridan Avenue North; 1025, 1114, 1119 Thomas Avenue North) were built in 1910, shortly after acceptance of the plat by the Minneapolis city council. Also in 1910, water mains were laid along Queen Avenue North from 10th Avenue North (presently Oak Park Avenue North) to Plymouth Avenue North; along Russell Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to 12th Avenue North; and along Upton Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to Farwell Place. In addition, sidewalks on both sides of Queen, Russell, Sheridan, and Thomas Avenues North were planned for 1911 (Rinker 1910: 107e, 109e, 75e). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been reconstructed. Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per HE-MPC-10558

106 parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. It would appear that any such restrictions were not recognized by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. Research for this survey was unable to confirm that such restrictions or covenants were actually established, based on a review of the original plat and of the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). It is also interesting to note that a 1956 article in the Minneapolis Star characterized David C. Bell, Homewood s developer, and his wife, as not Jewish, but with strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthier Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance This property is located within the boundaries of the Homewood Historic District. Today, Homewood retains the majority of its historic plat and the majority of its original housing stock which embodies a mixture of appealing architectural styles that reflect the steady development of the subdivision from 1910 through the 1940s. A number of houses in the area were designed by noted Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan. These include the houses located at 1243 Russell Avenue North and 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1222 Washburn Avenue North. The characteristics of a HE-MPC-10558

107 planned subdivision, including the large, lot-and-a-half sized lots; a park; as well as the curvilinear streets and hilly, park-like setting of Homewood, remain unchanged. While the homes within Homewood vary in size and scale, they present a cohesive whole and embody the planning restrictions of the original development including one residence per parcel, improvements costing no less than $3,000, improvements placed 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of each building site, tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level, and undivided corner lots. These characteristics are evident throughout the majority of the district. The Homewood plat has local significance for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, within the areas of community planning and development and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features singlefamily houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue (1926) at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh (1926) Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck (1936) Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, in 1948 the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Architecturally, while Homewood contains a good concentration of early twentieth century Period Revival style houses that are larger and more prominent than houses found in the surrounding areas, there are other better collections of more distinctive Period Revival style domestic architecture in Minneapolis that more fully embody this movement in architecture. As a result, Homewood as a whole does not possess enough character-defining features architecturally to distinguish from other better collections of Period Revival domestic architecture in the city; therefore it does not appear to meet NRHP Criterion C. While the entirety of Homewood does not have architectural significance under Criterion C, there is a small concentration of houses located at 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1045 Washburn Avenue North, that stand out from the rest of Homewood for their size and distinctive architectural designs. Three of these houses, at 1015, 1025, and 1035 Washburn, were designed by architects Liebenberg and Kaplan between 1933 and 1938, all in the French Provincial style. The fourth, at 1045 Washburn, was designed by Tyrie and Chapman in 1921 in the French Provincial style. These houses are much larger than other houses in the district and are located on very large lots that have panoramic views of Theodore Wirth Park to the west. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period begins in 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, and continues until 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. Recommendation HE-MPC-10558

108 This property is recommended as a non-contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. In 2002, Mead & Hunt conducted a reconnaissance level historic resources inventory of North Minneapolis. This inventory identified the Homewood Historic District as eligible for designation as a local historic district by the City of Minneapolis under Minneapolis Criterion 1 for its association with residential development patterns in North Minneapolis (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-7). This survey also recommended further research to determine its potential eligibility for listing in the NRHP as a historic district. The 106 Group evaluated the proposed Homewood Historic District in 2012 to determine its eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of this evaluation, the Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible under NRHP Criterion A, in the areas of community planning and development as a significant early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis and social history, within the historic context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, , for the significant role it played in the development of the western portion of North Minneapolis as the second Jewish community in North Minneapolis from 1911 until the late 1960s. Given its desirable characteristics as a result of its distinctive and well planned plat, Homewood was the most desirable area for upper-middle class Jews to reside and became the focal point of the Jewish community in North Minneapolis. The proposed district encompasses the entire 80-acres of the original plat and follows its as-developed boundaries: Plymouth Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. Although a small number of non-contributing properties are located throughout the district, the original elements of the planned subdivision remain largely intact and are evident throughout the entire 80-acre area. Distinctive design elements include curvilinear streets; a rolling, park-like setting; large, one-and-a-half size lots with one house oriented towards the street and set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north lot line; and tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level. The district has a proposed period of significance from 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, to 1962, corresponding with the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. The district contains 230 contributing properties and 24 non-contributing properties. In addition, the original plat, streets, alleyways, sidewalks, boulevard trees, and entry markers may be non-countable contributing features to the district for their representation of the original plat development and the attempt to create a picturesque, park-like setting. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company 1892 City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Hennepin County Library HE-MPC-10558

109 2012 A History of Minneapolis. Electronic document, accessed August 7, Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a Certificate of Title, Security Land & Investment Company. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1909b Certificate of Title, Lester A. Boyce. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota Certificate of Title, Abraham N. Bearman. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Lathrop, Alan K Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002a North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Directory Company 1915 Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Minneapolis Star Tribune 1999 Spotlight on Homewood. 20 March. Minneapolis, Minnesota. HE-MPC-10558

110 National Park Service [NPS] 2002 National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O. and Carole Zellie 1998 North Minneapolis Historic Context Study. Prepared by Landscape Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rinker, Andrew 1910 Annual Report of the City Engineer of the City of Minneapolis for the Year Ending December 21, Syndicate Printing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Non-contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-10558

111 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 1 Property Photograph M K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Facing NE Property Location Map HE-MPC HE-MPC-10558

112 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address 2518 Farwell Avenue Historical Addresses 2518 Farwell Avenue PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1954 Original Owner Unknown / not listed Architect Unknown / not listed Builder H.J. Chutten Permits describe work to build a 15 x 12 deck at the rear of the dwelling in 1998 and a 24 x 20 detached frame garage in The earliest residential listing in Minneapolis city directories is in Clarence Karatz, a bookkeeper for the Schnitzer Iron and Metal Company, lived at this address. City directories from this time period did not list an individual or firm named H.J. Chutten.

113 Identification SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-7639 Historic Name House Review and Compliance Number Current Name House & Garage Field # 4618 Address 2520 FARWELL PL City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) NENE Form (New or Updated) Updated Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Unknown Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer Unknown Style Craftsman Bungalow Construction Date 1916 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This two-and-a-half story frame house has a rough-faced concrete foundation is stucco clad with brick beneath the windows, has one-over-one, six-over-six, and casement windows, an asphalt shingle parallel hip roof, a projected entry bay with halftimbered asphalt shingle gable roof and two hip dormers on the front facade. There is a full facade wing with asphalt shingle hip roof on the back elevation. There is a one-car garage with access on the west elevation. There is a large extended roof eave on the west elevation. The facade is comprised of two casement windows in the dormers, two ribbons of three double hung windows above the entry bay including a ribbon of four double-hung windows and inset entry door with brick stoop. There is an exterior brick-faced chimney located on the west elevation. The Homewood Historic District encompasses a large, rectangular shaped, 80-acre, hilly area that is eight blocks by two blocks in size, and bounded by Plymouth Avenue on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Tenth Avenue North (now Oak Park Avenue) on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. The area includes two plats, the Oak Park Supplement which was platted in 1893 and covers that area on the east side of Thomas Avenue, and Homewood, which was platted in 1909 and encompasses the Oak Park Supplement as well as the area on the west side of Thomas Avenue. The area generally has a grid pattern with north-south streets following the grid and the east-west streets within the area following curvilinear alignments. The area includes 12 extant stone entrance markers around the perimeter of the district, at the intersections of Plymouth Avenue N and Vincent, Upton, Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North on the north boundary; and at the intersections of Oak Park Avenue North and Queen, Russell, and Sheridan Avenues North on the south boundary. The area also includes sidewalks, alleyways, mature deciduous trees lining the boulevards, and lots with one residence per parcel. The lots range in size from 40 feet by 129 feet to 112 feet by 120 feet. Residences face the street, which remain as they were originally platted, and are generally set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of the lot. The tops of foundations vary from at least one foot to approximately five feet above the sidewalk level, depending on the terrain. The district includes 254 parcels primarily developed from 1910 to 1946 with houses constructed in a variety of popular architectural styles from the period including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses vary from one to two-and-a-half stories and feature various cladding materials including stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and faux stone. The majority of houses in the area have a one-story garage located to their rear. Within the district there is a neighborhood park (Farwell Park), located on 12th Avenue North between Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North. Three post-1950 apartment buildings are located along the northern boundary of Homewood on Plymouth Avenue North. In addition, HE-MPC-7639

114 a church, a church/synagogue, and a recreational field are located along the perimeter of the district, including the Abraham Lincoln Junior High School s athletic field, which is located on the block bounded by 12th Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Queen Avenue North on the west. Integrity - Good This house has generally good integrity that is slightly compromised by replacement windows. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative According to Hennepin County Assessor data, this property was developed in 1916 and is located in the Homewood area of Minneapolis. Homewood History Residential Subdivisions In the second half of the nineteenth century, American cities grew rapidly as they industrialized. The degraded conditions common throughout many American cities at the time, coupled with a growing demand for housing in an environment that melded nature with community, created pressures for movement out of the central city. Advances in transportation, most notably the introduction of the electric streetcar in 1887 and the mass production of gasoline-powered automobiles after 1908, allowed an increasingly broad spectrum of households to move away from the urban core and into residential subdivisions near the periphery of the city or beyond its borders (National Park Service 2002:2). In the United States, the origin of the residential subdivision can be traced to the Romantic landscape movement of the midnineteen century. The two residential developments recognized as the design prototypes of the modern, self-contained subdivision, where single-family houses were located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, were Llewellyn Park (1857), in Orange, New Jersey, just west of New York City, and Riverside (1869), Illinois, west of Chicago (National Park Service 2002:2-3). Sites (including the overall plan, house lots, and community spaces), buildings (primarily houses), structures (including walls, fences, streets and roads both serving the suburb and connecting it to corridors leading to the larger metropolitan area), and objects (signs, fountains, statuary, etc.) make up historic residential subdivisions (National Park Service 2002:7). Subdivision development typically occurred in several clearly defined stages, which can be read as a series of layers imprinted on the land. The first layer resulted from the selection of a parcel of land dedicated for residential use and is defined by geographical location and relationship to natural topography and cultural factors, such as proximity to places of employment and availability of transportation. The second corresponds to the subdivision design, usually the result of a predetermined plan or plat with very precise boundaries. This layer is characterized by an internal circulation network, a system of utilities, blocks of buildable house lots, and, sometimes, community facilities. The third represents the arrangement of each home and yard with its dwelling, garage, lawn, driveway, gardens, walls, fences, and plantings (National Park Service 2002:8). Residential Subdivision Development in Minneapolis The late 1800s was a period of great growth for the city of Minneapolis. During this time, the city s population more than tripled from 46,887 in 1880 to 164,738 in City boundaries expanded to the modern edges of North Minneapolis. By 1884, Xerxes Avenue was established as the western extent of Minneapolis. During the period from 1880 to 1920, much of North Minneapolis developed (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). As a result, much of the most significant building stock in North Minneapolis dates to this forty year period. Few neighborhoods were built up all at once or exhibit one homogenous building style. Thus, while homogeneity is rare in the pre-world War I era, the resulting neighborhoods offer a pleasing mixture of appealing styles that blend together (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). HE-MPC-7639

115 By the 1880s, new residential subdivisions that attempted to highlight topography and natural features became popular in North Minneapolis. Such planned subdivisions featured curvilinear streets and small parks. The Oak Lake subdivision, a 60-acre tract near Lyndale and 6th Avenues North, was platted in 1873, and the Forest Heights Addition was platted in 1883 near presentday Broadway and Humboldt Avenues North (Peterson & Zellie 1998:16). However, platting of subdivisions at this time often occurred long before their actual development. By 1898, nearly all the land east of Humboldt Avenue and south of 44th Street North had been platted, as had the land between 32nd and 38th Avenues North and west to the city boundary at Xerxes Avenue. This large portion of North Minneapolis was platted in a generally homogenous, gridded pattern with uniform rectangular blocks and lots facing east or west. Only a small number of subdivisions interrupted the gridded pattern (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). By the 1920s, construction in North Minneapolis focused on single-family homes. These homes were intended for those of moderate income and were of good quality. Particularly adjacent to Theodore Wirth Park, ample scenic open space was available unlike any other area in North Minneapolis (Peterson & Zellie 1998:34). Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). Although the area appears to have been platted on paper at this time, it is does not appear that physical platting of the land actually took place as early as A historic plat map indicates that by 1909, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there still were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909).According to Hennepin County parcel data, several houses (1128, 1210, 1216 Sheridan Avenue North; 1025, 1114, 1119 Thomas Avenue North) were built in 1910, shortly after acceptance of the plat by the Minneapolis city council. Also in 1910, water mains were laid along Queen Avenue North from 10th Avenue North (presently Oak Park Avenue North) to Plymouth Avenue North; along Russell Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to 12th Avenue North; and along Upton Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to Farwell Place. In addition, sidewalks on both sides of Queen, Russell, Sheridan, and Thomas Avenues North were planned for 1911 (Rinker 1910: 107e, 109e, 75e). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been reconstructed. Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, HE-MPC-7639

116 gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. It would appear that any such restrictions were not recognized by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. Research for this survey was unable to confirm that such restrictions or covenants were actually established, based on a review of the original plat and of the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). It is also interesting to note that a 1956 article in the Minneapolis Star characterized David C. Bell, Homewood s developer, and his wife, as not Jewish, but with strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthier Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance This property is located within the boundaries of the Homewood Historic District. Today, Homewood retains the majority of its historic plat and the majority of its original housing stock which embodies a mixture of appealing architectural styles that reflect the steady development of the subdivision from 1910 through the 1940s. A HE-MPC-7639

117 number of houses in the area were designed by noted Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan. These include the houses located at 1243 Russell Avenue North and 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1222 Washburn Avenue North. The characteristics of a planned subdivision, including the large, lot-and-a-half sized lots; a park; as well as the curvilinear streets and hilly, park-like setting of Homewood, remain unchanged. While the homes within Homewood vary in size and scale, they present a cohesive whole and embody the planning restrictions of the original development including one residence per parcel, improvements costing no less than $3,000, improvements placed 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of each building site, tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level, and undivided corner lots. These characteristics are evident throughout the majority of the district. The Homewood plat has local significance for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, within the areas of community planning and development and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features singlefamily houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue (1926) at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh (1926) Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck (1936) Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, in 1948 the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Architecturally, while Homewood contains a good concentration of early twentieth century Period Revival style houses that are larger and more prominent than houses found in the surrounding areas, there are other better collections of more distinctive Period Revival style domestic architecture in Minneapolis that more fully embody this movement in architecture. As a result, Homewood as a whole does not possess enough character-defining features architecturally to distinguish from other better collections of Period Revival domestic architecture in the city; therefore it does not appear to meet NRHP Criterion C. While the entirety of Homewood does not have architectural significance under Criterion C, there is a small concentration of houses located at 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1045 Washburn Avenue North, that stand out from the rest of Homewood for their size and distinctive architectural designs. Three of these houses, at 1015, 1025, and 1035 Washburn, were designed by architects Liebenberg and Kaplan between 1933 and 1938, all in the French Provincial style. The fourth, at 1045 Washburn, was designed by Tyrie and Chapman in 1921 in the French Provincial style. These houses are much larger than other houses in the district and are located on very large lots that have panoramic views of Theodore Wirth Park to the west. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period begins in 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, and continues until 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. HE-MPC-7639

118 Recommendation This property is recommended as a contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. In 2002, Mead & Hunt conducted a reconnaissance level historic resources inventory of North Minneapolis. This inventory identified the Homewood Historic District as eligible for designation as a local historic district by the City of Minneapolis under Minneapolis Criterion 1 for its association with residential development patterns in North Minneapolis (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-7). This survey also recommended further research to determine its potential eligibility for listing in the NRHP as a historic district. The 106 Group evaluated the proposed Homewood Historic District in 2012 to determine its eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of this evaluation, the Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible under NRHP Criterion A, in the areas of community planning and development as a significant early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis and social history, within the historic context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, , for the significant role it played in the development of the western portion of North Minneapolis as the second Jewish community in North Minneapolis from 1911 until the late 1960s. Given its desirable characteristics as a result of its distinctive and well planned plat, Homewood was the most desirable area for upper-middle class Jews to reside and became the focal point of the Jewish community in North Minneapolis. The proposed district encompasses the entire 80-acres of the original plat and follows its as-developed boundaries: Plymouth Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. Although a small number of non-contributing properties are located throughout the district, the original elements of the planned subdivision remain largely intact and are evident throughout the entire 80-acre area. Distinctive design elements include curvilinear streets; a rolling, park-like setting; large, one-and-a-half size lots with one house oriented towards the street and set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north lot line; and tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level. The district has a proposed period of significance from 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, to 1962, corresponding with the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. The district contains 230 contributing properties and 24 non-contributing properties. In addition, the original plat, streets, alleyways, sidewalks, boulevard trees, and entry markers may be non-countable contributing features to the district for their representation of the original plat development and the attempt to create a picturesque, park-like setting. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company 1892 City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, accessed July 10, HE-MPC-7639

119 Hennepin County Library 2012 A History of Minneapolis. Electronic document, accessed August 7, Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a Certificate of Title, Security Land & Investment Company. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1909b Certificate of Title, Lester A. Boyce. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota Certificate of Title, Abraham N. Bearman. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Lathrop, Alan K Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002a North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Directory Company 1915 Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, accessed July 10, HE-MPC-7639

120 Minneapolis Star Tribune 1999 Spotlight on Homewood. 20 March. Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Park Service [NPS] 2002 National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O. and Carole Zellie 1998 North Minneapolis Historic Context Study. Prepared by Landscape Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rinker, Andrew 1910 Annual Report of the City Engineer of the City of Minneapolis for the Year Ending December 21, Syndicate Printing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Eligible - Contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-7639

121 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 1 Property Photograph Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 2 Facing NW Property Photograph Facing NE HE-MPC-7639

122 M K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Property Location Map HE-MPC-7639 HE-MPC-7639

123 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address 2520 Farwell Place Historical Addresses 2520 Farwell Place PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-7639 HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1916 Original Owner Frank Sinclar Architect A. Olson Builder W. P. Hultgren Permits indicate that this residence has had few exterior changes. In general repairs were done to the house and in 2004 the roof was last re-shingled. Visual evidence indicates that modern storm windows have been installed at some point in time. The original owner is listed on the original building permit and in the 1918 city directory as Frank Sinclair. He was the proprietor of the Glenwood Mills & Stockholm Hotels as well as the secretary and treasurer of Central Cleaners Incorporated. He is shown as the resident at 2520 Farwell Place. A. Olson is listed as an architect in the 1918 directory with an office in suite 505 of the Jewelers Exchange Building. This building is no longer extant; in its place are the Graves 601 Hotel and the Block E/Mayo Clinic complex. W. P. Hultgren is listed in the 1918 directory as a general contractor.

124 Identification SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-7642 Historic Name House Review and Compliance Number Current Name House Field # 4625 Address TH AVE N City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) NENE Form (New or Updated) Updated Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Unknown Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer Unknown Style Spanish Eclectic Construction Date 1925 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This two-story, frame house, has one-over-one windows, a tile hip roof, and two projected bays with tile lower hip roofs and a large addition on the back elevation. The facade is comprised of a double-hung window above the entry door with shed roof awning, accessed by a stoop with brick knee wall and wrought iron railing. There is an interior brick-faced chimney located on the near west elevation. The Homewood Historic District encompasses a large, rectangular shaped, 80-acre, hilly area that is eight blocks by two blocks in size, and bounded by Plymouth Avenue on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Tenth Avenue North (now Oak Park Avenue) on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. The area includes two plats, the Oak Park Supplement which was platted in 1893 and covers that area on the east side of Thomas Avenue, and Homewood, which was platted in 1909 and encompasses the Oak Park Supplement as well as the area on the west side of Thomas Avenue. The area generally has a grid pattern with north-south streets following the grid and the east-west streets within the area following curvilinear alignments. The area includes 12 extant stone entrance markers around the perimeter of the district, at the intersections of Plymouth Avenue N and Vincent, Upton, Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North on the north boundary; and at the intersections of Oak Park Avenue North and Queen, Russell, and Sheridan Avenues North on the south boundary. The area also includes sidewalks, alleyways, mature deciduous trees lining the boulevards, and lots with one residence per parcel. The lots range in size from 40 feet by 129 feet to 112 feet by 120 feet. Residences face the street, which remain as they were originally platted, and are generally set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of the lot. The tops of foundations vary from at least one foot to approximately five feet above the sidewalk level, depending on the terrain. The district includes 254 parcels primarily developed from 1910 to 1946 with houses constructed in a variety of popular architectural styles from the period including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses vary from one to two-and-a-half stories and feature various cladding materials including stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and faux stone. The majority of houses in the area have a one-story garage located to their rear. Within the district there is a neighborhood park (Farwell Park), located on 12th Avenue North between Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North. Three post-1950 apartment buildings are located along the northern boundary of Homewood on Plymouth Avenue North. In addition, a church, a church/synagogue, and a recreational field are located along the perimeter of the district, including the Abraham Lincoln Junior High School s athletic field, which is located on the block bounded by 12th Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Queen Avenue North on the west. HE-MPC-7642

125 Integrity - Fair The integrity of this house is slightly compromised by replacement windows and addition. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative According to Hennepin County Assessor data, this property was developed in 1925 and is located in the Homewood area of Minneapolis. Homewood History Residential Subdivisions In the second half of the nineteenth century, American cities grew rapidly as they industrialized. The degraded conditions common throughout many American cities at the time, coupled with a growing demand for housing in an environment that melded nature with community, created pressures for movement out of the central city. Advances in transportation, most notably the introduction of the electric streetcar in 1887 and the mass production of gasoline-powered automobiles after 1908, allowed an increasingly broad spectrum of households to move away from the urban core and into residential subdivisions near the periphery of the city or beyond its borders (National Park Service 2002:2). In the United States, the origin of the residential subdivision can be traced to the Romantic landscape movement of the midnineteen century. The two residential developments recognized as the design prototypes of the modern, self-contained subdivision, where single-family houses were located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, were Llewellyn Park (1857), in Orange, New Jersey, just west of New York City, and Riverside (1869), Illinois, west of Chicago (National Park Service 2002:2-3). Sites (including the overall plan, house lots, and community spaces), buildings (primarily houses), structures (including walls, fences, streets and roads both serving the suburb and connecting it to corridors leading to the larger metropolitan area), and objects (signs, fountains, statuary, etc.) make up historic residential subdivisions (National Park Service 2002:7). Subdivision development typically occurred in several clearly defined stages, which can be read as a series of layers imprinted on the land. The first layer resulted from the selection of a parcel of land dedicated for residential use and is defined by geographical location and relationship to natural topography and cultural factors, such as proximity to places of employment and availability of transportation. The second corresponds to the subdivision design, usually the result of a predetermined plan or plat with very precise boundaries. This layer is characterized by an internal circulation network, a system of utilities, blocks of buildable house lots, and, sometimes, community facilities. The third represents the arrangement of each home and yard with its dwelling, garage, lawn, driveway, gardens, walls, fences, and plantings (National Park Service 2002:8). Residential Subdivision Development in Minneapolis The late 1800s was a period of great growth for the city of Minneapolis. During this time, the city s population more than tripled from 46,887 in 1880 to 164,738 in City boundaries expanded to the modern edges of North Minneapolis. By 1884, Xerxes Avenue was established as the western extent of Minneapolis. During the period from 1880 to 1920, much of North Minneapolis developed (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). As a result, much of the most significant building stock in North Minneapolis dates to this forty year period. Few neighborhoods were built up all at once or exhibit one homogenous building style. Thus, while homogeneity is rare in the pre-world War I era, the resulting neighborhoods offer a pleasing mixture of appealing styles that blend together (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). By the 1880s, new residential subdivisions that attempted to highlight topography and natural features became popular in North Minneapolis. Such planned subdivisions featured curvilinear streets and small parks. The Oak Lake subdivision, a 60-acre tract HE-MPC-7642

126 near Lyndale and 6th Avenues North, was platted in 1873, and the Forest Heights Addition was platted in 1883 near presentday Broadway and Humboldt Avenues North (Peterson & Zellie 1998:16). However, platting of subdivisions at this time often occurred long before their actual development. By 1898, nearly all the land east of Humboldt Avenue and south of 44th Street North had been platted, as had the land between 32nd and 38th Avenues North and west to the city boundary at Xerxes Avenue. This large portion of North Minneapolis was platted in a generally homogenous, gridded pattern with uniform rectangular blocks and lots facing east or west. Only a small number of subdivisions interrupted the gridded pattern (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). By the 1920s, construction in North Minneapolis focused on single-family homes. These homes were intended for those of moderate income and were of good quality. Particularly adjacent to Theodore Wirth Park, ample scenic open space was available unlike any other area in North Minneapolis (Peterson & Zellie 1998:34). Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). Although the area appears to have been platted on paper at this time, it is does not appear that physical platting of the land actually took place as early as A historic plat map indicates that by 1909, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there still were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909).According to Hennepin County parcel data, several houses (1128, 1210, 1216 Sheridan Avenue North; 1025, 1114, 1119 Thomas Avenue North) were built in 1910, shortly after acceptance of the plat by the Minneapolis city council. Also in 1910, water mains were laid along Queen Avenue North from 10th Avenue North (presently Oak Park Avenue North) to Plymouth Avenue North; along Russell Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to 12th Avenue North; and along Upton Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to Farwell Place. In addition, sidewalks on both sides of Queen, Russell, Sheridan, and Thomas Avenues North were planned for 1911 (Rinker 1910: 107e, 109e, 75e). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been reconstructed. Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 HE-MPC-7642

127 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. It would appear that any such restrictions were not recognized by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. Research for this survey was unable to confirm that such restrictions or covenants were actually established, based on a review of the original plat and of the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). It is also interesting to note that a 1956 article in the Minneapolis Star characterized David C. Bell, Homewood s developer, and his wife, as not Jewish, but with strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthier Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance This property is located within the boundaries of the Homewood Historic District. Today, Homewood retains the majority of its historic plat and the majority of its original housing stock which embodies a mixture of appealing architectural styles that reflect the steady development of the subdivision from 1910 through the 1940s. A number of houses in the area were designed by noted Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan. These include the houses located at 1243 Russell Avenue North and 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1222 Washburn Avenue North. The characteristics of a planned subdivision, including the large, lot-and-a-half sized lots; a park; as well as the curvilinear streets and hilly, park-like setting of Homewood, remain unchanged. While the homes within Homewood vary in size and scale, they present a cohesive HE-MPC-7642

128 whole and embody the planning restrictions of the original development including one residence per parcel, improvements costing no less than $3,000, improvements placed 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of each building site, tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level, and undivided corner lots. These characteristics are evident throughout the majority of the district. The Homewood plat has local significance for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, within the areas of community planning and development and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features singlefamily houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue (1926) at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh (1926) Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck (1936) Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, in 1948 the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Architecturally, while Homewood contains a good concentration of early twentieth century Period Revival style houses that are larger and more prominent than houses found in the surrounding areas, there are other better collections of more distinctive Period Revival style domestic architecture in Minneapolis that more fully embody this movement in architecture. As a result, Homewood as a whole does not possess enough character-defining features architecturally to distinguish from other better collections of Period Revival domestic architecture in the city; therefore it does not appear to meet NRHP Criterion C. While the entirety of Homewood does not have architectural significance under Criterion C, there is a small concentration of houses located at 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1045 Washburn Avenue North, that stand out from the rest of Homewood for their size and distinctive architectural designs. Three of these houses, at 1015, 1025, and 1035 Washburn, were designed by architects Liebenberg and Kaplan between 1933 and 1938, all in the French Provincial style. The fourth, at 1045 Washburn, was designed by Tyrie and Chapman in 1921 in the French Provincial style. These houses are much larger than other houses in the district and are located on very large lots that have panoramic views of Theodore Wirth Park to the west. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period begins in 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, and continues until 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. Recommendation This property is recommended as a contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. HE-MPC-7642

129 In 2002, Mead & Hunt conducted a reconnaissance level historic resources inventory of North Minneapolis. This inventory identified the Homewood Historic District as eligible for designation as a local historic district by the City of Minneapolis under Minneapolis Criterion 1 for its association with residential development patterns in North Minneapolis (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-7). This survey also recommended further research to determine its potential eligibility for listing in the NRHP as a historic district. The 106 Group evaluated the proposed Homewood Historic District in 2012 to determine its eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of this evaluation, the Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible under NRHP Criterion A, in the areas of community planning and development as a significant early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis and social history, within the historic context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, , for the significant role it played in the development of the western portion of North Minneapolis as the second Jewish community in North Minneapolis from 1911 until the late 1960s. Given its desirable characteristics as a result of its distinctive and well planned plat, Homewood was the most desirable area for upper-middle class Jews to reside and became the focal point of the Jewish community in North Minneapolis. The proposed district encompasses the entire 80-acres of the original plat and follows its as-developed boundaries: Plymouth Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. Although a small number of non-contributing properties are located throughout the district, the original elements of the planned subdivision remain largely intact and are evident throughout the entire 80-acre area. Distinctive design elements include curvilinear streets; a rolling, park-like setting; large, one-and-a-half size lots with one house oriented towards the street and set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north lot line; and tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level. The district has a proposed period of significance from 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, to 1962, corresponding with the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. The district contains 230 contributing properties and 24 non-contributing properties. In addition, the original plat, streets, alleyways, sidewalks, boulevard trees, and entry markers may be non-countable contributing features to the district for their representation of the original plat development and the attempt to create a picturesque, park-like setting. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company 1892 City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Hennepin County Library 2012 A History of Minneapolis. Electronic document, HE-MPC-7642

130 accessed August 7, Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a Certificate of Title, Security Land & Investment Company. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1909b Certificate of Title, Lester A. Boyce. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota Certificate of Title, Abraham N. Bearman. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Lathrop, Alan K Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002a North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Directory Company 1915 Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Minneapolis Star Tribune 1999 Spotlight on Homewood. 20 March. Minneapolis, Minnesota. HE-MPC-7642

131 National Park Service [NPS] 2002 National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O. and Carole Zellie 1998 North Minneapolis Historic Context Study. Prepared by Landscape Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rinker, Andrew 1910 Annual Report of the City Engineer of the City of Minneapolis for the Year Ending December 21, Syndicate Printing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Eligible - Contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-7642

132 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 1 Property Photograph Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 2 Facing SW Property Photograph Facing SE HE-MPC-7642

133 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Property Photograph M K:\Bottineau Transitway 4 Facing SE Property Location Map HE-MPC-7642 HE-MPC-7642

134 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address th Avenue North Historical Addresses th Avenue North PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-7642 HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1925 Original Owner E.A. Feinberg Architect Prins & Foss Builder Erickson & Ledstrom Permits show that in 1948 the porch was enclosed. In 1953 a 12 6 x 19 6 one story addition to the private attached garage was constructed at the rear of the dwelling. In 1976 miscellaneous repairs were done to the house and in 1978 the chimney and roof were repaired. In 1990 a wood deck was built over the rear 1953 addition. Visual evidence indicates that glass bricks have been installed in basement level windows. The original building permit lists E. A. Feinberg as the original owner. In the 1926 Minneapolis city directory Ebby A. Feinberg is shown as the resident at this address. Mr. Feinberg was a jeweler with a shop at 426 Nicollet Avenue. Prins & Foss were listed as architects of record, in the 1922 city directory their office was in suite 629 of the Palace building located at 11 th Street and Nicollet Avenue. Paul A. Prins is listed in the 1925 city directory as an architect; he lived at 4007 Queen Avenue North. Minneapolis city directories from this time period do not list Erickson & Ledstrom, the builders of record for this property.

135 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 Identification Historic Name Jake Gruesner House Current Name Leon Trawick House Field # N/A Address 2616 Farwell Avenue City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ NWNE USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15T Datum WGS84 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-0731 Review and Compliance Number N/A Form (New or Updated) New Description Linear Feature? No StReg No Local Designation Proposed Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer None listed Style Minimal Traditional Construction Date 1945 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential Sub Area Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This one-and-a-half story frame house was built in the Minimal Traditional style. It is rectangular in plan and is clad in a stone veneer arranged in a random ashlar pattern with stucco and wood panels. Windows in the 1945 structure are mostly double hung sashes with multiple divided lights, the south side features a bay window to the side of the main entry. The roof is gabled and covered in asphalt shingles; a cross-gabled portion defines the main entry. The house is built into the slope of a small hill; a retaining wall that appears to date to the construction of the home is intact, with some evidence of bracing. The original two-story garage is detached from the main house and fronts on Farwell Avenue. It is a gable-roofed structure covered with asphalt shingles. It is clad in stucco and has two singlewidth doors with a centrally placed window with nine divisions of lights above. The addition consists of a two-story attached breezeway to a new garage. The breezeway follows off of the structure of the main house; a portion of the second floor of the breezeway is a balcony. There are three windows in the upper floor of the breezeway and three windows in the lower level of the breezeway. These windows all appear to be fixed panes of plate glass. The attached garage is clad in stucco, the gabled roof form continues from the main house, there is a double width door facing on the alley and a one-over-one double hung window centrally placed above this door. Integrity - Good Despite an addition the residence retains integrity and communicates its historic significance. Recommendation This property is recommended as a contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. HE-MPC-0731

136 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Availability Recommendation Eligible Contributing Prepared By City of Minneapolis, CPED Date June 2015 Property Photograph West elevation HE-MPC-0731

137 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 Property Photograph South elevation Property Photograph Garage HE-MPC-0731

138 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 Property Photograph Garage east elevation - alley Property Photograph New garage east elevation alley HE-MPC-0731

139 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 Property Map HE-MPC-0731

140 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address 2616 Farwell Avenue Historical Addresses 2616 Farwell Avenue PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC-0731 HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1945 Original Owner Jake Gruesner Architect None listed Builder Jake Gruesner Recently, this house has undergone significant alterations. In 2012, a breezeway and attached garage were added to the side of the house. In this addition, a second floor window was altered to make a door to an open deck area on the new breezeway. An 11 x 14 wood deck was added to the rear of the house in The addition is subtly differentiated from the original structure; it is also generally compatible and subordinate. As such, though it is a substantial alteration, the integrity of the 1945 structure is retained and it remains a contributing property within the Homewood District. Jake Gruesner, a building contractor, is listed in the 1946 Minneapolis city directory as the resident at this address.

141 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address 2822 Farwell Avenue North Historical Addresses 2822 Farwell Avenue North PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1952 Original Owner M. Lebowitz Architect None listed Builder David Trach Building permit records indicate that repairs were made to correct fire damage in In 1977 non-specific alterations were made, presumably as a result of fire damage. The roof was last replaced in Visual evidence indicates that the dwelling has recently been repainted. Morris and Ruth Lebowitz are listed in the 1953 Minneapolis city directory as the residents at this address. They had a business named Leib s. Minneapolis city directories do not list information to verify an identity or career for an individual named David Trach.

142 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Identification SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC Historic Name House Review and Compliance Number Current Name House Field # 4679 Address 2822 FARWELL AVE N City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ NWNE USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) Form (New or Updated) New Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Unknown Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer Unknown Style Ranch Construction Date 1953 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This one-story Ranch style residence rests on a concrete block foundation, is faced with cedar siding and stone veneer, and has a hipped roof covered with asphalt shingles. The stone veneer is located on the lower third of the house. The eastern half of the façade projects forward. The roof eave extends over the main entrance creating an exterior entrance space with a stone knee wall. A stone chimney is located on the north slope of the roof. A one-car tucked under garage is located on the east end of the house. A side wing is located on the west elevation. Fenestration includes picture windows, casement windows, a metal overhead door, and a single leaf door. The Homewood Historic District encompasses a large, rectangular shaped, 80-acre, hilly area that is eight blocks by two blocks in size, and bounded by Plymouth Avenue on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Tenth Avenue North (now Oak Park Avenue) on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. The area includes two plats, the Oak Park Supplement which was platted in 1893 and covers that area on the east side of Thomas Avenue, and Homewood, which was platted in 1909 and encompasses the Oak Park Supplement as well as the area on the west side of Thomas Avenue. The area generally has a grid pattern with north-south streets following the grid and the east-west streets within the area following curvilinear alignments. The area includes 12 extant stone entrance markers around the perimeter of the district, at the intersections of Plymouth Avenue N and Vincent, Upton, Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North on the north boundary; and at the intersections of Oak Park Avenue North and Queen, Russell, and Sheridan Avenues North on the south boundary. The area also includes sidewalks, alleyways, mature deciduous trees lining the boulevards, and lots with one residence per parcel. The lots range in size from 40 feet by 129 feet to 112 feet by 120 feet. Residences face the street, which remain as they were originally platted, and are generally set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of the lot. The tops of foundations vary from at least one foot to approximately five feet above the sidewalk level, depending on the terrain. The district includes 254 parcels primarily developed from 1910 to 1946 with houses constructed in a variety of popular architectural styles from the period including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses vary from one to two-and-a-half stories and feature various cladding materials including stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and faux stone. The majority of houses in the area have a one-story garage located to their rear. Within the district there is a neighborhood park (Farwell Park), located on 12th Avenue North between Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North. Three post-1950 apartment buildings are located along the northern boundary of Homewood on Plymouth Avenue North. In addition, a church, a church/synagogue, and a recreational field are located along the perimeter of the district, including the Abraham HE-MPC-10559

143 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Lincoln Junior High School s athletic field, which is located on the block bounded by 12th Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Queen Avenue North on the west. Integrity - Good The house maintains good overall integrity. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative According to Hennepin County Assessor data, this property was developed in 1953 and is located in the Homewood area of Minneapolis. Homewood History Residential Subdivisions In the second half of the nineteenth century, American cities grew rapidly as they industrialized. The degraded conditions common throughout many American cities at the time, coupled with a growing demand for housing in an environment that melded nature with community, created pressures for movement out of the central city. Advances in transportation, most notably the introduction of the electric streetcar in 1887 and the mass production of gasoline-powered automobiles after 1908, allowed an increasingly broad spectrum of households to move away from the urban core and into residential subdivisions near the periphery of the city or beyond its borders (National Park Service 2002:2). In the United States, the origin of the residential subdivision can be traced to the Romantic landscape movement of the midnineteen century. The two residential developments recognized as the design prototypes of the modern, self-contained subdivision, where single-family houses were located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, were Llewellyn Park (1857), in Orange, New Jersey, just west of New York City, and Riverside (1869), Illinois, west of Chicago (National Park Service 2002:2-3). Sites (including the overall plan, house lots, and community spaces), buildings (primarily houses), structures (including walls, fences, streets and roads both serving the suburb and connecting it to corridors leading to the larger metropolitan area), and objects (signs, fountains, statuary, etc.) make up historic residential subdivisions (National Park Service 2002:7). Subdivision development typically occurred in several clearly defined stages, which can be read as a series of layers imprinted on the land. The first layer resulted from the selection of a parcel of land dedicated for residential use and is defined by geographical location and relationship to natural topography and cultural factors, such as proximity to places of employment and availability of transportation. The second corresponds to the subdivision design, usually the result of a predetermined plan or plat with very precise boundaries. This layer is characterized by an internal circulation network, a system of utilities, blocks of buildable house lots, and, sometimes, community facilities. The third represents the arrangement of each home and yard with its dwelling, garage, lawn, driveway, gardens, walls, fences, and plantings (National Park Service 2002:8). Residential Subdivision Development in Minneapolis The late 1800s was a period of great growth for the city of Minneapolis. During this time, the city s population more than tripled from 46,887 in 1880 to 164,738 in City boundaries expanded to the modern edges of North Minneapolis. By 1884, Xerxes Avenue was established as the western extent of Minneapolis. During the period from 1880 to 1920, much of North Minneapolis developed (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). As a result, much of the most significant building stock in North Minneapolis dates to this forty year period. Few neighborhoods were built up all at once or exhibit one homogenous building style. Thus, while homogeneity is rare in the pre-world War I era, the resulting neighborhoods offer a pleasing mixture of appealing styles that blend together (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). HE-MPC-10559

144 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 By the 1880s, new residential subdivisions that attempted to highlight topography and natural features became popular in North Minneapolis. Such planned subdivisions featured curvilinear streets and small parks. The Oak Lake subdivision, a 60-acre tract near Lyndale and 6th Avenues North, was platted in 1873, and the Forest Heights Addition was platted in 1883 near presentday Broadway and Humboldt Avenues North (Peterson & Zellie 1998:16). However, platting of subdivisions at this time often occurred long before their actual development. By 1898, nearly all the land east of Humboldt Avenue and south of 44th Street North had been platted, as had the land between 32nd and 38th Avenues North and west to the city boundary at Xerxes Avenue. This large portion of North Minneapolis was platted in a generally homogenous, gridded pattern with uniform rectangular blocks and lots facing east or west. Only a small number of subdivisions interrupted the gridded pattern (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). By the 1920s, construction in North Minneapolis focused on single-family homes. These homes were intended for those of moderate income and were of good quality. Particularly adjacent to Theodore Wirth Park, ample scenic open space was available unlike any other area in North Minneapolis (Peterson & Zellie 1998:34). Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). Although the area appears to have been platted on paper at this time, it is does not appear that physical platting of the land actually took place as early as A historic plat map indicates that by 1909, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there still were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909).According to Hennepin County parcel data, several houses (1128, 1210, 1216 Sheridan Avenue North; 1025, 1114, 1119 Thomas Avenue North) were built in 1910, shortly after acceptance of the plat by the Minneapolis city council. Also in 1910, water mains were laid along Queen Avenue North from 10th Avenue North (presently Oak Park Avenue North) to Plymouth Avenue North; along Russell Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to 12th Avenue North; and along Upton Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to Farwell Place. In addition, sidewalks on both sides of Queen, Russell, Sheridan, and Thomas Avenues North were planned for 1911 (Rinker 1910: 107e, 109e, 75e). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been reconstructed. Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell HE-MPC-10559

145 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. It would appear that any such restrictions were not recognized by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. Research for this survey was unable to confirm that such restrictions or covenants were actually established, based on a review of the original plat and of the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). It is also interesting to note that a 1956 article in the Minneapolis Star characterized David C. Bell, Homewood s developer, and his wife, as not Jewish, but with strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthier Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance This property is located within the boundaries of the Homewood Historic District. Today, Homewood retains the majority of its historic plat and the majority of its original housing stock which embodies a mixture of appealing architectural styles that reflect the steady development of the subdivision from 1910 through the 1940s. A number of houses in the area were designed by noted Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan. These include the houses HE-MPC-10559

146 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 located at 1243 Russell Avenue North and 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1222 Washburn Avenue North. The characteristics of a planned subdivision, including the large, lot-and-a-half sized lots; a park; as well as the curvilinear streets and hilly, park-like setting of Homewood, remain unchanged. While the homes within Homewood vary in size and scale, they present a cohesive whole and embody the planning restrictions of the original development including one residence per parcel, improvements costing no less than $3,000, improvements placed 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of each building site, tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level, and undivided corner lots. These characteristics are evident throughout the majority of the district. The Homewood plat has local significance for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, within the areas of community planning and development and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features singlefamily houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue (1926) at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh (1926) Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck (1936) Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, in 1948 the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Architecturally, while Homewood contains a good concentration of early twentieth century Period Revival style houses that are larger and more prominent than houses found in the surrounding areas, there are other better collections of more distinctive Period Revival style domestic architecture in Minneapolis that more fully embody this movement in architecture. As a result, Homewood as a whole does not possess enough character-defining features architecturally to distinguish from other better collections of Period Revival domestic architecture in the city; therefore it does not appear to meet NRHP Criterion C. While the entirety of Homewood does not have architectural significance under Criterion C, there is a small concentration of houses located at 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1045 Washburn Avenue North, that stand out from the rest of Homewood for their size and distinctive architectural designs. Three of these houses, at 1015, 1025, and 1035 Washburn, were designed by architects Liebenberg and Kaplan between 1933 and 1938, all in the French Provincial style. The fourth, at 1045 Washburn, was designed by Tyrie and Chapman in 1921 in the French Provincial style. These houses are much larger than other houses in the district and are located on very large lots that have panoramic views of Theodore Wirth Park to the west. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period begins in 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, and continues until 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. HE-MPC-10559

147 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Recommendation This property is recommended as a non-contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. In 2002, Mead & Hunt conducted a reconnaissance level historic resources inventory of North Minneapolis. This inventory identified the Homewood Historic District as eligible for designation as a local historic district by the City of Minneapolis under Minneapolis Criterion 1 for its association with residential development patterns in North Minneapolis (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-7). This survey also recommended further research to determine its potential eligibility for listing in the NRHP as a historic district. The 106 Group evaluated the proposed Homewood Historic District in 2012 to determine its eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of this evaluation, the Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible under NRHP Criterion A, in the areas of community planning and development as a significant early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis and social history, within the historic context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, , for the significant role it played in the development of the western portion of North Minneapolis as the second Jewish community in North Minneapolis from 1911 until the late 1960s. Given its desirable characteristics as a result of its distinctive and well planned plat, Homewood was the most desirable area for upper-middle class Jews to reside and became the focal point of the Jewish community in North Minneapolis. The proposed district encompasses the entire 80-acres of the original plat and follows its as-developed boundaries: Plymouth Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. Although a small number of non-contributing properties are located throughout the district, the original elements of the planned subdivision remain largely intact and are evident throughout the entire 80-acre area. Distinctive design elements include curvilinear streets; a rolling, park-like setting; large, one-and-a-half size lots with one house oriented towards the street and set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north lot line; and tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level. The district has a proposed period of significance from 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, to 1962, corresponding with the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. The district contains 230 contributing properties and 24 non-contributing properties. In addition, the original plat, streets, alleyways, sidewalks, boulevard trees, and entry markers may be non-countable contributing features to the district for their representation of the original plat development and the attempt to create a picturesque, park-like setting. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company 1892 City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, accessed July 10, HE-MPC-10559

148 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Hennepin County Library 2012 A History of Minneapolis. Electronic document, accessed August 7, Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a Certificate of Title, Security Land & Investment Company. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1909b Certificate of Title, Lester A. Boyce. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota Certificate of Title, Abraham N. Bearman. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Lathrop, Alan K Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002a North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Directory Company 1915 Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, accessed July 10, HE-MPC-10559

149 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Minneapolis Star Tribune 1999 Spotlight on Homewood. 20 March. Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Park Service [NPS] 2002 National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O. and Carole Zellie 1998 North Minneapolis Historic Context Study. Prepared by Landscape Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rinker, Andrew 1910 Annual Report of the City Engineer of the City of Minneapolis for the Year Ending December 21, Syndicate Printing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Non-contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-10559

150 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 1 Property Photograph Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 2 Facing NE Property Photograph Facing NW HE-MPC-10559

151 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 M K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Property Location Map HE-MPC HE-MPC-10559

152 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Identification SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC Historic Name House Review and Compliance Number Current Name House Field # 4697 Address 2900 OAK PARK AVE City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ NWNE USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) Form (New or Updated) New Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Unknown Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer Unknown Style Split Level Construction Date 1960 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This split-level house has a side gable roof, vinyl siding, and has stucco around the entryway, attached garage, and along the base of the house. There is a lower side gable roof projection on the western elevation. There fenestration includes paired eight-light casement windows over the attached garage, a set of four, one-light casement windows, and a single-leaf entry door with decorative glass. There is an external brick chimney with concrete purging on the western elevation. The Homewood Historic District encompasses a large, rectangular shaped, 80-acre, hilly area that is eight blocks by two blocks in size, and bounded by Plymouth Avenue on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Tenth Avenue North (now Oak Park Avenue) on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. The area includes two plats, the Oak Park Supplement which was platted in 1893 and covers that area on the east side of Thomas Avenue, and Homewood, which was platted in 1909 and encompasses the Oak Park Supplement as well as the area on the west side of Thomas Avenue. The area generally has a grid pattern with north-south streets following the grid and the east-west streets within the area following curvilinear alignments. The area includes 12 extant stone entrance markers around the perimeter of the district, at the intersections of Plymouth Avenue N and Vincent, Upton, Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North on the north boundary; and at the intersections of Oak Park Avenue North and Queen, Russell, and Sheridan Avenues North on the south boundary. The area also includes sidewalks, alleyways, mature deciduous trees lining the boulevards, and lots with one residence per parcel. The lots range in size from 40 feet by 129 feet to 112 feet by 120 feet. Residences face the street, which remain as they were originally platted, and are generally set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of the lot. The tops of foundations vary from at least one foot to approximately five feet above the sidewalk level, depending on the terrain. The district includes 254 parcels primarily developed from 1910 to 1946 with houses constructed in a variety of popular architectural styles from the period including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses vary from one to two-and-a-half stories and feature various cladding materials including stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and faux stone. The majority of houses in the area have a one-story garage located to their rear. Within the district there is a neighborhood park (Farwell Park), located on 12th Avenue North between Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North. Three post-1950 apartment buildings are located along the northern boundary of Homewood on Plymouth Avenue North. In addition, a church, a church/synagogue, and a recreational field are located along the perimeter of the district, including the Abraham Lincoln Junior High School s athletic field, which is located on the block bounded by 12th Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Queen Avenue North on the west. HE-MPC-10805

153 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Integrity - Good This house has overall good integrity. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative According to Hennepin County Assessor data, this property was developed in 1960 and is located in the Homewood area of Minneapolis. Homewood History Residential Subdivisions In the second half of the nineteenth century, American cities grew rapidly as they industrialized. The degraded conditions common throughout many American cities at the time, coupled with a growing demand for housing in an environment that melded nature with community, created pressures for movement out of the central city. Advances in transportation, most notably the introduction of the electric streetcar in 1887 and the mass production of gasoline-powered automobiles after 1908, allowed an increasingly broad spectrum of households to move away from the urban core and into residential subdivisions near the periphery of the city or beyond its borders (National Park Service 2002:2). In the United States, the origin of the residential subdivision can be traced to the Romantic landscape movement of the midnineteen century. The two residential developments recognized as the design prototypes of the modern, self-contained subdivision, where single-family houses were located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, were Llewellyn Park (1857), in Orange, New Jersey, just west of New York City, and Riverside (1869), Illinois, west of Chicago (National Park Service 2002:2-3). Sites (including the overall plan, house lots, and community spaces), buildings (primarily houses), structures (including walls, fences, streets and roads both serving the suburb and connecting it to corridors leading to the larger metropolitan area), and objects (signs, fountains, statuary, etc.) make up historic residential subdivisions (National Park Service 2002:7). Subdivision development typically occurred in several clearly defined stages, which can be read as a series of layers imprinted on the land. The first layer resulted from the selection of a parcel of land dedicated for residential use and is defined by geographical location and relationship to natural topography and cultural factors, such as proximity to places of employment and availability of transportation. The second corresponds to the subdivision design, usually the result of a predetermined plan or plat with very precise boundaries. This layer is characterized by an internal circulation network, a system of utilities, blocks of buildable house lots, and, sometimes, community facilities. The third represents the arrangement of each home and yard with its dwelling, garage, lawn, driveway, gardens, walls, fences, and plantings (National Park Service 2002:8). Residential Subdivision Development in Minneapolis The late 1800s was a period of great growth for the city of Minneapolis. During this time, the city s population more than tripled from 46,887 in 1880 to 164,738 in City boundaries expanded to the modern edges of North Minneapolis. By 1884, Xerxes Avenue was established as the western extent of Minneapolis. During the period from 1880 to 1920, much of North Minneapolis developed (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). As a result, much of the most significant building stock in North Minneapolis dates to this forty year period. Few neighborhoods were built up all at once or exhibit one homogenous building style. Thus, while homogeneity is rare in the pre-world War I era, the resulting neighborhoods offer a pleasing mixture of appealing styles that blend together (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). By the 1880s, new residential subdivisions that attempted to highlight topography and natural features became popular in North Minneapolis. Such planned subdivisions featured curvilinear streets and small parks. The Oak Lake subdivision, a 60-acre tract HE-MPC-10805

154 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 near Lyndale and 6th Avenues North, was platted in 1873, and the Forest Heights Addition was platted in 1883 near presentday Broadway and Humboldt Avenues North (Peterson & Zellie 1998:16). However, platting of subdivisions at this time often occurred long before their actual development. By 1898, nearly all the land east of Humboldt Avenue and south of 44th Street North had been platted, as had the land between 32nd and 38th Avenues North and west to the city boundary at Xerxes Avenue. This large portion of North Minneapolis was platted in a generally homogenous, gridded pattern with uniform rectangular blocks and lots facing east or west. Only a small number of subdivisions interrupted the gridded pattern (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). By the 1920s, construction in North Minneapolis focused on single-family homes. These homes were intended for those of moderate income and were of good quality. Particularly adjacent to Theodore Wirth Park, ample scenic open space was available unlike any other area in North Minneapolis (Peterson & Zellie 1998:34). Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). Although the area appears to have been platted on paper at this time, it is does not appear that physical platting of the land actually took place as early as A historic plat map indicates that by 1909, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there still were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909).According to Hennepin County parcel data, several houses (1128, 1210, 1216 Sheridan Avenue North; 1025, 1114, 1119 Thomas Avenue North) were built in 1910, shortly after acceptance of the plat by the Minneapolis city council. Also in 1910, water mains were laid along Queen Avenue North from 10th Avenue North (presently Oak Park Avenue North) to Plymouth Avenue North; along Russell Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to 12th Avenue North; and along Upton Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to Farwell Place. In addition, sidewalks on both sides of Queen, Russell, Sheridan, and Thomas Avenues North were planned for 1911 (Rinker 1910: 107e, 109e, 75e). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been reconstructed. Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 HE-MPC-10805

155 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. It would appear that any such restrictions were not recognized by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. Research for this survey was unable to confirm that such restrictions or covenants were actually established, based on a review of the original plat and of the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). It is also interesting to note that a 1956 article in the Minneapolis Star characterized David C. Bell, Homewood s developer, and his wife, as not Jewish, but with strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthier Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance This property is located within the boundaries of the Homewood Historic District. Today, Homewood retains the majority of its historic plat and the majority of its original housing stock which embodies a mixture of appealing architectural styles that reflect the steady development of the subdivision from 1910 through the 1940s. A number of houses in the area were designed by noted Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan. These include the houses located at 1243 Russell Avenue North and 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1222 Washburn Avenue North. The characteristics of a planned subdivision, including the large, lot-and-a-half sized lots; a park; as well as the curvilinear streets and hilly, park-like setting of Homewood, remain unchanged. While the homes within Homewood vary in size and scale, they present a cohesive HE-MPC-10805

156 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 whole and embody the planning restrictions of the original development including one residence per parcel, improvements costing no less than $3,000, improvements placed 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of each building site, tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level, and undivided corner lots. These characteristics are evident throughout the majority of the district. The Homewood plat has local significance for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, within the areas of community planning and development and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features singlefamily houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue (1926) at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh (1926) Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck (1936) Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, in 1948 the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Architecturally, while Homewood contains a good concentration of early twentieth century Period Revival style houses that are larger and more prominent than houses found in the surrounding areas, there are other better collections of more distinctive Period Revival style domestic architecture in Minneapolis that more fully embody this movement in architecture. As a result, Homewood as a whole does not possess enough character-defining features architecturally to distinguish from other better collections of Period Revival domestic architecture in the city; therefore it does not appear to meet NRHP Criterion C. While the entirety of Homewood does not have architectural significance under Criterion C, there is a small concentration of houses located at 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1045 Washburn Avenue North, that stand out from the rest of Homewood for their size and distinctive architectural designs. Three of these houses, at 1015, 1025, and 1035 Washburn, were designed by architects Liebenberg and Kaplan between 1933 and 1938, all in the French Provincial style. The fourth, at 1045 Washburn, was designed by Tyrie and Chapman in 1921 in the French Provincial style. These houses are much larger than other houses in the district and are located on very large lots that have panoramic views of Theodore Wirth Park to the west. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period begins in 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, and continues until 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. Recommendation This property is recommended as a non-contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. HE-MPC-10805

157 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 In 2002, Mead & Hunt conducted a reconnaissance level historic resources inventory of North Minneapolis. This inventory identified the Homewood Historic District as eligible for designation as a local historic district by the City of Minneapolis under Minneapolis Criterion 1 for its association with residential development patterns in North Minneapolis (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-7). This survey also recommended further research to determine its potential eligibility for listing in the NRHP as a historic district. The 106 Group evaluated the proposed Homewood Historic District in 2012 to determine its eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of this evaluation, the Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible under NRHP Criterion A, in the areas of community planning and development as a significant early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis and social history, within the historic context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, , for the significant role it played in the development of the western portion of North Minneapolis as the second Jewish community in North Minneapolis from 1911 until the late 1960s. Given its desirable characteristics as a result of its distinctive and well planned plat, Homewood was the most desirable area for upper-middle class Jews to reside and became the focal point of the Jewish community in North Minneapolis. The proposed district encompasses the entire 80-acres of the original plat and follows its as-developed boundaries: Plymouth Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. Although a small number of non-contributing properties are located throughout the district, the original elements of the planned subdivision remain largely intact and are evident throughout the entire 80-acre area. Distinctive design elements include curvilinear streets; a rolling, park-like setting; large, one-and-a-half size lots with one house oriented towards the street and set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north lot line; and tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level. The district has a proposed period of significance from 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, to 1962, corresponding with the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. The district contains 230 contributing properties and 24 non-contributing properties. In addition, the original plat, streets, alleyways, sidewalks, boulevard trees, and entry markers may be non-countable contributing features to the district for their representation of the original plat development and the attempt to create a picturesque, park-like setting. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company 1892 City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Hennepin County Library 2012 A History of Minneapolis. Electronic document, HE-MPC-10805

158 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 accessed August 7, Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a Certificate of Title, Security Land & Investment Company. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1909b Certificate of Title, Lester A. Boyce. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota Certificate of Title, Abraham N. Bearman. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Lathrop, Alan K Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002a North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Directory Company 1915 Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Minneapolis Star Tribune 1999 Spotlight on Homewood. 20 March. Minneapolis, Minnesota. HE-MPC-10805

159 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 National Park Service [NPS] 2002 National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O. and Carole Zellie 1998 North Minneapolis Historic Context Study. Prepared by Landscape Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rinker, Andrew 1910 Annual Report of the City Engineer of the City of Minneapolis for the Year Ending December 21, Syndicate Printing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Non-contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-10805

160 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 1 Property Photograph Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 2 Facing NE Property Photograph Facing NW HE-MPC-10805

161 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 M K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Property Location Map HE-MPC HE-MPC-10805

162 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address 2900 Oak Park Avenue North Historical Addresses 2900 Oak Park Avenue North PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1960 Original Owner Henry Greenstein Architect None listed Builder Arkay Builders, Inc. Building permit records indicate that in 1994, the vinyl siding and gutters were replaced. A permit from 1996 describes work to stucco the chimney and lower portion of the house. The roof was last replaced in 2011 along with an unspecified number of windows. The construction of this home appears to have been a speculative development. City directories from this time period identify Henry H. and Ann R. Greenstein as residents of 1015 Washburn Avenue North, the lot immediately north of the subject property. Directories identify no profession for either Henry, the owner of record on the building permit, or Ann, nor do they identify any contractors named Arkay Builders, Inc. That firm may have been an offshoot of the Arkay Realty Corporation, led by President Rose Kaufman out of the Plymouth Building. This structure remains standing at Hennepin Avenue and 6 th Street South in downtown Minneapolis and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. City directories list no residents at this address until when a Paul C. Piper (no profession listed) is identified as living onsite.

163 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Identification SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC Historic Name House Review and Compliance Number Current Name House Field # 4698 Address 2908 OAK PARK AVE City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ NWNE USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) Form (New or Updated) New Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Unknown Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer Unknown Style Split Level Construction Date 1960 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This split-level house has a side gable roof, vinyl siding, and has brick veneer around the entryway, attached garage, and along the base of the house. There is a lower side gable roof projection on the western elevation. There fenestration includes sliding two-light casement windows over the attached garage, a picture window, and a single-leaf entry door with decorative glass sidelights. The door and side lights are covered by decorative wrought iron grating. The Homewood Historic District encompasses a large, rectangular shaped, 80-acre, hilly area that is eight blocks by two blocks in size, and bounded by Plymouth Avenue on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Tenth Avenue North (now Oak Park Avenue) on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. The area includes two plats, the Oak Park Supplement which was platted in 1893 and covers that area on the east side of Thomas Avenue, and Homewood, which was platted in 1909 and encompasses the Oak Park Supplement as well as the area on the west side of Thomas Avenue. The area generally has a grid pattern with north-south streets following the grid and the east-west streets within the area following curvilinear alignments. The area includes 12 extant stone entrance markers around the perimeter of the district, at the intersections of Plymouth Avenue N and Vincent, Upton, Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North on the north boundary; and at the intersections of Oak Park Avenue North and Queen, Russell, and Sheridan Avenues North on the south boundary. The area also includes sidewalks, alleyways, mature deciduous trees lining the boulevards, and lots with one residence per parcel. The lots range in size from 40 feet by 129 feet to 112 feet by 120 feet. Residences face the street, which remain as they were originally platted, and are generally set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of the lot. The tops of foundations vary from at least one foot to approximately five feet above the sidewalk level, depending on the terrain. The district includes 254 parcels primarily developed from 1910 to 1946 with houses constructed in a variety of popular architectural styles from the period including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses vary from one to two-and-a-half stories and feature various cladding materials including stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and faux stone. The majority of houses in the area have a one-story garage located to their rear. Within the district there is a neighborhood park (Farwell Park), located on 12th Avenue North between Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North. Three post-1950 apartment buildings are located along the northern boundary of Homewood on Plymouth Avenue North. In addition, a church, a church/synagogue, and a recreational field are located along the perimeter of the district, including the Abraham Lincoln Junior High School s athletic field, which is located on the block bounded by 12th Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Queen Avenue North on the west. HE-MPC-10806

164 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Integrity - Fair This house has been compromised by replacement windows and siding. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative According to Hennepin County Assessor data, this property was developed in 1960 and is located in the Homewood area of Minneapolis. Homewood History Residential Subdivisions In the second half of the nineteenth century, American cities grew rapidly as they industrialized. The degraded conditions common throughout many American cities at the time, coupled with a growing demand for housing in an environment that melded nature with community, created pressures for movement out of the central city. Advances in transportation, most notably the introduction of the electric streetcar in 1887 and the mass production of gasoline-powered automobiles after 1908, allowed an increasingly broad spectrum of households to move away from the urban core and into residential subdivisions near the periphery of the city or beyond its borders (National Park Service 2002:2). In the United States, the origin of the residential subdivision can be traced to the Romantic landscape movement of the midnineteen century. The two residential developments recognized as the design prototypes of the modern, self-contained subdivision, where single-family houses were located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, were Llewellyn Park (1857), in Orange, New Jersey, just west of New York City, and Riverside (1869), Illinois, west of Chicago (National Park Service 2002:2-3). Sites (including the overall plan, house lots, and community spaces), buildings (primarily houses), structures (including walls, fences, streets and roads both serving the suburb and connecting it to corridors leading to the larger metropolitan area), and objects (signs, fountains, statuary, etc.) make up historic residential subdivisions (National Park Service 2002:7). Subdivision development typically occurred in several clearly defined stages, which can be read as a series of layers imprinted on the land. The first layer resulted from the selection of a parcel of land dedicated for residential use and is defined by geographical location and relationship to natural topography and cultural factors, such as proximity to places of employment and availability of transportation. The second corresponds to the subdivision design, usually the result of a predetermined plan or plat with very precise boundaries. This layer is characterized by an internal circulation network, a system of utilities, blocks of buildable house lots, and, sometimes, community facilities. The third represents the arrangement of each home and yard with its dwelling, garage, lawn, driveway, gardens, walls, fences, and plantings (National Park Service 2002:8). Residential Subdivision Development in Minneapolis The late 1800s was a period of great growth for the city of Minneapolis. During this time, the city s population more than tripled from 46,887 in 1880 to 164,738 in City boundaries expanded to the modern edges of North Minneapolis. By 1884, Xerxes Avenue was established as the western extent of Minneapolis. During the period from 1880 to 1920, much of North Minneapolis developed (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). As a result, much of the most significant building stock in North Minneapolis dates to this forty year period. Few neighborhoods were built up all at once or exhibit one homogenous building style. Thus, while homogeneity is rare in the pre-world War I era, the resulting neighborhoods offer a pleasing mixture of appealing styles that blend together (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). By the 1880s, new residential subdivisions that attempted to highlight topography and natural features became popular in North Minneapolis. Such planned subdivisions featured curvilinear streets and small parks. The Oak Lake subdivision, a 60-acre tract HE-MPC-10806

165 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 near Lyndale and 6th Avenues North, was platted in 1873, and the Forest Heights Addition was platted in 1883 near presentday Broadway and Humboldt Avenues North (Peterson & Zellie 1998:16). However, platting of subdivisions at this time often occurred long before their actual development. By 1898, nearly all the land east of Humboldt Avenue and south of 44th Street North had been platted, as had the land between 32nd and 38th Avenues North and west to the city boundary at Xerxes Avenue. This large portion of North Minneapolis was platted in a generally homogenous, gridded pattern with uniform rectangular blocks and lots facing east or west. Only a small number of subdivisions interrupted the gridded pattern (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). By the 1920s, construction in North Minneapolis focused on single-family homes. These homes were intended for those of moderate income and were of good quality. Particularly adjacent to Theodore Wirth Park, ample scenic open space was available unlike any other area in North Minneapolis (Peterson & Zellie 1998:34). Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). Although the area appears to have been platted on paper at this time, it is does not appear that physical platting of the land actually took place as early as A historic plat map indicates that by 1909, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there still were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909).According to Hennepin County parcel data, several houses (1128, 1210, 1216 Sheridan Avenue North; 1025, 1114, 1119 Thomas Avenue North) were built in 1910, shortly after acceptance of the plat by the Minneapolis city council. Also in 1910, water mains were laid along Queen Avenue North from 10th Avenue North (presently Oak Park Avenue North) to Plymouth Avenue North; along Russell Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to 12th Avenue North; and along Upton Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to Farwell Place. In addition, sidewalks on both sides of Queen, Russell, Sheridan, and Thomas Avenues North were planned for 1911 (Rinker 1910: 107e, 109e, 75e). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been reconstructed. Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 HE-MPC-10806

166 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. It would appear that any such restrictions were not recognized by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. Research for this survey was unable to confirm that such restrictions or covenants were actually established, based on a review of the original plat and of the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). It is also interesting to note that a 1956 article in the Minneapolis Star characterized David C. Bell, Homewood s developer, and his wife, as not Jewish, but with strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthier Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance This property is located within the boundaries of the Homewood Historic District. Today, Homewood retains the majority of its historic plat and the majority of its original housing stock which embodies a mixture of appealing architectural styles that reflect the steady development of the subdivision from 1910 through the 1940s. A number of houses in the area were designed by noted Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan. These include the houses located at 1243 Russell Avenue North and 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1222 Washburn Avenue North. The characteristics of a planned subdivision, including the large, lot-and-a-half sized lots; a park; as well as the curvilinear streets and hilly, park-like setting of Homewood, remain unchanged. While the homes within Homewood vary in size and scale, they present a cohesive HE-MPC-10806

167 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 whole and embody the planning restrictions of the original development including one residence per parcel, improvements costing no less than $3,000, improvements placed 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of each building site, tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level, and undivided corner lots. These characteristics are evident throughout the majority of the district. The Homewood plat has local significance for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, within the areas of community planning and development and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features singlefamily houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue (1926) at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh (1926) Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck (1936) Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, in 1948 the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Architecturally, while Homewood contains a good concentration of early twentieth century Period Revival style houses that are larger and more prominent than houses found in the surrounding areas, there are other better collections of more distinctive Period Revival style domestic architecture in Minneapolis that more fully embody this movement in architecture. As a result, Homewood as a whole does not possess enough character-defining features architecturally to distinguish from other better collections of Period Revival domestic architecture in the city; therefore it does not appear to meet NRHP Criterion C. While the entirety of Homewood does not have architectural significance under Criterion C, there is a small concentration of houses located at 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1045 Washburn Avenue North, that stand out from the rest of Homewood for their size and distinctive architectural designs. Three of these houses, at 1015, 1025, and 1035 Washburn, were designed by architects Liebenberg and Kaplan between 1933 and 1938, all in the French Provincial style. The fourth, at 1045 Washburn, was designed by Tyrie and Chapman in 1921 in the French Provincial style. These houses are much larger than other houses in the district and are located on very large lots that have panoramic views of Theodore Wirth Park to the west. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period begins in 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, and continues until 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. Recommendation This property is recommended as a non-contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. HE-MPC-10806

168 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 In 2002, Mead & Hunt conducted a reconnaissance level historic resources inventory of North Minneapolis. This inventory identified the Homewood Historic District as eligible for designation as a local historic district by the City of Minneapolis under Minneapolis Criterion 1 for its association with residential development patterns in North Minneapolis (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-7). This survey also recommended further research to determine its potential eligibility for listing in the NRHP as a historic district. The 106 Group evaluated the proposed Homewood Historic District in 2012 to determine its eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of this evaluation, the Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible under NRHP Criterion A, in the areas of community planning and development as a significant early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis and social history, within the historic context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, , for the significant role it played in the development of the western portion of North Minneapolis as the second Jewish community in North Minneapolis from 1911 until the late 1960s. Given its desirable characteristics as a result of its distinctive and well planned plat, Homewood was the most desirable area for upper-middle class Jews to reside and became the focal point of the Jewish community in North Minneapolis. The proposed district encompasses the entire 80-acres of the original plat and follows its as-developed boundaries: Plymouth Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. Although a small number of non-contributing properties are located throughout the district, the original elements of the planned subdivision remain largely intact and are evident throughout the entire 80-acre area. Distinctive design elements include curvilinear streets; a rolling, park-like setting; large, one-and-a-half size lots with one house oriented towards the street and set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north lot line; and tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level. The district has a proposed period of significance from 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, to 1962, corresponding with the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. The district contains 230 contributing properties and 24 non-contributing properties. In addition, the original plat, streets, alleyways, sidewalks, boulevard trees, and entry markers may be non-countable contributing features to the district for their representation of the original plat development and the attempt to create a picturesque, park-like setting. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company 1892 City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Hennepin County Library 2012 A History of Minneapolis. Electronic document, HE-MPC-10806

169 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 accessed August 7, Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a Certificate of Title, Security Land & Investment Company. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1909b Certificate of Title, Lester A. Boyce. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota Certificate of Title, Abraham N. Bearman. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Lathrop, Alan K Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002a North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Directory Company 1915 Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Minneapolis Star Tribune 1999 Spotlight on Homewood. 20 March. Minneapolis, Minnesota. HE-MPC-10806

170 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 National Park Service [NPS] 2002 National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O. and Carole Zellie 1998 North Minneapolis Historic Context Study. Prepared by Landscape Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rinker, Andrew 1910 Annual Report of the City Engineer of the City of Minneapolis for the Year Ending December 21, Syndicate Printing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Non-contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-10806

171 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 1 Property Photograph Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 2 Facing NW Property Photograph Facing NE HE-MPC-10806

172 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 M K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Property Location Map HE-MPC HE-MPC-10806

173 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address 2908 Oak Park Avenue North Historical Addresses 2908 Oak Park Avenue North PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1960 Original Owner Henry Greenstein Architect None listed Builder Arkay Builders, Inc. Building permit records indicate that in 1968 the dwelling was repaired due to fire damage. It is not known if these repairs affected the visual appearance of the exterior. In 1989 the soffit and fascia were replaced and in 2007 the roof was re-shingled and the house was re-sided. The construction of this home appears to have been a speculative development. City directories from this time period identify Henry H. and Ann R. Greenstein as residents of 1015 Washburn Avenue North, the lot immediately north of the subject property. Directories identify no profession for either Henry, the owner of record on the building permit, or Ann, nor do they identify any contractors named Arkay Builders, Inc. That firm may have been an offshoot of the Arkay Realty Corporation, led by President Rose Kaufman out of the Plymouth Building. This structure remains standing at Hennepin Avenue and 6 th Street South in downtown Minneapolis and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The earliest residential listing for this property is in Julius E. Berezovsky, Executive Director of Beth El Synagogue, was the first resident. His time onsite appears to have been short. The Minneapolis city directory lists Mrs. Charlita Frost, a hostess at the Saddle Bar, as the resident of this property.

174 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Identification SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC Historic Name House Review and Compliance Number Current Name House Field # 4699 Address 2916 OAK PARK AVE City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ NWNE USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) Form (New or Updated) New Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Unknown Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer Unknown Style Split Level Construction Date 1960 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This split-level house has a hipped roof, vinyl siding, and has brick veneer on the first story. There is a central entryway set under a front gable overhang with a cedar shingle roof, and attached garage. There fenestration includes picture windows, single light casement windows, and a single leaf entry door. The Homewood Historic District encompasses a large, rectangular shaped, 80-acre, hilly area that is eight blocks by two blocks in size, and bounded by Plymouth Avenue on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Tenth Avenue North (now Oak Park Avenue) on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. The area includes two plats, the Oak Park Supplement which was platted in 1893 and covers that area on the east side of Thomas Avenue, and Homewood, which was platted in 1909 and encompasses the Oak Park Supplement as well as the area on the west side of Thomas Avenue. The area generally has a grid pattern with north-south streets following the grid and the east-west streets within the area following curvilinear alignments. The area includes 12 extant stone entrance markers around the perimeter of the district, at the intersections of Plymouth Avenue N and Vincent, Upton, Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North on the north boundary; and at the intersections of Oak Park Avenue North and Queen, Russell, and Sheridan Avenues North on the south boundary. The area also includes sidewalks, alleyways, mature deciduous trees lining the boulevards, and lots with one residence per parcel. The lots range in size from 40 feet by 129 feet to 112 feet by 120 feet. Residences face the street, which remain as they were originally platted, and are generally set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of the lot. The tops of foundations vary from at least one foot to approximately five feet above the sidewalk level, depending on the terrain. The district includes 254 parcels primarily developed from 1910 to 1946 with houses constructed in a variety of popular architectural styles from the period including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses vary from one to two-and-a-half stories and feature various cladding materials including stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and faux stone. The majority of houses in the area have a one-story garage located to their rear. Within the district there is a neighborhood park (Farwell Park), located on 12th Avenue North between Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North. Three post-1950 apartment buildings are located along the northern boundary of Homewood on Plymouth Avenue North. In addition, a church, a church/synagogue, and a recreational field are located along the perimeter of the district, including the Abraham Lincoln Junior High School s athletic field, which is located on the block bounded by 12th Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Queen Avenue North on the west. HE-MPC-10807

175 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Integrity - Fair This house has been compromised by replacement siding and windows. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative According to Hennepin County Assessor data, this property was developed in 1960 and is located in the Homewood area of Minneapolis. Homewood History Residential Subdivisions In the second half of the nineteenth century, American cities grew rapidly as they industrialized. The degraded conditions common throughout many American cities at the time, coupled with a growing demand for housing in an environment that melded nature with community, created pressures for movement out of the central city. Advances in transportation, most notably the introduction of the electric streetcar in 1887 and the mass production of gasoline-powered automobiles after 1908, allowed an increasingly broad spectrum of households to move away from the urban core and into residential subdivisions near the periphery of the city or beyond its borders (National Park Service 2002:2). In the United States, the origin of the residential subdivision can be traced to the Romantic landscape movement of the midnineteen century. The two residential developments recognized as the design prototypes of the modern, self-contained subdivision, where single-family houses were located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, were Llewellyn Park (1857), in Orange, New Jersey, just west of New York City, and Riverside (1869), Illinois, west of Chicago (National Park Service 2002:2-3). Sites (including the overall plan, house lots, and community spaces), buildings (primarily houses), structures (including walls, fences, streets and roads both serving the suburb and connecting it to corridors leading to the larger metropolitan area), and objects (signs, fountains, statuary, etc.) make up historic residential subdivisions (National Park Service 2002:7). Subdivision development typically occurred in several clearly defined stages, which can be read as a series of layers imprinted on the land. The first layer resulted from the selection of a parcel of land dedicated for residential use and is defined by geographical location and relationship to natural topography and cultural factors, such as proximity to places of employment and availability of transportation. The second corresponds to the subdivision design, usually the result of a predetermined plan or plat with very precise boundaries. This layer is characterized by an internal circulation network, a system of utilities, blocks of buildable house lots, and, sometimes, community facilities. The third represents the arrangement of each home and yard with its dwelling, garage, lawn, driveway, gardens, walls, fences, and plantings (National Park Service 2002:8). Residential Subdivision Development in Minneapolis The late 1800s was a period of great growth for the city of Minneapolis. During this time, the city s population more than tripled from 46,887 in 1880 to 164,738 in City boundaries expanded to the modern edges of North Minneapolis. By 1884, Xerxes Avenue was established as the western extent of Minneapolis. During the period from 1880 to 1920, much of North Minneapolis developed (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). As a result, much of the most significant building stock in North Minneapolis dates to this forty year period. Few neighborhoods were built up all at once or exhibit one homogenous building style. Thus, while homogeneity is rare in the pre-world War I era, the resulting neighborhoods offer a pleasing mixture of appealing styles that blend together (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). By the 1880s, new residential subdivisions that attempted to highlight topography and natural features became popular in North Minneapolis. Such planned subdivisions featured curvilinear streets and small parks. The Oak Lake subdivision, a 60-acre tract HE-MPC-10807

176 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 near Lyndale and 6th Avenues North, was platted in 1873, and the Forest Heights Addition was platted in 1883 near presentday Broadway and Humboldt Avenues North (Peterson & Zellie 1998:16). However, platting of subdivisions at this time often occurred long before their actual development. By 1898, nearly all the land east of Humboldt Avenue and south of 44th Street North had been platted, as had the land between 32nd and 38th Avenues North and west to the city boundary at Xerxes Avenue. This large portion of North Minneapolis was platted in a generally homogenous, gridded pattern with uniform rectangular blocks and lots facing east or west. Only a small number of subdivisions interrupted the gridded pattern (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). By the 1920s, construction in North Minneapolis focused on single-family homes. These homes were intended for those of moderate income and were of good quality. Particularly adjacent to Theodore Wirth Park, ample scenic open space was available unlike any other area in North Minneapolis (Peterson & Zellie 1998:34). Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). Although the area appears to have been platted on paper at this time, it is does not appear that physical platting of the land actually took place as early as A historic plat map indicates that by 1909, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there still were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909).According to Hennepin County parcel data, several houses (1128, 1210, 1216 Sheridan Avenue North; 1025, 1114, 1119 Thomas Avenue North) were built in 1910, shortly after acceptance of the plat by the Minneapolis city council. Also in 1910, water mains were laid along Queen Avenue North from 10th Avenue North (presently Oak Park Avenue North) to Plymouth Avenue North; along Russell Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to 12th Avenue North; and along Upton Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to Farwell Place. In addition, sidewalks on both sides of Queen, Russell, Sheridan, and Thomas Avenues North were planned for 1911 (Rinker 1910: 107e, 109e, 75e). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been reconstructed. Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 HE-MPC-10807

177 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. It would appear that any such restrictions were not recognized by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. Research for this survey was unable to confirm that such restrictions or covenants were actually established, based on a review of the original plat and of the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). It is also interesting to note that a 1956 article in the Minneapolis Star characterized David C. Bell, Homewood s developer, and his wife, as not Jewish, but with strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthier Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance This property is located within the boundaries of the Homewood Historic District. Today, Homewood retains the majority of its historic plat and the majority of its original housing stock which embodies a mixture of appealing architectural styles that reflect the steady development of the subdivision from 1910 through the 1940s. A number of houses in the area were designed by noted Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan. These include the houses located at 1243 Russell Avenue North and 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1222 Washburn Avenue North. The characteristics of a planned subdivision, including the large, lot-and-a-half sized lots; a park; as well as the curvilinear streets and hilly, park-like setting of Homewood, remain unchanged. While the homes within Homewood vary in size and scale, they present a cohesive HE-MPC-10807

178 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 whole and embody the planning restrictions of the original development including one residence per parcel, improvements costing no less than $3,000, improvements placed 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of each building site, tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level, and undivided corner lots. These characteristics are evident throughout the majority of the district. The Homewood plat has local significance for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, within the areas of community planning and development and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features singlefamily houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue (1926) at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh (1926) Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck (1936) Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, in 1948 the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Architecturally, while Homewood contains a good concentration of early twentieth century Period Revival style houses that are larger and more prominent than houses found in the surrounding areas, there are other better collections of more distinctive Period Revival style domestic architecture in Minneapolis that more fully embody this movement in architecture. As a result, Homewood as a whole does not possess enough character-defining features architecturally to distinguish from other better collections of Period Revival domestic architecture in the city; therefore it does not appear to meet NRHP Criterion C. While the entirety of Homewood does not have architectural significance under Criterion C, there is a small concentration of houses located at 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1045 Washburn Avenue North, that stand out from the rest of Homewood for their size and distinctive architectural designs. Three of these houses, at 1015, 1025, and 1035 Washburn, were designed by architects Liebenberg and Kaplan between 1933 and 1938, all in the French Provincial style. The fourth, at 1045 Washburn, was designed by Tyrie and Chapman in 1921 in the French Provincial style. These houses are much larger than other houses in the district and are located on very large lots that have panoramic views of Theodore Wirth Park to the west. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period begins in 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, and continues until 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. Recommendation This property is recommended as a non-contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. HE-MPC-10807

179 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 : In 2002, Mead & Hunt conducted a reconnaissance level historic resources inventory of North Minneapolis. This inventory identified the Homewood Historic District as eligible for designation as a local historic district by the City of Minneapolis under Minneapolis Criterion 1 for its association with residential development patterns in North Minneapolis (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-7). This survey also recommended further research to determine its potential eligibility for listing in the NRHP as a historic district. The 106 Group evaluated the proposed Homewood Historic District in 2012 to determine its eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of this evaluation, the Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible under NRHP Criterion A, in the areas of community planning and development as a significant early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis and social history, within the historic context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, , for the significant role it played in the development of the western portion of North Minneapolis as the second Jewish community in North Minneapolis from 1911 until the late 1960s. Given its desirable characteristics as a result of its distinctive and well planned plat, Homewood was the most desirable area for upper-middle class Jews to reside and became the focal point of the Jewish community in North Minneapolis. The proposed district encompasses the entire 80-acres of the original plat and follows its as-developed boundaries: Plymouth Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. Although a small number of non-contributing properties are located throughout the district, the original elements of the planned subdivision remain largely intact and are evident throughout the entire 80-acre area. Distinctive design elements include curvilinear streets; a rolling, park-like setting; large, one-and-a-half size lots with one house oriented towards the street and set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north lot line; and tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level. The district has a proposed period of significance from 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, to 1962, corresponding with the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. The district contains 230 contributing properties and 24 non-contributing properties. In addition, the original plat, streets, alleyways, sidewalks, boulevard trees, and entry markers may be non-countable contributing features to the district for their representation of the original plat development and the attempt to create a picturesque, park-like setting. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company 1892 City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Hennepin County Library 2012 A History of Minneapolis. Electronic document, HE-MPC-10807

180 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 accessed August 7, Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a Certificate of Title, Security Land & Investment Company. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1909b Certificate of Title, Lester A. Boyce. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota Certificate of Title, Abraham N. Bearman. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Lathrop, Alan K Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002a North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Directory Company 1915 Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Minneapolis Star Tribune 1999 Spotlight on Homewood. 20 March. Minneapolis, Minnesota. HE-MPC-10807

181 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 National Park Service [NPS] 2002 National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O. and Carole Zellie 1998 North Minneapolis Historic Context Study. Prepared by Landscape Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rinker, Andrew 1910 Annual Report of the City Engineer of the City of Minneapolis for the Year Ending December 21, Syndicate Printing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Non-contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-10807

182 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 1 Property Photograph Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 2 Facing NE Property Photograph Facing NW HE-MPC-10807

183 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 M K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Property Location Map HE-MPC HE-MPC-10807

184 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address 2916 Oak Park Avenue North Historical Addresses 2916 Oak Park Avenue North PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1960 Original Owner Henry Greenstein Architect None listed Builder Arkay Builders, Inc. Building permits indicate that in 1984 an attached garage addition with a gable roof was built. In 1990 an 8 x 24 second story addition was built over the garage. The roof was last replaced in The construction of this home appears to have been a speculative development. City directories from this time period identify Henry H. and Ann R. Greenstein as residents of 1015 Washburn Avenue North, the lot immediately north of the subject property. Directories identify no profession for either Henry, the owner of record on the building permit, or Ann, nor do they identify any contractors named Arkay Builders, Inc. That firm may have been an offshoot of the Arkay Realty Corporation, led by president Rose Kaufman out of the Plymouth Building. This structure remains standing at Hennepin Avenue and 6 th Street South in downtown Minneapolis and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The earliest residential listing for this property is in Robert and Cecelia Greenburg appear to have been the first residents. Robert is listed as a lawyer whose office was in the Northwestern National Bank Building in downtown Minneapolis.

185 MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE HISTORY INVENTORY FORM Project: Homewood Historic District Intensive Survey, Phase 2 City of Minneapolis Inventory Addendum PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION Property Address 2924 Farwell Avenue Historical Addresses 2924 Farwell Avenue PID SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION Date of Construction 1914 Original Owner Anthony U. Morell Architect Tyrie, Chapman & Gage Builder R. Billingsley Building permit records indicate that the garage was built in In 1947, the architecture firm of Liebenberg & Kaplan designed alterations and an addition to the dwelling in the estimated amount of $15,000. In 1980 repairs were made to the porch ceiling and in 1999 a pool was constructed on the property. In between 2001 and 2011 approximately thirty windows were replaced in-kind. The roof was last replaced in Anthony U. Morell is listed on the building permit as the original owner. He is listed in the 1915 City of Minneapolis Directory as the resident at 2924 Farwell Avenue. He was a landscape architect and a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Additionally, he was made an honorary associate in the Minnesota Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. He was a senior partner in the firm of Morell & Nichols; their office was in suite 902 of the Palace Building in downtown Minneapolis, which is no longer extant. According to an obituary, Mr. Morell was one of the most notable landscape architects of the midwest and preeminent in his profession. He was born in Orleans, France and trained in Europe before working in the office of Charles W. Leavitt in New York City. He met Mr. Nichols in Mr. Leavitt s office and moved to Minneapolis with Mr. Nichols in 1909, and the office of Morell & Nichols was established. Mr. Morell worked in Minneapolis for fifteen years in both the private and public sector. He was active in in the formation of the City Planning Commission in Minneapolis and served as its first secretary. As part of his work in this role he participated in the formation of city zoning ordinances and was involved in planning of public parks. He also planned park systems in other midwestern and Canadian cities. The firm of Morell & Nichols designed landscapes for many fine homes in Minnetonka and Minneapolis. He died on October 7, He was also the landscape architect for the design of Farwell Park, the central park in Homewood. Tyrie, Chapman & Gage were partners in 1914 when Carl Gage, originally from New Hampshire, joined the firm. Gage stayed only three years before establishing his own practice. Prior to 1914, Gage worked in the firms of Thomas Holyoke, Ernest Kennedy and Bertrand & Chamberlain. He is noted for designing several fine, upscale houses in Minneapolis. George Chapman, originally from New York State, first partnered with William Tyrie around Tyrie was originally from New Hampshire and studied architecture at Pratt in New York City. Champan moved to Minneapolis and in 1908 invited Tyrie to join him in practice. Tyrie practiced with Chapman (and Gage in 1914) until 1929 when he joined the firm of Long & Thorshov. Chapman served as president of the Minneapolis chapter of the American Institute of Architects. He worked in private practice after he and Tyrie parted ways. The firm specialized in the design of courthouses and schools in the Upper Midwest. 2 R. Billingsley is listed in the 1914 Directory as a contractor; he had an office in the Kasota Building, which is no longer extant. 1 Obituary of Anthony U. Morell, Horizons vol. 1, no. 2, March 1925, p Alan K. Lathrop, Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010) 38-39, 76-77,

186 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Historic Name Identification House & Garage SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC Review and Compliance Number Current Name House & Garage Field # 4709 Address 2924 FARWELL AVE N City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ NWNE USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) Form (New or Updated) New Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Unknown Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer Unknown Style Period Revival Construction Date 1914 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This two-and-a-half-story house has a hipped roof with front gable roof dormers with half moon windows. The house has two external brick chimneys on the east and west elevations and a one-story enclosed porch with a flat roof on the western elevation. The house is clad in stucco and has two projecting bay windows, each with sheet copper hipped roof flanking a central entryway. The entryway has classical detailing on the door surround with carved wooden brackets and horizontal dentils. There is a six-over-six window over the main entry door with a shallow wrought iron baloney. The fenestration includes six-over-six windows and a single-leaf front door with octagonal wood panels and a bronze lion door knocker. There is a flat-roof one-story addition on the rear of the house. There is a detached two-car garage that is clad in stucco, has a pyramidal roof, and carriage doors. The Homewood Historic District encompasses a large, rectangular shaped, 80-acre, hilly area that is eight blocks by two blocks in size, and bounded by Plymouth Avenue on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Tenth Avenue North (now Oak Park Avenue) on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. The area includes two plats, the Oak Park Supplement which was platted in 1893 and covers that area on the east side of Thomas Avenue, and Homewood, which was platted in 1909 and encompasses the Oak Park Supplement as well as the area on the west side of Thomas Avenue. The area generally has a grid pattern with north-south streets following the grid and the east-west streets within the area following curvilinear alignments. The area includes 12 extant stone entrance markers around the perimeter of the district, at the intersections of Plymouth Avenue N and Vincent, Upton, Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North on the north boundary; and at the intersections of Oak Park Avenue North and Queen, Russell, and Sheridan Avenues North on the south boundary. The area also includes sidewalks, alleyways, mature deciduous trees lining the boulevards, and lots with one residence per parcel. The lots range in size from 40 feet by 129 feet to 112 feet by 120 feet. Residences face the street, which remain as they were originally platted, and are generally set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of the lot. The tops of foundations vary from at least one foot to approximately five feet above the sidewalk level, depending on the terrain. The district includes 254 parcels primarily developed from 1910 to 1946 with houses constructed in a variety of popular architectural styles from the period including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses vary from one to two-and-a-half stories and feature various cladding materials including stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and faux stone. The majority of houses in the area have a one-story garage located to their rear. Within the district there HE-MPC-10560

187 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 is a neighborhood park (Farwell Park), located on 12th Avenue North between Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North. Three post-1950 apartment buildings are located along the northern boundary of Homewood on Plymouth Avenue North. In addition, a church, a church/synagogue, and a recreational field are located along the perimeter of the district, including the Abraham Lincoln Junior High School s athletic field, which is located on the block bounded by 12th Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Queen Avenue North on the west. Integrity - Good This house has overall good integrity that is slightly compromised by replacement windows. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative According to Hennepin County Assessor data, this property was developed in 1914 and is located in the Homewood area of Minneapolis. Homewood History Residential Subdivisions In the second half of the nineteenth century, American cities grew rapidly as they industrialized. The degraded conditions common throughout many American cities at the time, coupled with a growing demand for housing in an environment that melded nature with community, created pressures for movement out of the central city. Advances in transportation, most notably the introduction of the electric streetcar in 1887 and the mass production of gasoline-powered automobiles after 1908, allowed an increasingly broad spectrum of households to move away from the urban core and into residential subdivisions near the periphery of the city or beyond its borders (National Park Service 2002:2). In the United States, the origin of the residential subdivision can be traced to the Romantic landscape movement of the midnineteen century. The two residential developments recognized as the design prototypes of the modern, self-contained subdivision, where single-family houses were located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, were Llewellyn Park (1857), in Orange, New Jersey, just west of New York City, and Riverside (1869), Illinois, west of Chicago (National Park Service 2002:2-3). Sites (including the overall plan, house lots, and community spaces), buildings (primarily houses), structures (including walls, fences, streets and roads both serving the suburb and connecting it to corridors leading to the larger metropolitan area), and objects (signs, fountains, statuary, etc.) make up historic residential subdivisions (National Park Service 2002:7). Subdivision development typically occurred in several clearly defined stages, which can be read as a series of layers imprinted on the land. The first layer resulted from the selection of a parcel of land dedicated for residential use and is defined by geographical location and relationship to natural topography and cultural factors, such as proximity to places of employment and availability of transportation. The second corresponds to the subdivision design, usually the result of a predetermined plan or plat with very precise boundaries. This layer is characterized by an internal circulation network, a system of utilities, blocks of buildable house lots, and, sometimes, community facilities. The third represents the arrangement of each home and yard with its dwelling, garage, lawn, driveway, gardens, walls, fences, and plantings (National Park Service 2002:8). Residential Subdivision Development in Minneapolis The late 1800s was a period of great growth for the city of Minneapolis. During this time, the city s population more than tripled from 46,887 in 1880 to 164,738 in City boundaries expanded to the modern edges of North Minneapolis. By 1884, Xerxes Avenue was established as the western extent of Minneapolis. During the period from 1880 to 1920, much of North Minneapolis developed (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). As a result, much of the most significant building stock in North Minneapolis dates to this forty year period. Few neighborhoods were built up all at once or exhibit one homogenous building HE-MPC-10560

188 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 style. Thus, while homogeneity is rare in the pre-world War I era, the resulting neighborhoods offer a pleasing mixture of appealing styles that blend together (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). By the 1880s, new residential subdivisions that attempted to highlight topography and natural features became popular in North Minneapolis. Such planned subdivisions featured curvilinear streets and small parks. The Oak Lake subdivision, a 60-acre tract near Lyndale and 6th Avenues North, was platted in 1873, and the Forest Heights Addition was platted in 1883 near presentday Broadway and Humboldt Avenues North (Peterson & Zellie 1998:16). However, platting of subdivisions at this time often occurred long before their actual development. By 1898, nearly all the land east of Humboldt Avenue and south of 44th Street North had been platted, as had the land between 32nd and 38th Avenues North and west to the city boundary at Xerxes Avenue. This large portion of North Minneapolis was platted in a generally homogenous, gridded pattern with uniform rectangular blocks and lots facing east or west. Only a small number of subdivisions interrupted the gridded pattern (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). By the 1920s, construction in North Minneapolis focused on single-family homes. These homes were intended for those of moderate income and were of good quality. Particularly adjacent to Theodore Wirth Park, ample scenic open space was available unlike any other area in North Minneapolis (Peterson & Zellie 1998:34). Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). Although the area appears to have been platted on paper at this time, it is does not appear that physical platting of the land actually took place as early as A historic plat map indicates that by 1909, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there still were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909).According to Hennepin County parcel data, several houses (1128, 1210, 1216 Sheridan Avenue North; 1025, 1114, 1119 Thomas Avenue North) were built in 1910, shortly after acceptance of the plat by the Minneapolis city council. Also in 1910, water mains were laid along Queen Avenue North from 10th Avenue North (presently Oak Park Avenue North) to Plymouth Avenue North; along Russell Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to 12th Avenue North; and along Upton Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to Farwell Place. In addition, sidewalks on both sides of Queen, Russell, Sheridan, and Thomas Avenues North were planned for 1911 (Rinker 1910: 107e, 109e, 75e). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been reconstructed. HE-MPC-10560

189 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. It would appear that any such restrictions were not recognized by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. Research for this survey was unable to confirm that such restrictions or covenants were actually established, based on a review of the original plat and of the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). It is also interesting to note that a 1956 article in the Minneapolis Star characterized David C. Bell, Homewood s developer, and his wife, as not Jewish, but with strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthier Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance This property is located within the boundaries of the Homewood Historic District. HE-MPC-10560

190 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Today, Homewood retains the majority of its historic plat and the majority of its original housing stock which embodies a mixture of appealing architectural styles that reflect the steady development of the subdivision from 1910 through the 1940s. A number of houses in the area were designed by noted Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan. These include the houses located at 1243 Russell Avenue North and 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1222 Washburn Avenue North. The characteristics of a planned subdivision, including the large, lot-and-a-half sized lots; a park; as well as the curvilinear streets and hilly, park-like setting of Homewood, remain unchanged. While the homes within Homewood vary in size and scale, they present a cohesive whole and embody the planning restrictions of the original development including one residence per parcel, improvements costing no less than $3,000, improvements placed 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of each building site, tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level, and undivided corner lots. These characteristics are evident throughout the majority of the district. The Homewood plat has local significance for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, within the areas of community planning and development and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features singlefamily houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue (1926) at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh (1926) Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck (1936) Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, in 1948 the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Architecturally, while Homewood contains a good concentration of early twentieth century Period Revival style houses that are larger and more prominent than houses found in the surrounding areas, there are other better collections of more distinctive Period Revival style domestic architecture in Minneapolis that more fully embody this movement in architecture. As a result, Homewood as a whole does not possess enough character-defining features architecturally to distinguish from other better collections of Period Revival domestic architecture in the city; therefore it does not appear to meet NRHP Criterion C. While the entirety of Homewood does not have architectural significance under Criterion C, there is a small concentration of houses located at 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1045 Washburn Avenue North, that stand out from the rest of Homewood for their size and distinctive architectural designs. Three of these houses, at 1015, 1025, and 1035 Washburn, were designed by architects Liebenberg and Kaplan between 1933 and 1938, all in the French Provincial style. The fourth, at 1045 Washburn, was designed by Tyrie and Chapman in 1921 in the French Provincial style. These houses are much larger than other houses in the district and are located on very large lots that have panoramic views of Theodore Wirth Park to the west. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period begins in 1909, when the HE-MPC-10560

191 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, and continues until 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. Recommendation This property is recommended as a contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. In 2002, Mead & Hunt conducted a reconnaissance level historic resources inventory of North Minneapolis. This inventory identified the Homewood Historic District as eligible for designation as a local historic district by the City of Minneapolis under Minneapolis Criterion 1 for its association with residential development patterns in North Minneapolis (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-7). This survey also recommended further research to determine its potential eligibility for listing in the NRHP as a historic district. The 106 Group evaluated the proposed Homewood Historic District in 2012 to determine its eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of this evaluation, the Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible under NRHP Criterion A, in the areas of community planning and development as a significant early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis and social history, within the historic context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, , for the significant role it played in the development of the western portion of North Minneapolis as the second Jewish community in North Minneapolis from 1911 until the late 1960s. Given its desirable characteristics as a result of its distinctive and well planned plat, Homewood was the most desirable area for upper-middle class Jews to reside and became the focal point of the Jewish community in North Minneapolis. The proposed district encompasses the entire 80-acres of the original plat and follows its as-developed boundaries: Plymouth Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. Although a small number of non-contributing properties are located throughout the district, the original elements of the planned subdivision remain largely intact and are evident throughout the entire 80-acre area. Distinctive design elements include curvilinear streets; a rolling, park-like setting; large, one-and-a-half size lots with one house oriented towards the street and set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north lot line; and tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level. The district has a proposed period of significance from 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, to 1962, corresponding with the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. The district contains 230 contributing properties and 24 non-contributing properties. In addition, the original plat, streets, alleyways, sidewalks, boulevard trees, and entry markers may be non-countable contributing features to the district for their representation of the original plat development and the attempt to create a picturesque, park-like setting. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company HE-MPC-10560

192 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Hennepin County Library 2012 A History of Minneapolis. Electronic document, accessed August 7, Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a Certificate of Title, Security Land & Investment Company. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1909b Certificate of Title, Lester A. Boyce. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota Certificate of Title, Abraham N. Bearman. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Lathrop, Alan K Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002a North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Directory Company 1915 Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, HE-MPC-10560

193 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 accessed July 10, Minneapolis Star Tribune 1999 Spotlight on Homewood. 20 March. Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Park Service [NPS] 2002 National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O. and Carole Zellie 1998 North Minneapolis Historic Context Study. Prepared by Landscape Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rinker, Andrew 1910 Annual Report of the City Engineer of the City of Minneapolis for the Year Ending December 21, Syndicate Printing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Eligible - Contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-10560

194 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 1 Property Photograph Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 2 Facing NE Property Photograph Facing NW HE-MPC-10560

195 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 M K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Property Location Map HE-MPC HE-MPC-10560

196 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Identification SHPO Inventory Number HE-MPC Historic Name House Review and Compliance Number Current Name House Field # 4700 Address 2924 OAK PARK AVE City/Twp Minneapolis County Hennepin Legal Desc. Twp 29 Range 24 Sec 20 QQ NWNE USGS Quad Minneapolis South, MN 1993 UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD 1983 Easting Northing Property ID (PIN) Form (New or Updated) New Description Linear Feature? No StReg: No Local Designation Unknown Resource Type Residential Architect/Engineer Unknown Style Split Level Construction Date 1960 Original Use Residential Current Use Residential SubArea Type District Name Homewood Historic District Description This split-level house has a side gable roof, vinyl siding, and has brick veneer on the first story. There is a central entryway set under a flat roof overhang supported by metal filigree brackets. There fenestration includes a set of four one-light casement windows on the first and second story, and one-light casement windows throughout the rest of the house. The central entry way has a single-leaf entry door with a decorative fanlight. There is a one-car attached garage with metal overhead door. The windows on the first floor are covered with newspaper from the inside and one of the second story casement windows is boarded over. The Homewood Historic District encompasses a large, rectangular shaped, 80-acre, hilly area that is eight blocks by two blocks in size, and bounded by Plymouth Avenue on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Tenth Avenue North (now Oak Park Avenue) on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. The area includes two plats, the Oak Park Supplement which was platted in 1893 and covers that area on the east side of Thomas Avenue, and Homewood, which was platted in 1909 and encompasses the Oak Park Supplement as well as the area on the west side of Thomas Avenue. The area generally has a grid pattern with north-south streets following the grid and the east-west streets within the area following curvilinear alignments. The area includes 12 extant stone entrance markers around the perimeter of the district, at the intersections of Plymouth Avenue N and Vincent, Upton, Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North on the north boundary; and at the intersections of Oak Park Avenue North and Queen, Russell, and Sheridan Avenues North on the south boundary. The area also includes sidewalks, alleyways, mature deciduous trees lining the boulevards, and lots with one residence per parcel. The lots range in size from 40 feet by 129 feet to 112 feet by 120 feet. Residences face the street, which remain as they were originally platted, and are generally set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of the lot. The tops of foundations vary from at least one foot to approximately five feet above the sidewalk level, depending on the terrain. The district includes 254 parcels primarily developed from 1910 to 1946 with houses constructed in a variety of popular architectural styles from the period including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses vary from one to two-and-a-half stories and feature various cladding materials including stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and faux stone. The majority of houses in the area have a one-story garage located to their rear. Within the district there is a neighborhood park (Farwell Park), located on 12th Avenue North between Thomas and Sheridan Avenues North. Three post-1950 apartment buildings are located along the northern boundary of Homewood on Plymouth Avenue North. In addition, a church, a church/synagogue, and a recreational field are located along the perimeter of the district, including the Abraham HE-MPC-10808

197 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Lincoln Junior High School s athletic field, which is located on the block bounded by 12th Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Queen Avenue North on the west. Integrity - Good This house has overall good integrity. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, Historical Narrative According to Hennepin County Assessor data, this property was developed in 1960 and is located in the Homewood area of Minneapolis. Homewood History Residential Subdivisions In the second half of the nineteenth century, American cities grew rapidly as they industrialized. The degraded conditions common throughout many American cities at the time, coupled with a growing demand for housing in an environment that melded nature with community, created pressures for movement out of the central city. Advances in transportation, most notably the introduction of the electric streetcar in 1887 and the mass production of gasoline-powered automobiles after 1908, allowed an increasingly broad spectrum of households to move away from the urban core and into residential subdivisions near the periphery of the city or beyond its borders (National Park Service 2002:2). In the United States, the origin of the residential subdivision can be traced to the Romantic landscape movement of the midnineteen century. The two residential developments recognized as the design prototypes of the modern, self-contained subdivision, where single-family houses were located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, were Llewellyn Park (1857), in Orange, New Jersey, just west of New York City, and Riverside (1869), Illinois, west of Chicago (National Park Service 2002:2-3). Sites (including the overall plan, house lots, and community spaces), buildings (primarily houses), structures (including walls, fences, streets and roads both serving the suburb and connecting it to corridors leading to the larger metropolitan area), and objects (signs, fountains, statuary, etc.) make up historic residential subdivisions (National Park Service 2002:7). Subdivision development typically occurred in several clearly defined stages, which can be read as a series of layers imprinted on the land. The first layer resulted from the selection of a parcel of land dedicated for residential use and is defined by geographical location and relationship to natural topography and cultural factors, such as proximity to places of employment and availability of transportation. The second corresponds to the subdivision design, usually the result of a predetermined plan or plat with very precise boundaries. This layer is characterized by an internal circulation network, a system of utilities, blocks of buildable house lots, and, sometimes, community facilities. The third represents the arrangement of each home and yard with its dwelling, garage, lawn, driveway, gardens, walls, fences, and plantings (National Park Service 2002:8). Residential Subdivision Development in Minneapolis The late 1800s was a period of great growth for the city of Minneapolis. During this time, the city s population more than tripled from 46,887 in 1880 to 164,738 in City boundaries expanded to the modern edges of North Minneapolis. By 1884, Xerxes Avenue was established as the western extent of Minneapolis. During the period from 1880 to 1920, much of North Minneapolis developed (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). As a result, much of the most significant building stock in North Minneapolis dates to this forty year period. Few neighborhoods were built up all at once or exhibit one homogenous building style. Thus, while homogeneity is rare in the pre-world War I era, the resulting neighborhoods offer a pleasing mixture of appealing styles that blend together (Peterson & Zellie 1998:12). HE-MPC-10808

198 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 By the 1880s, new residential subdivisions that attempted to highlight topography and natural features became popular in North Minneapolis. Such planned subdivisions featured curvilinear streets and small parks. The Oak Lake subdivision, a 60-acre tract near Lyndale and 6th Avenues North, was platted in 1873, and the Forest Heights Addition was platted in 1883 near presentday Broadway and Humboldt Avenues North (Peterson & Zellie 1998:16). However, platting of subdivisions at this time often occurred long before their actual development. By 1898, nearly all the land east of Humboldt Avenue and south of 44th Street North had been platted, as had the land between 32nd and 38th Avenues North and west to the city boundary at Xerxes Avenue. This large portion of North Minneapolis was platted in a generally homogenous, gridded pattern with uniform rectangular blocks and lots facing east or west. Only a small number of subdivisions interrupted the gridded pattern (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). By the 1920s, construction in North Minneapolis focused on single-family homes. These homes were intended for those of moderate income and were of good quality. Particularly adjacent to Theodore Wirth Park, ample scenic open space was available unlike any other area in North Minneapolis (Peterson & Zellie 1998:34). Homewood The area that comprises Homewood was platted in two distinct phases. Historic maps indicate that the entire 80-acre area which would become Homewood was owned by J.L. Farwell in 1888 and was at that time unplatted (Lowry 1888). Farwell platted the 40 acres between Thomas and Penn Avenues North as the Oak Park Supplement in 1889 (Peterson & Zellie 1998:18). The area featured Farwell Park, as well as 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, both curvilinear streets. Lots averaged 42 feet by feet and faced east or west, with the exception of the lots along the curvilinear streets of 12th Avenue North and Farwell Avenue, which faced north or south (C.M. Foote & Company 1892). Although the area appears to have been platted on paper at this time, it is does not appear that physical platting of the land actually took place as early as A historic plat map indicates that by 1909, the 40 acres between Thomas and Xerxes Avenues North (the western boundary of Minneapolis since 1884) had been platted as well (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a; Hennepin County Library 2012). This plat map also indicates that the entire 80-acre area bounded by Plymouth, Penn, Tenth, and Xerxes Avenues North was then referred to as Homewood. The Oak Park Supplement, platted in 1889, was absorbed into Homewood. At this time, however, there still were no improved lots throughout all of Homewood (Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a). The 80-acre residential subdivision known as Homewood was finally accepted and approved by the Minneapolis city council as an addition to the city on April 30, 1909 (City of Minneapolis 1909).According to Hennepin County parcel data, several houses (1128, 1210, 1216 Sheridan Avenue North; 1025, 1114, 1119 Thomas Avenue North) were built in 1910, shortly after acceptance of the plat by the Minneapolis city council. Also in 1910, water mains were laid along Queen Avenue North from 10th Avenue North (presently Oak Park Avenue North) to Plymouth Avenue North; along Russell Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to 12th Avenue North; and along Upton Avenue North from 10th Avenue North to Farwell Place. In addition, sidewalks on both sides of Queen, Russell, Sheridan, and Thomas Avenues North were planned for 1911 (Rinker 1910: 107e, 109e, 75e). Homewood was developed and improved by the David C. Bell Investment Company. Mr. Bell was also the president of the company. In 1911, the David C. Bell Investment Company printed a brochure to promote Homewood. Entitled Homewood, Improved and Restricted, the brochure touted 80 improved and restricted wooded acres adjoining Glenwood Park (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-6). To create a unique neighborhood identity, the Homewood District was defined by stone entrance markers. Twenty-six stone markers were originally placed at intersections to serve as street signs (Millett 2007:294). It is unknown exactly at which intersections the markers were placed. According to historical photographs, two curved capped stone markers, each featuring a placard reading Homewood, were located on each side of 12th Avenue North at Penn Avenue North and served as a gate-like entrance to the neighborhood (Hibbard & Co. 1914). It is unknown if there curved capped stone markers existed at other entrances to Homewood. Twelve of the Homewood markers are still extant. Some of these remaining markers are original and some are reproductions installed by the Homewood Block Club Coalition in the late 1990s (Miller 1997). It is unknown which makers are originals and which have been reconstructed. Before residential development began in Homewood, the plat was improved with sewer, city water, sidewalks, curb and gutter, gas, electric light, and macadamed streets (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). The brochure produced by the Bell HE-MPC-10808

199 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Investment Company also outlined a number of building restrictions for residential lots including: 1) only one residence per parcel which consists of a lot and a half, 2) improvements should not cost less than $3,000, 3) improvements must be placed 35 feet from the front lot line and 3 feet from the north side of each building site, 4) the tops of foundations should be at least 3 feet above the sidewalk level, and 5) corner lots cannot be divided and buildings need to face the street originally platted (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). According to the brochure, Homewood was not designed for the millionaires or the so-called idle rich, but for the class of progressive business and professional men. The restrictions on the neighborhood were intended to serve as a protection against undesirable neighbors and unsightly improvements. Homewood was touted by its developers as a district that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life (David C. Bell Investment Company 1911). Several sources, including a Star Tribune article from 1999, a 2002 Mead & Hunt historic resources survey, and Jewish Community of North Minneapolis by Rhoda Lewin, indicate that covenants were put in place that prohibited African Americans and Jews from buying lots in Homewood, but that due to lagging sales, this restriction was lifted. It would appear that any such restrictions were not recognized by the mid-1910s, as Jews are known to have been residing in Homewood by at least 1916, if not earlier. Research for this survey was unable to confirm that such restrictions or covenants were actually established, based on a review of the original plat and of the original deeds from several of the earliest houses in Homewood (1111, 1112, and 1128 Sheridan Avenue North) (Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a, 1909b, 1915). It is also interesting to note that a 1956 article in the Minneapolis Star characterized David C. Bell, Homewood s developer, and his wife, as not Jewish, but with strong Zionist leanings (Altrowitz 1956). Jews are known to have been living in Homewood by the mid-1910s. According to city directories, in 1916 prominent Jewish citizen Abraham N. Bearman, the president of the Bearman Fruit Company, moved into a residence at 1128 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Also in 1916, Jacob Feinberg moved into a house at 1112 Sheridan Avenue North (Minneapolis Directory Company 1916). Feinberg was involved in a number of butchering and meat processing businesses, including Jacob Feinberg & Company and Feinberg & O Connell (Minneapolis Directory Company 1915; Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Jacob S. Kaplan, a member of the Kaplan Produce Company, moved to 1114 Sheridan Avenue North in 1920 (Minneapolis Directory Company 1920). Throughout the 1920s, other members of the North Minneapolis Jewish community were attracted to Homewood by its quiet, park-like setting that was convenient to the amenities of the city; its paved streets and access to city services; and its improved lots. By the 1930s, Homewood was perceived as an area that was home to wealthier Jewish residents, as opposed those who lived in more modest residences located at the eastern edge of Plymouth Avenue North (University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011). At this time, it appears that many residents bearing Jewish surnames were owners of homes in Homewood (Minneapolis Directory Company 1930; Avotaynu 2007). The success of the planned 80-acre residential Homewood subdivision is evidenced not only by the influx of affluent Jewish citizens who chose to locate there in the mid-1910s onward, but also by the use of the name Homewood in areas beyond the original plat. For many years the neighborhood around the Homewood plat was commonly, if not officially, known as the Homewood neighborhood. Reflecting this broader use of the name Homewood, the name was also attached to a number of commercial properties in the neighborhood, such as the Homewood Theater, built in 1924 by Liebenberg & Kaplan, and located at 1919 Plymouth Avenue North; as well as institutions such as Homewood Hospital, which stood at 1254 Penn Avenue North (Cinema Treasures 2012; Norton & Peel 1951). Significance This property is located within the boundaries of the Homewood Historic District. Today, Homewood retains the majority of its historic plat and the majority of its original housing stock which embodies a mixture of appealing architectural styles that reflect the steady development of the subdivision from 1910 through the 1940s. A number of houses in the area were designed by noted Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan. These include the houses HE-MPC-10808

200 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 located at 1243 Russell Avenue North and 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1222 Washburn Avenue North. The characteristics of a planned subdivision, including the large, lot-and-a-half sized lots; a park; as well as the curvilinear streets and hilly, park-like setting of Homewood, remain unchanged. While the homes within Homewood vary in size and scale, they present a cohesive whole and embody the planning restrictions of the original development including one residence per parcel, improvements costing no less than $3,000, improvements placed 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north side of each building site, tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level, and undivided corner lots. These characteristics are evident throughout the majority of the district. The Homewood plat has local significance for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, within the areas of community planning and development and social history. In the area of community planning and development, Homewood is significant as an early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis. Original design elements such as lot-and-a-half parcel size, uniform 35 foot setback, and foundation height requirements are still evident throughout the plat. The overall design of the area, which features singlefamily houses located along curvilinear roads in a park-like setting, is consistent with the design principles of self-contained subdivisions in the United States. These planning details differentiate Homewood from surrounding areas in North Minneapolis, which are characterized by narrow, deep, lots strictly adhering to a grid pattern that sought to maximize density, with little consideration for space and aesthetics. Among this grid, Homewood stands out as a distinctive, spacious departure from the otherwise mundane character of the surrounding neighborhood and embodies the developer s goal of establishing an area designed for the class of progressive business and professional men that meets the ideal of those who prefer to dwell among homes of character and refinement, having the exclusiveness of a country estate, with all the comforts and conveniences of city life. Due to the success in creating a unique, uniform and spacious subdivision that was distinct from the denser area that surrounded it, Homewood attracted a large number of prominent upper-middle class Jewish residents beginning in the mid 1910s. These residents continued to have a strong presence in Homewood until the wider outmigration of Jews to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which took place in the 1960s. Reflecting the importance of Homewood to the social fabric of the larger Jewish community in North Minneapolis, a number of Jewish institutions were established in or near Homewood. These include the Beth El Synagogue (1926) at 1349 Penn Avenue North, the Mikro Kodesh (1926) Synagogue at 1000 Oliver Avenue North, and the Sharei Zedeck (1936) Synagogue at 1119 Morgan Avenue North. In addition, in 1948 the Kenesseth Israel congregation moved from their former home at 518 Lyndale Avenue North to the former Homewood Presbyterian Church, located at 2309 Plymouth Avenue North. Therefore, the Homewood Historic District is also significant in the area of social history, within the context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, for the important role it played in Jewish settlement in North Minneapolis as an enclave for affluent and influential members of the North Side Jewish community. Architecturally, while Homewood contains a good concentration of early twentieth century Period Revival style houses that are larger and more prominent than houses found in the surrounding areas, there are other better collections of more distinctive Period Revival style domestic architecture in Minneapolis that more fully embody this movement in architecture. As a result, Homewood as a whole does not possess enough character-defining features architecturally to distinguish from other better collections of Period Revival domestic architecture in the city; therefore it does not appear to meet NRHP Criterion C. While the entirety of Homewood does not have architectural significance under Criterion C, there is a small concentration of houses located at 1015, 1025, 1035, and 1045 Washburn Avenue North, that stand out from the rest of Homewood for their size and distinctive architectural designs. Three of these houses, at 1015, 1025, and 1035 Washburn, were designed by architects Liebenberg and Kaplan between 1933 and 1938, all in the French Provincial style. The fourth, at 1045 Washburn, was designed by Tyrie and Chapman in 1921 in the French Provincial style. These houses are much larger than other houses in the district and are located on very large lots that have panoramic views of Theodore Wirth Park to the west. The Homewood Historic District has a recommended period of significance of The period begins in 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, and continues until 1962, the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. HE-MPC-10808

201 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Recommendation This property is recommended as a non-contributing resource to the Homewood Historic District. In 2002, Mead & Hunt conducted a reconnaissance level historic resources inventory of North Minneapolis. This inventory identified the Homewood Historic District as eligible for designation as a local historic district by the City of Minneapolis under Minneapolis Criterion 1 for its association with residential development patterns in North Minneapolis (Mead & Hunt 2002a:4-7). This survey also recommended further research to determine its potential eligibility for listing in the NRHP as a historic district. The 106 Group evaluated the proposed Homewood Historic District in 2012 to determine its eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of this evaluation, the Homewood Historic District is recommended as eligible under NRHP Criterion A, in the areas of community planning and development as a significant early planned subdivision in North Minneapolis and social history, within the historic context Jewish Settlement in North Minneapolis, , for the significant role it played in the development of the western portion of North Minneapolis as the second Jewish community in North Minneapolis from 1911 until the late 1960s. Given its desirable characteristics as a result of its distinctive and well planned plat, Homewood was the most desirable area for upper-middle class Jews to reside and became the focal point of the Jewish community in North Minneapolis. The proposed district encompasses the entire 80-acres of the original plat and follows its as-developed boundaries: Plymouth Avenue North on the north, Penn Avenue North on the east, Oak Park Avenue North on the south, and Xerxes Avenue North on the west. Although a small number of non-contributing properties are located throughout the district, the original elements of the planned subdivision remain largely intact and are evident throughout the entire 80-acre area. Distinctive design elements include curvilinear streets; a rolling, park-like setting; large, one-and-a-half size lots with one house oriented towards the street and set back 35 feet from the front lot line and three feet from the north lot line; and tops of foundations at least three feet above the sidewalk level. The district has a proposed period of significance from 1909, when the 80-acre Homewood plat was officially accepted by the city council of Minneapolis and development began, to 1962, corresponding with the 50-year cutoff for listing in the NRHP. The district contains 230 contributing properties and 24 non-contributing properties. In addition, the original plat, streets, alleyways, sidewalks, boulevard trees, and entry markers may be non-countable contributing features to the district for their representation of the original plat development and the attempt to create a picturesque, park-like setting. Sources Altrowitz, Abe Homewood Remembers Weizmann s Kiss. Minneapolis Star, 22 February. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Avotaynu 2007 Consolidated Jewish Surname Index. Electronic document, accessed November 5, Bell, David C. Investment Company 1911 Homewood, Improved and Restricted. On file at the Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cinema Treasures 2012 Homewood Theatre. Electronic document, accessed November 5, City of Minneapolis 1909 Homewood: Minneapolis - Minnesota. On file at the Hennepin County Recorder s Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Company 1892 City of Minneapolis, Plate 37. Electronic document, accessed July 10, HE-MPC-10808

202 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Hennepin County Library 2012 A History of Minneapolis. Electronic document, accessed August 7, Hennepin County Recorder s Office 1909a Certificate of Title, Security Land & Investment Company. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1909b Certificate of Title, Lester A. Boyce. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota Certificate of Title, Abraham N. Bearman. Certificate No On file at the Hennepin County Recorder's Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbard, C.J & Co Homewood District of Minneapolis Under Development. Electronic document, accessed October 30, Lathrop, Alan K Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lowry, Thomas 1888 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Vicinity. Electronic document, accessed July 10, Mead & Hunt 2002a North Minneapolis Historic Resources Inventory: Bryn Mawr, and Near North Neighborhoods (South Area). Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin. On file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Miller, Ann 1997 Homewood Has Unique History and Population. Preservation Matters, Vol. 13 No. 3. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Millett, Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: the Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minneapolis Directory Company 1915 Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota Davison s Minneapolis City Directory, Minneapolis Directory Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Real Estate Board 1903a Atlas of the City of Minneapolis, Plate 60. Electronic document, accessed July 10, HE-MPC-10808

203 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Minneapolis Star Tribune 1999 Spotlight on Homewood. 20 March. Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Park Service [NPS] 2002 National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Norton & Peel 1951 Homewood Hospital, 1254 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis. Negative No. NP On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Peterson, Garneth O. and Carole Zellie 1998 North Minneapolis Historic Context Study. Prepared by Landscape Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rinker, Andrew 1910 Annual Report of the City Engineer of the City of Minneapolis for the Year Ending December 21, Syndicate Printing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. University of Minnesota & TPT/Twin Cities Public Television 2011 Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Film. Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. National Register Status Not Previously Evaluated National Register Eligibility Recommendation Non-contributing Prepared By The 106 Group Ltd. Date 9/20/2012 HE-MPC-10808

204 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 1 Property Photograph Ph t K:\Bottineau Transitway 2 Facing NW Property Photograph Facing NE HE-MPC-10808

205 Project: Bottineau Transitway, Route D1 M K:\Bottineau Transitway 3 Property Location Map HE-MPC HE-MPC-10808