Frank & Minnie House Residence (1921)

519 N. Hawthorne Rd.

William Chalmers Agnew Jr., lived with this parents across the street at 518 Hawthorne. Chalmers studied architecture at Columbia University and this home was his breakout commission after previously working under Duluth architectural firm German & Jenssen. Agnew’s design for this house garnered local and national media attention as an American country house. This sprawling home featured carved details, a sunny “flower room,” and a secret closet hidden behind wood paneling. The exterior is a unique combination of Colonial and Tudor.

Frank House was president of the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad, the first railroad to bring ore from the Iron Range to Lake Superior’s shores.

Swedish-American actress Martha Hedman married son Captain Henry Arthur House at the home in the summer of 1921. The small private ceremony took place in the home’s sunny flower room with only immediate family as guests. The bride wore a gray broadcloth traveling suit adorned with a sable fur and a feather trimmed red straw hat. Afterward, the couple took a 10-week honeymoon in Europe before making their home in New York City.

UMD Archives & Special Collections