HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-05-10 PACKET 06.A. - CedarhurstCottage
Grove
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TO: Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation
FROM: Mike Mrosla, Senior Planner
DATE: May 10, 2022
RE: Cordenio Severance House (Cedarhurst) Historical Evaluation
Background
At their October 6, 2021, meeting, the City Council approved the hiring of New History to assist City
staff on planning cases that have a historic preservation component. New History is an accredited
historical consulting company based in Minneapolis that works with clients throughout Minnesota
and the Upper Midwest. Some of their projects include the Dayton's Department Store redevelop-
ment, H. Alden Smith House & Apartments, and Fort Snelling visitor center. New History has been
assisting the City and Three Sixty Real Estate Solutions (property owner) staff with the Cedarhurst
site located at 6940 Keats Avenue South.
Cedarhurst was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1976. For a property
to be listed on the NRHP, it must demonstrate historical significance by meeting at least one of the
National Parks Service's (NPS) Criteria for Evaluation and retain integrity (the physical materials
and features that were present during the time when the property achieved historical significance).
The NPS Criteria for Evaluation define historically significant properties as properties:
A. That are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad
patterns of our history; or
B. That are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or
C. That embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction,
or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that
represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual
distinction; or
D. That have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in history or prehistory.
In the NRHP nomination it states that "the significance of this house lies in its association with
Cordenio Severance, a leading St. Paul attorney from 1887 through the 1920s, and as an example
of an opulent country estate." Though Criteria for Evaluation are not listed, this statement suggests
that the property was intended to be nominated under Criterion B (association with significant indi-
vidual) and Criterion C (architectural significance). The nomination does not provide a clear period
of significance for the property and is relatively vague overall.
Because of this the City and property owner decided to have New History complete a historical
evaluation for the subject property. The purpose of the historical evaluation is to determine how the
property was developed, chronicle the history of the site to supplement the information available in
the NRHP nomination, and assist in the future development of design guidelines for the property.
Cordenio Severance House (Cedarhurst) Historical Evaluation
May 10, 2022
Page 2 of 2
New History's evaluation of the property provides recommendations on why the property is signifi-
cant (Criteria for Evaluation) and when the property was significant (Period of Significance). They
also provided recommendations on which of the buildings, structures, and objects located on the
site should be considered historic ("contributing") resources.
New History staff will present their findings on the property and answer any questions.
Attachment:
New History's — Cordenio Severance House (Cedarhurst) Historical Evaluation
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NEW HISTORY
CORDENIO SEVERANCE HOUSE [CEDARHURST]
H I STO R I CAL EVALUATION
6940 Keats Avenue South, Cottage Grove
April 2022
575 9TH STREET SE, STE 215 1 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55414 1 612.843.4140 1 NEWHISTORY.COM
Historical Evaluation
Severance, Cordenio House [Cedarhurst]
6940 Keats Avenue South
Cottage Grove, Minnesota 55016
Prepared for:
City of Cottage Grove
12800 Ravine Pkwy South
Cottage Grove, MN 55016
By:
New History
575 Ninth Street Southeast, Suite 215
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414
(612) 843-4140
www.newhistory.com
For questions and comments:
Lauren Anderson, anderson@newhistory.com
Meghan Elliott, elliott@newhistory.com
(612) 843-4140
02022 New History
`I
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary 1
Physical Description and Contributing Resources 2
Circulation 2
Vegetation 3
Buildings 3
Structures 10
Objects 14
Historical Significance 15
Site History 15
Recommended Criteria for Evaluation and Period of Significance 25
Additional Research Opportunities 26
Endnotes 27
Appendix A: Current Photos
Appendix B: Figures
Appendix C: Cordenio Severance House Development Diagram
Appendix D: Cedarhurst Site Plan
Appendix E: Cedarhurst Chronology of Development and Use
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report summarizes our historical research on the Cordenio Severance House (also
known as Cedarhurst) at 6940 Keats Avenue South in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. The property was
listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1976. The purpose of our research was
to provide information on the history and development of the site to supplement the information
available in the NRHP nomination and assist in the future development of design guidelines for the
property. We have provided recommendations on why the property is significant (Criteria for
Evaluation) and when the property was significant (Period of Significance). We have also provided
recommendations on which of the buildings, structures, and objects located on the site should be
considered historic ("contributing") resources.
Property History:
The current site includes a large house and ten associated structures on approximately 13
acres of land. The house was constructed in stages between c. 1867 and 1917 and was
historically associated with hundreds of acres of surrounding farm land.
From 1889 until 1925, the house was occupied by notable St. Paul attorney Cordenio
Severance and his wife Mary Severance. From 1925 until the present, the property has had a
succession of private owners. Most recently, it has been utilized as an event venue.
National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) Designation:
• For a property to be listed on the NRHP, it must demonstrate historic significance by
meeting at least one of the National Park Service's (NPS) Criteria for Evaluation.
• The Cordenio Severance House was listed on the NRHP in 1976 for "its association with
Cordenio Severance, a leading St. Paul attorney from 1887 through the 1920s, and as an
example of an opulent country estate."' The nomination does not specify the applicable
Criteria for Evaluation, nor does it provide a clear period of significance for the property.
Additionally, the nomination does not specify if any of the site's outbuildings or objects
contribute to its historical significance.
Recommended Criteria for Evaluation, Period of Significance, and Contributing Resources:
Based on our research, we agree that the property's listing on the NRHP corresponds to its
association with notable St. Paul attorney Cordenio Severance. This means that the property
meets NPS's Criterion B, which applies to properties "associated with the lives of persons
significant in our past."' Based on this association, we recommend a period of significance of
1889 — 1925, which reflects the time period during which Severance owned and occupied
the property.
Based on our research, the property includes a mixture of contributing and non-contributing
resources. Our recommendations are included in the "Physical Description and Contributing
Resources" section of this report.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION and CONTRIBUTING RESOURCES
The Cordenio Severance House (commonly known as Cedarhurst) at 6940 Keats Avenue
South is located in the northeast quadrant of the City of Cottage Grove. During the proposed period
of significance, the property was associated with hundreds of acres of surrounding farmland.' Today,
it includes a large house and several structures located on two landscaped parcels (a total of
approximately 13 acres) bordered by Military Road to the northeast, a single-family housing
development to the north and west, Keats Avenue South to the east, and 70th Street South to the
south (see Appendix D, Site Map). Vehicular access is provided at Keats Avenue South and 70th
Street South. The Cordenio Severance House and associated outbuildings are located near the center
of the site. (For clarity, the term "Cedarhurst" is used in this report to describe the entire site, while
"Severance House" refers to the house itself.)
Based on our historical research, we recommend that the property be considered historically
significant for its association with notable St. Paul attorney Cordenio Severance. The recommended
period of significance is 1889 until 1925, reflecting the time period during which Severance owned
and occupied the property (see "Recommended Criteria for Evaluation and Period of Significance"
section at the end of this report). The various resources on the site, including buildings, structures,
and objects, can be classified as historic ("contributing" to the historical significance of the site) or
non -historic ("noncontributing"). According to the National Park Service, resources should be
considered contributing if they "[were] present during the period of significance, [relate] to the
documented significance of the property, and possesses historic integrity or [are] capable of yielding
important information about the period."4 Properties that possess historic integrity retain their
physical characteristics from the period of significance.
At Cedarhurst, contributing resources are defined as resources that were constructed by 1925
(the end of the period of significance) as part of the Severance estate and that retain historic integrity.
Resources constructed before 1925 that do not retain historic integrity and resources constructed
after 1925 should be considered non-contributing. Below, we have provided information on each
resource's date of construction, integrity, and recommended contributing/non-contributing status.
(See Appendix D, Site Map for resource locations.) We have also provided information on the
property's historic circulation patterns and vegetation.
CIRCULATION
The only existing vehicular circulation on the site is a paved, L-shaped drive that passes
between the house and outbuildings connecting 70th Street South to Keats Avenue South (Photos 1
and 3). The drive includes a roundabout between the Severance House and outbuildings (Photo 2).
Gravel parking areas added between 1964 and 1980 are located along the drive to the northeast and
southwest of the house (Photo 5).'
0
A historic photograph of the house reveals that during the proposed period of significance
(1889 — 1925), a walkway or drive ran northeast -southwest from the intersection of Keats Avenue
South and Military Road towards the north side of the house (Figure A). Aerial photographs from
the proposed period of significance do not exist, making it difficult to determine other historic
circulation patterns. The earliest available aerial photograph of the site dated 1936 (Figure B) shows
a drive running north -south from 70th Street South to Military Road. The north half of this drive
was closed off in 1984 and is no longer present. The drive entrance at 70th Street South was moved
east to its current location sometime after 1964. 1936 and 1945 aerial photographs also indicate that
there was previously a narrow walkway running southeast -northwest from Keats Avenue South
towards the south side of the house (Figures B, C, and D).6
VEGETATION
Current vegetation includes a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees and areas of open
lawn (Photos 1 — 8 and Appendix D, Site Map). The primary east elevation of the Severance
House is set back from Keats Avenue South by an expansive grass lawn (Photo 3). Hedges along
Military Road, Keats Avenue South, and 70th Street South border the northeast, east, and south
edges of the site (Photo 4). To the south of the Severance House, there is formal garden surrounded
by a partial -height concrete walls and an L-shaped grouping of cedar trees (Photos 5 and 6).
Photographs from the proposed period of significance indicate that the east lawn is a historic
feature and that large mature trees were historically located along the house's east elevation (Figure
E, G, and I). Historic photographs also indicate that the garden held formal plantings during the
proposed period of significance (Figure H). Articles in periodicals written during the proposed
period of significance mention "huge lilac hedges" bordering the lawns, suggesting that the existing
hedges are historic as well.
Other articles written during the proposed period of significance describe the site as having
"tall and magnificent ancient trees" and "spacious lawns [and] lovely gardens." One 1925 article
noted that the house was "set in the center of a grove of giant cedars." Based on these descriptions
and historical photographs (Figures E - J), it appears that the site historically had a mixture of open
lawn and mature trees, including cedars like those currently located to the south of the house. The
earliest available aerial photograph from 1936 shows a vegetative border surrounding the site with
trees and vegetation surrounding the house and lining the drives and walkways from Keats Avenue
South and Military Road towards the buildings at the center of the site. Areas of open lawn were
located between the vegetation -lined walkways (Figures B and C). 7
BUILDINGS
1. Cordenio Severance House
Construction date(s): c. 1867 - 1917
Integrity: yes
Reconiniended status: contributing
3
Development History
The Cordenio Severance House is a large, two-story residence located at the center of the
Cedarhurst site. The residence began as a small house constructed by Charles Fanning in c. 1867 and
was expanded at least twice to create the existing building (see Appendix C, Severance House
Development Diagram). No drawings of the original house or subsequent additions have been
located, making it impossible to confirm the dates of early additions. It is likely that there were one
or two additions in the late 1800s and/or early 1900s. A final addition occurred in 1916 - 1917 as
documented in historic newspaper articles.' Though numerous secondary sources have attributed
this last addition to architect Cass Gilbert, correspondence included in the Davis, Kellogg &
Severance papers at the Minnesota Historical Society indicates that architect Allen H. Stem of the St.
Paul architectural firm of Reed & Stem was very likely responsible for its design (for more
information, see Historical Significance section below).9
The two-story, L-shaped house is visually organized into two wings (Appendix C,
Development Diagram):
1) A large, cross -gabled wing (Wing A) with a basically rectangular plan and concrete
foundation comprises the majority of the existing house (Photo 3). The south half of this
wing was likely constructed sometime in the late 1800s or early 1900s and may have been
completed as two separate additions. The north half of Wing A is the 1917 addition.
2) A small, cross -gabled wing (Wing B) with an irregularly -shaped plan and stone foundation
is attached to the west (rear) elevation of Wing A (Photo 11). Given the vernacular, simple
style of this portion of the house and its stone foundation, this may have been the original
farmhouse constructed in c. 1867.
The Cordenio Severance House maintains integrity to the period of significance and is a
contributing resource. In the following narrative description, the term "non -historic" refers to
materials and features that were likely installed after the end of the period of significance in 1925.
General Exterior (Photos 3, 9-2o)
The Cordenio Severance House has an asphalt -shingled roof with four brick chimneys and a
flat -roofed elevator penthouse. The roof has overhanging eaves with cornice returns at gables on all
four elevations of Wing A and the west and north elevations of Wing B. Metal gutters and
downspouts (most non -historic) are attached to the eaves and building fa�ades.lo
The house is clad in a combination of wood lap siding (north and east elevations of Wing A)
and non -historic metal lap siding of a similar appearance (Wing B and south and west elevations of
Wing A). Most window and door trim appears to be wood, though some non -historic metal trim
was observed at the south elevation of Wing A and the west and north elevations of Wing B.
Windows are primarily two -over -two hung wood windows, some with wood storm
windows. There are also a few wood casement windows and hung wood windows with other
I
divisions of glazing. Decorative wood fanlights are located at the gables on the west, north, east, and
south elevations of Wing A. Additionally, a handful of windows appear to be non -historic metal
and/or vinyl replacements.
Wood French doors, some with wood storm windows, are located at the first level on the
east, north, and west elevations of Wing A and the south porch of Wing B. Other entrances consist
primarily of wood paneled doors, some with lights.
Wing A: East Elevation (Photos 3, 18 - 20)
The primary east elevation of Wing A overlooks the east lawn towards Keats Avenue South.
This elevation is dominated by two porticos with gabled roofs supported by Tuscan columns. The
columns rest on a concrete porch with stone balustrades. The porch is elevated above grade and
accessed by two sets of concrete steps with metal railings, one at each portico. The porch floor is
composed of brick inlaid into the concrete. Beneath the gabled portico roofs, the ceiling of each
portico is composed of painted wood boards and features a hanging globe light fixture." The east
gable of each portico features a decorative fanlight.
Five entrances to the house are located at the east porch. One primary entrance is located at
the south portico and leads to an entrance hall at the interior of Wing A. It consists of a wood and
glass door with an elaborate wood surround that includes sidelights and a decorative fanlight. To the
north of this entrance between the north and south porticos, another primary entrance added in
1917 leads to a second entrance hall at the interior of the 1917 addition. The entrance is composed of
four French doors beneath fixed transom windows. At the north portico, there are three secondary
entrances that lead to the ballroom of the 1917 addition, each consisting of a set of French doors
flanked by shutters.
At the remainder of the east elevation, hung two -over -two wood windows with shutters are
spaced evenly across the first and second levels. Two four -over -four hung wood windows flank the
central four -door primary entrance.
Wing A: North Elevation Photos Sand 10)
The north elevation of Wing A is dominated by a two-story, semi -circular, wood -paneled
bay that projects from the house's north fapde. At the first level, the projecting bay has French doors
that lead to the ballroom in the 1917 addition; at the second level, there are hung, two -over -two
wood windows. A hung two -over -two wood window is located to either side of the projecting bay
at the second level of the north facade. At the top of the facade, the gable has a decorative fanlight. A
non -historic wood ramp installed in 1986 provides an accessible means of entrance at this elevation.12
61
Wing A: South Elevation (Photo 17)
The south elevation of Wing A has a set of hung wood windows (one two -over -two
window flanked by one -over -one windows) at the first and second levels. At the top of the south
facade, the gable features a decorative fanlight.
Wing A: West Elevation (Photos 11, 12, 16)
The west elevation of Wing A features two -over -two hung wood windows at the first and
second levels. Several hung wood windows with alternate configurations of lights as well as several
casement windows are also located on this elevation. One non -historic hung window was observed
at the second level. The gable above the west entrance features a decorative fanlight.
At the first level, immediately to the north of Wing B, another primary entrance leads to the
entrance hall of the 1917 addition. The entrance is raised above grade and accessed via a set of curved
concrete steps with metal handrail. It consists of a set of French doors flanked by divided light
transoms, all beneath an iron entrance canopy. Wood wall paneling surrounds the doors and second -
level windows above the entrance.
Also at the first level immediately to the south of Wing B, there is a secondary entrance at
the porch that leads to a storage room at the interior of Wing A. The entrance consists of a wood
paneled door with divided lights.
Wing B: North Elevation (Photo 13)
Wing B (possibly the original c. 1867 portion of the Severance House) is attached to the west
(rear) elevation of Wing A. The north elevation of this wing includes several hung windows,
including at least two non -historic replacements. Near the junction with Wing A, there is a one-
story bump out with multi -light wood windows that may date to the construction of the late
1800s/early 1900s addition(s) or the 1917 addition (see Appendix C, Development Diagram).
Near the center of the north elevation, a non -historic, shed -roofed stair enclosure (installed
sometime after 1959) encloses the stairs to the lower level.13 The wood paneled door at this addition
may have been relocated from elsewhere on the property.
Wing B: West Elevation (Photo 14)
The west elevation of Wing B includes a first -level porch with a wood headboard ceiling
and non -historic wood deck (installed sometime after 1976). Two secondary entrances lead to the
kitchen at the interior of Wing B, one at the porch and another to the north of the porch. Both
consist of a wood door with non -historic storm door. One casement window with diamond -shaped
panes and one modified or replacement hung window are also located at the first level. Sometime
between 1916 and 1932, the second level at this elevation was extended west and cantilevered over
the first level porch to form a sunroom (see Figures F and K and Appendix C, Development
G�
Diagram). The second -level sunroom is supported by Tuscan columns, a non -historic wood beam,
and non -historic metal posts and has windows which appear to be non -historic replacements.14
Wing B: South Elevation Photo 15)
At the south elevation of Wing B, there is another porch at the first level. The porch has a
hipped roof supported by Tuscan wood columns and a wood plank ceiling. The porch floor was
replaced in 1994 and is finished with non -historic outdoor carpet." Four secondary entrances — two
wood paneled doors and two sets of French doors — lead from the porch to the interior of Wing B. A
pair of casement windows with diamond -shaped panes is also located at the first level. Above the
porch roof, there is a gabled dormer with a hung window that appears non -historic.
Interior: Lower Level Photos 21-25)
The lower level is accessed from the exterior via the non -historic stair addition at the north
side of Wing B. At the lower level, Wing B has stone foundation walls, most covered with a parge
coat, and exposed concrete and wood structure (Photos 21 and 22). The upper portion of the south
foundation wall is composed of brick. A brick chimney is located near the center of this wing. One
window is located on the west wall. Another window located on the east wall no longer fulfills its
intended purpose as the east wall is currently located beneath Wing A. Exposed piping and conduit
and several wood doors were observed throughout.
At the north side of Wing B, a concrete tunnel running north -south (Photo 23) connects
the original c. 1867 house to the basement of the 1917 addition (Wing A). Only a portion of the
1917 addition's footprint has been excavated. It has a concrete floor, concrete foundation walls, and a
wood lathe and plaster ceiling (Photos 24 and 25). Piping and conduit are exposed throughout. One
window is located at the north wall. A couple of wood doors and trim that may be historic were
observed in this section.
Interior: First Level Photos 26-315)
The house's main public gathering spaces are located at the first level of Wing A. These
include a ballroom and entrance hall at the 1917 addition (the north half of the wing) and a second
entrance hall, two sitting rooms, and a library (currently used as a bedroom) at the south half of the
wing. Most rooms feature wood baseboard, crown molding, and wood door and window trim, and
several rooms have what appear to be plastered beams at the ceiling. Wallpaper has been applied to
most walls. Wood paneled doors and metal radiators are located throughout.
The 1917 entrance hall is accessed by primary entrances on the east and west elevations of
Wing A (Photo 26). The hall features what appears to be a quarry tile floor, engaged and
freestanding columns, and decorative benches. Two bathrooms with hexagon tile floors and
rectangular wall tile are accessed off of the east side of the hall (Photo 27). At the west side of the
hall, a flight of carpeted stairs (Stair 1) next to the west primary entrance leads to the second level.
7
Moving north from the entrance hall, a set of wood and glass doors and short flight of wood
stairs leads to the sunken ballroom (Photos 28 and 29), which is slightly below grade. The ballroom
features wood floors, a decorative plaster ceiling with moldings, plaster -covered beams, and elaborate
chandeliers, and extensive wood trim and paneling. French doors on the east and west sides of the
room open onto the east lawn and the rear driveway, respectively; two doors on the east side are
accessed via sets of wood steps. Built-in bookshelves are also located on the east and west walls. At
the north side of the ballroom, the projecting, semi -circular bay of French doors forms a small
sunroom. A large fireplace with carved wood mantle and stone surround is located on the west wall.
The pipes of a former organ (not extant) surrounded by decorative wood grating are located on the
south wall. Along the edges of the room, there are several patches of non -original flooring."
Moving south from the entrance hall, a second set of wood and glass doors leads to a sitting
room with dark wood floors and a non -historic bar area installed in 2007 (Photo 30).17 Continuing
south, one passes into another entrance hall (Photo 31). From here, a second carpeted stair with
wood banister (Stair 2) leads to the second level. An elevator with sliding metal door, likely installed
in the 1920s, is located at the west side of the hall. From the hall, one can move south into another
carpeted sitting room (which features wood wainscot and a fireplace with wood mantle and tile
surround; Photo 32) and library (which now functions as a bedroom; Photo 33) or west into the
dining room.18
The dining room is located in Wing B and is a highly -finished space with wood floors,
decorative wood trim, vertical wood panel wainscot, and what appear to be plastered beams at the
ceiling (Photo 34). A fireplace with wood mantle and tile surround is located on the west wall. At
the south wall, two French doors open onto the porch at the south elevation of Wing B. At the
north wall, a transition in the wood flooring marks the location of a small bump out addition with
wood -paneled walls likely added during the construction of the late 1800s/early 1900s addition(s) or
the 1917 addition (see Appendix C, Development Diagram and Photo 35). A door at the east
wall of this small addition leads to a pantry with hexagon tile floors and rectangular wall tile
matching the restrooms in the 1917 entrance hall.
Continuing west, one passes from the dining room into a modern kitchen, which was likely
remodeled in 1991.19 The kitchen has primarily non -historic finishes, including tile floors, fiberglass -
reinforced polymer (FRP) and wall tile, and dropped ceilings (Photo 36). Most windows and doors
are framed with historic wood trim. Some of this trim has a simpler design than the trim at the
remainder of the first level.
Interior: Second Level (Ph otos.37-47)
The second level of Wing A is organized around a double -loaded, T-shaped corridor
(Photos 39 — 41) that provides access to numerous bedrooms and bedroom suites, some with
bathrooms and walk-in closets. At this level, most of the 1917 addition is divided from the rest of the
level by a set of double wood and glass doors in the corridor immediately to the west of Stair 1. To
E:3
the east of Stair 1, a narrower corridor and higher ceiling marks the transition from the 1917
addition to the older portion of Wing A (Photo 40). At two rooms directly east of Stair 1, a
transition in the wood floor and an irregular wall opening suggest that this area of the second level
may have been added as part of the 1917 addition (see Appendix C, Development Diagram and
Photo 37).
Most bedrooms at the second level of Wing A have wood floors, baseboard, crown molding,
and window and door trim (see for example Photo 42). Wood built-ins (such as cupboards and
shelves — see for example Photo 43), wood -paneled doors, and metal radiators are located
throughout. Some walls are finished with modern wall paper and/or wall coverings; some plaster
walls and ceilings were also observed. Four bathrooms have hexagon floor tile and rectangular wall
tile matching restrooms on the first level. Two restrooms have wood paneled wainscot instead of
wall tile (see for example Photo 44), one has vertical wood plank wainscot and wood floors, and one
has non -historic tile at the floor and walls.
At the north end of the corridor, a sunroom with painted wide -plank wood floor is located
in the semi -circular projecting bay of the 1917 addition (Photo 38). At the south end of the corridor
(the horizontal stroke of the "T"), Stair 2 leads down to the first level (Photo 41). Above Stair 2,
there is another stair with wood treads and wood banister (Stair 3) that may have formerly led to the
rooftop cupola (removed between 1917 and 1932).20 Currently, there is a small wood door at the top
of the stairs that might provide access to the attic above the south half of Wing A.
To the west of Stairs 2 and 3, the corridor provides access to the second level of Wing B,
which holds a family room, dining room, sunroom, and kitchen (Photos 45 - 47). These spaces have
a lower level of finish than the rest of the second level. Sloped ceilings (some finished with textured
plaster that appears non -historic) reflect the shape of the cross -gabled roof above. Wood paneled
doors with wood trim and metal radiators are located throughout.
The family room accessed off of the main corridor features painted wide plank wood
flooring, simple wood baseboard, and decorative wood trim around windows. At the north wall, a
triple -light window which formerly overlooked the west entrance to Wing A has been obscured by
the non -historic stair enclosure at the north elevation of Wing B. A bathroom adjoining the family
room has plaster walls and ceilings and non -historic resilient flooring. Moving west, one passes into
the dining room, which has non -historic, wood -look laminate flooring and wood baseboard
(primarily non -historic), a built-in wood cabinet, and some non -historic vertical plank siding at
walls. At the west side of the dining room, a non -historic sliding glass door leads to the sunken
sunroom at the second -level extension of Wing B (added between 1916 and 1932). The sunroom has
non -historic carpet, wood headboard walls and ceiling, wood window trim, and non -historic
vertical plank siding at the east wall. At the north side of the dining room, one passes into the
kitchen, which features non -historic laminate flooring, simple wood baseboard, a wood built-in
cupboard, and wood window trim.
6
Interior: Attic (Pliotos 48 and 49)
The attic is accessed by a set of wood stairs at the west side of Wing A, enclosed in stair shaft
with plaster walls and ceilings and wood paneled doors. The footprint of the attic appears to align
roughly with the 1917 addition. The attic has wood plank floors and exposed wood structure. At the
east side, wood framing outlining portions of earlier rooflines is visible (Photo 48).
2. Gardener's Cottage
Construction date(s): likely early 1900s
Integrity: unknown
Recommended status: likely contributing
A one -and -one-half story single-family home is located to the southwest of the Severance
House. The building fronts on 70th Street South (Photo 50). The exact date of construction is
unknown. Secondary sources indicate that the house was built c. 1890 and that it was occupied by
the Severances' gardener and his family. This could not be confirmed, though the house displays
elements of Craftsman style that suggests an early twentieth-century construction date. Additionally,
aerial photographs from 1936 until 1964 show that the south entrance drive to Cedarhurst was
located directly alongside the cottage, suggesting that it was formerly associated with the larger
estate.
As the house is currently occupied as a private residence, the author of this report was unable
to access the property to determine integrity. Based on two undated, older photographs of the house
(Figure L), aerial photographs, and a description of the property made in 1988, known alterations
include the construction of an addition at the rear elevation (post-1945), the opening of the enclosed
front porch (post-1988), and the construction of a one-story garage to the north of the house (post-
1945). Existing siding may also have been added later. By 1984, the house was no longer associated
with Cedarhurst, and the three acres surrounding the house are now platted separately from the rest
of the site.21
Though the building's construction date cannot be confirmed, the style and location of the
house suggest that it was constructed before 1925 and historically associated with the Cedarhurst
estate. If on -site investigation confirms that the building retains integrity, it is recommended that it
be considered a contributing resource.
STRUCTURES
3. Barn
Construction date(s): c. early 1900s
Integrity: yes
Recommended status: contributing
A gambrel -roofed barn is located to the northwest of the house (Photos 51 and 52). The
barn cannot be dated with certainty; however, barns of this design were commonly constructed in
Cottage Grove between 1900 and 1920, suggesting that this structure dates to the early 1900s. The
only available historic photograph of this structure is undated and shows only a portion of the barn's
10
east elevation (Figure M). The individuals present in the photograph suggest that it was taken no
later than 1925, confirming that the barn was likely present during the proposed period of
significance. zz
The wood -framed barn has a one-story, shed -roofed stable along its north elevation and an
attached shed on its east elevation. The structure has a large metal vent at the peak of the roof, wood
siding, and wood -framed window openings, several with missing windows. Multi -light windows
are visible along the north elevation of the stable; two glass block windows are located at the south
elevation of the barn. The primary entrance is located on the barn's west elevation. A wood -paneled
pedestrian door is located at the south elevation; additional entrances are located at the west elevation
of the stable and the east elevation of the shed.23 The barn appears to retain sufficient integrity to be
considered a contributing resource.
4 Garage
Construction date(s): 1911
Integrity: yes
Recommended status: contributing
The garage is a one-story, gable -roofed structure also located northwest of the house
(Photos 53 and 54). The garage was designed by the St. Paul architectural firm of Charles Reed and
Allen Stem and constructed by the contracting firm Hoy & Elzy Company in 1911.24 The only
available historic photograph of the property is undated, but based on the appearance and quality of
the photograph, it is possible that this photo dates to the proposed period of significance (Figure N).
The garage has a rectangular plan and is composed of clay tile covered with stucco. The
structure has two -over -one hung wood windows. Its primary entrance is located on its east elevation
beneath a wood -framed overhang. The historic photograph indicates that this entrance formerly
held a set of wood doors. The rear entrance at the west elevation has been infilled with plywood.
The existing roof was added in 1999 and is elevated above the historic parapet. The brick chimney is
historic. According to George Rosenberg, who visited the property as a child during the proposed
period of significance, the garage historically had a turntable at the interior; this is no longer present.
According to the historic specifications for the building, the interior originally had clay tile
partitions; these have also since been removed.21 While the addition of the non -historic roof was a
significant alteration to the structure, the garage appears to retain sufficient integrity to be
considered a contributing resource.
5. Upholstery Shop
Construction date(s): unknown
Integrity: unknown
Recommended status: undetermined
A one-story, gable -roofed "upholstery shop" abuts the south elevation of the garage (Photo
55). The only available historic photograph of the property is undated and only shows the west edge
of the building. Based on the appearance and quality of the photograph, it is possible that the photo,
11
and therefore the building, dates to the period of significance, but this cannot be confirmed (Figure
N).
The building has a basically rectangular plan with a one-story, shed -roofed addition at its
west elevation. It features a non -historic asphalt -shingled roof, wood siding, and wood -framed door
and window openings. There are two hung windows, one small multi -light window, and three
doors with partial lights; a few of these appear to date to post-1925. The one-story addition at the
west elevation appears to be clad in plywood; according to aerial photographs, this addition was
added after 1957.26
As the building's construction date cannot be confirmed, its recommended status as a
contributing/non-contributing resource is undetermined.
B. Chicken Coop
Construction date(s): unknown
Integrity: unknown
Recommended status: undetermined
A gable -roofed, one-story chicken coop is located south of the upholstery shop (Photo 56).
The structure is not visible in any historic photographs and cannot be dated with certainty. Based on
the structure's design and condition of its materials, it may have been constructed during the period
of significance, but this cannot be confirmed.
The coop has a rectangular plan, an asphalt -shingled roof and wood siding. Three wood -
framed window openings are located on its west elevation, and three wood -framed door openings
with wood plank doors are located on its east elevation. At the north side of the structure, metal
angles have been inserted through the roof and walls to provide additional structural support.
As the structure's construction date cannot be confirmed, its recommended status as a
contributing/non-contributing resource is undetermined.
7. Shed #1
Construction date(s): unknown
Integrity: unknown
Recommended status: undetermined
A small, one-story, gable -roofed shed is located to the northwest of the garage (Photo 57). A
structure of a similar shape appears in this approximate location in a 1945 aerial photograph of the
property, suggesting that the existing shed was constructed by this date.27 Based on the structure's
design and condition of its materials, it may have been constructed during the period of significance,
but this cannot be confirmed.
The shed has a square plan, corrugated metal roofing with two cylindrical metal rooftop
vents, and sheet siding (likely added sometime after 1925). Its wood -framed window openings have
hung wood windows with missing glazing. A set of double doors with metal hinges have been
covered with sheet siding material.
12
As the structure's construction date cannot be confirmed, its recommended status as a
contributing/non-contributing resource is undetermined.
8 Shed #2
Construction date(s): unknown
Integrity: no
Recommended status: non-contributing
Another one-story, gable -roofed shed is located to the northwest of the garage (Photo 58).
The structure is not visible in any historic photographs and cannot be dated with certainty.
The shed rests on a concrete slab and has a rectangular plan, wood siding, and an asphalt -
shingled roof. Four sets of double doors with divided lights are located on its south elevation.
Building permit records on file at the City of Cottage Grove indicate that the shed received a new
flooring slab and replacement doors in the late 1990s.28 The roof is also non -historic.
The structure's construction date cannot be confirmed. However, if it does date to the period
of significance, it does not appear to retain sufficient integrity to be considered a contributing
resource.
9. Valet She/ter
Construction date(s): pre-1917
Integrity: unknown
Recommended status: undetermined
A small, one-story structure is located next to the north parking lot (Photo 59). A 1984
inventory form for the property indicates that this structure was formerly a cupola on the roof of the
Severance House. This is substantiated by historic photographs dating to pre-1917, which show a
cupola at the roof that appears to match the design of this structure. This cupola may have been
removed in 1917, when the final addition was constructed, and was definitely removed by 1932,
when it no longer appears in historic photographs. Undated older photographs show the structure
being used as a playhouse.29 Most recently, the structure appears to have been utilized as a valet
shelter.
The valet shelter rests on a concrete slab and has a square plan. It features a hipped roof with
asphalt shingles and wood eaves, wood siding, hung wood windows, and a wood and glass door.
Since the cupola has been removed from the Severance House, it no longer functions in its original
capacity. In order to be considered a contributing resource, it would need to have been utilized as a
stand-alone structure by the occupants of the Severance estate during the period of significance, after
it was removed from the house. As the date of the cupola's removal and later uses during the period
of significance cannot be confirmed, its recommended status as a contributing/non-contributing
resource is undetermined.
13
is Garden Waii
Construction date(s): pre-1917
Integrity: yes
Recommended status: contributing
The formal garden to the south of the house is surrounded by a partial height concrete wall
with concrete posts (Photo 6). Historic photographs indicate that this wall was present during the
period of significance (Figure F). Historically, it was topped with a balustrade (perhaps stone) and
two wooden trellises, one at the west side of the garden and another at the south side of the garden.
The balustrade and trellises were removed sometime after 1932.30 The light fixtures on the concrete
posts at the south end of the garden appear to be those originally located on the primary entrance
gates to Cedarhurst (not extant) and were relocated to the garden wall sometime after c. 1966.31
Though the balustrade and trellises are no longer present, the wall retains sufficient integrity to be
considered a contributing resource.
11. ice H®use Foundation
Construction date(s): c. 1860
Integrity: no
Recommended status: non-contributing
A stone or concrete foundation is located to the north of the garage (Photo 60). This may
have belonged to the former ice house, which was razed in 1996. According to a 1984 survey of the
property, the ice house was constructed in c. 1860.32 Because all that remains of the ice house is its
foundation, the structure does not retain integrity to the period of significance, and its foundation is
therefore recommended as a non-contributing resource.
OBJECTS
12 Wood Trellis
Construction date(s): unknown (likely post-1925)
Integrity: not applicable
Recommended status: non-contributing
A wood trellis is located adjacent to the garden (Photo 61). Its design does not match the
wood trellises at the garden wall visible in historic photographs. Based on its materials and design,
the trellis appears to have been constructed after the proposed period of significance and is therefore
recommended as a non-contributing resource.
13. Planters
Construction date(s): unknown
Integrity: not applicable
Recommended status: non-contributing
Two metal planters are located to the south of the house, one in the formal garden and one
to the west of the garden (Photo 62). These planters do not appear in any available historic
photographs of the property. Therefore, they are assumed to have been installed after the period of
significance and are recommended as non-contributing resources.33 A third planter (date of
installation unknown) is located at the center of the roundabout (Photo 2). As no evidence was
14
uncovered to indicate that this planter was present during the period of significance, it is also
recommended as a non-contributing resource.
14 Wood Fences
Construction date(s): unknown/post-1925
Integrity: no/not applicable
Recommended status: non-contributing
Two wood fences are located on the site, one near the gardener's cottage and another near
the ice house foundation (Photos 60 and 63). The materials and appearance of this fencing indicates
that it was installed after the end of the period of significance and is therefore recommended as a
non-contributing resource. Another segment of wood fence (date of installation unknown) is located
adjacent to the ice house foundation (Photo 60). While the design and materials of this segment
appear older, it is only a small segment of what was presumably a larger length of fencing and
therefore does not retain integrity; it is also recommended as a non-contributing resource.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
SITE HISTORY (see also Appendix E, Chronology of Development and Use)
Cedarhurst: 1667 -1669
The property that is today known as Cedarhurst began to take shape in the mid -nineteenth
century. According to Robert Watson's 1924 Notes on the Early Settlement of Cottage Grove and
Vicinity, the original house on the site was constructed by Charles O. Fanning around 1867. The
house was occupied by Charles and his wife, his daughter and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin
Hart, and a second daughter, Fidelia Harriman, and Fidelia's daughter Mary Frances Harriman.34
Edwin Hart was a minister at Cottage Grove's Congregational Church. Mrs. Harriman was the wife
of Samuel H. Harriman, a major general during the American Civil War (it is unclear whether
Samuel ever occupied the house with his wife and daughter).35 According to a 1972 history of
Cottage Grove, the Harts also had a daughter, Mary, who lived with them at the property.36 By
1887, ownership of the property had passed to Fidelia. The earliest available plat map of the property
dated 1887 shows that Fidelia H. Harriman owned a total of 100 acres of land in this area (Figure
O). The map shows one structure on the property, which may have been the house constructed by
Charles Fanning.37 As no historic photographs or drawings of this building have been uncovered, it
is difficult to determine the exact portion of the existing house that dates to c. 1867. However, stone
foundation walls at the lower level suggest that the original footprint may have comprised the rear
portion of the existing building (labeled Wing A on Appendix C, Development Diagram).
In June of 1889, Fidelia's daughter Mary married Cordenio A. Severance,38 an up-and-
coming attorney and one of the founders of the prominent law firm of Davis, Kellogg and
Severance. Fidelia died several months after the marriage of Cordenio and Mary and by 18925
ownership of her Cottage Grove property had passed to Mary Severance.39 Over the next 35 years,
15
the Severances developed the property into a country estate that both represented and furthered their
prominent social and professional status.
Cordenio Severance
Cordenio Severance was born in Mantorville, Minnesota in 1862.40 Following three years at
Carleton College, he studied law under Minnesota attorney Robert Taylor of Kasson, Minnesota.
After passing the bar exam in 1883, Severance joined the office of St. Paul attorney (and former
Minnesota governor) Cushman K. Davis. In 1887, two years before his marriage to Mary Harriman,
Severance joined with Cushman and Rochester attorney Frank B. Kellogg to establish the firm of
Davis, Kellogg, and Severance. Through at least 1922, the firm had offices at the Merchants National
Bank Building (now the McColl Building) at 366 Jackson Street in St. Paul.41
As one article in the Ramsey County History Magazine notes, "Never in the state of Minnesota
has one group of lawyers made such a mark, not just on its own community but nationally and
internationally, as did the founding partners of the firm of Davis, Kellogg, and Severance."42 The
firm (later known as Davis, Severance & Olds and Davis, Severance & Morgan) became known for
its representation of corporate clients and large business interests, such as manufacturing,
agribusiness, railroad, mining, and public utility companies as well as for its representation of the
federal government in antitrust cases of the early twentieth century.43 By 1921, the American Bar
Association Journal hailed the partnership as "one of the most efficient, influential and successful law
firms in the nation. ,44
The three men who comprised this initial partnership were notable individuals in their own
right. Both Davis and Kellogg went on to serve as United States Senators, the former from 1887
until his death in 1900 and the latter from 1917 until 1923. Kellogg also served as United States
Ambassador to Britain from 1923 until 1925 and United States Secretary of State from 1925 until
1929. As Secretary of State, Kellogg authored the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928, for which he was
awarded the 1929 Nobel Peace Prize.41
Unlike his colleagues, Severance never held public office. Nevertheless, he was an influential
lawyer and prominent figure. Lawyer Douglas Hedin notes that "during the first quarter of the last
[20th] century, [Cordenio Severance] was one of the nation's most respected corporate litigators. ,41
Severance became known for cases "involving great financial interests," such as the 1912 United
States of vs. Union Pacific Railroad Company, in which Severance successfully represented the federal
government in a case argued before the United States Supreme Court. In another notable case also
argued before the United States Supreme Court, the 1919 — 1920 United States vs. United States Steel
Corporation, Severance successfully represented the U.S. Steel Corporation. Severance and Kellogg's
role as special counsel to the Interstate Commerce Commission during a 1906 investigation into
Union Pacific Railroad executive Edward Harriman was another notable achievement for
Severance.47
The 1912 History of St. Paul and Vicinity observed that Severance held "an assured position
among the city's legal lights, being universally recognized as an able lawyer and excellent
counselor."48 As a 1921 publication asserted, Severance was "engaged in litigation of great
importance over the taxation of many corporations and other clients."49 Severance's service as
president of the Bar Association of Ramsey County, president of the Minnesota Bar Association
(1911), and president of the American Bar Association (1921 — 1922) provide further evidence of his
importance within his profession, as does the honorary doctorate degree he received from Carleton
College."
Severance's professional achievements as well as his varied interests in other fields gave him
prominent social standing both locally in St. Paul and beyond. As observed in his obituary in the
American Bar Association Journal,
his interests embraced not only his profession... but [also] agriculture, music and art, outdoor
life, animals, business, and by no means least important, his fellow men. business, and by no
means least important, his fellow men. He was one of the most sociable of men and the
conventional expression "he was a man of broad human sympathies" is really apt description
in his case. This quality manifested itself in his relations with his fellow citizens of whatever
walk in life, as well as in the cultivation of the fine art of social intercourse which he and Mrs.
Severance illustrated so charmingly at his attractive home, "Cedarhurst," near Cottage Grove,
Minn., only a few miles out from St. Paul."
Another obituary in the St. Paul Pioneer Press continued this theme, noting that
Due to extensive travel, as well as to the international scope of Mr. Severance's professional
interests, his acquaintanceship included notables from all parts of the world, so that
Cedarhurst has for years been included in the itinerary of nearly all celebrated visitors,
American and European, to the Northwest. Mr. Severance's remarkably developed gift for
forming and maintaining not only friendships, but social relationships of every degree, was
the logical result of a boundless enthusiasm and interests so diversified as to prove a source of
never-ending wonder and delight to everyone who knew him. Coupled with these assets
were a keen sense of humor and a phenomenal memory, not only for events but for the faces
and names of individuals whom he had encountered, even though casually.5z
Severance's social standing was reflected in the society columns of local St. Paul newspapers,
which detailed the travels, parties, and guests of Cordenio and Mary Severance. Severance was also
featured in several "who's who" publications published during the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries, including the 1897 Progressive Men of Minnesota, the 1900 Encyclopedia of
Biography of Minnesota, the 1907 Book of Minnesotans, the 1912 Minnesota Biographies, the 1922 —
1923 Who's Who in America, and the 1924 Minnesota and Its People.53 Severance's influence is also
indicated in the numerous leadership positions that he held in a variety of organizations and groups.
During World War I, Severance served as chairman of the Commission of the American Red Cross
17
to Serbia. He was a trustee of the Carnegie Endowment of Peace and Carleton College as well as a
member of the Commission on Uniform State Laws and the Council on Foreign Relations."
Mary Severance
The Severances' social prominence was not derived only from Cordenio's professional
success, but also from the activities of his wife Mary, who developed a reputation as a philanthropist
and leader in a wide variety of organizations. During the late 1870s and the 1880s, Mary attended
both Carleton College and Wellesley College and completed three years of a post -graduate program
at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. Upon returning to the United States, Mary worked as a
school teacher in Hastings, Minnesota before marrying Cordenio in 1889.ss
The list of organizations in which Mary took an active role forms an impressive resume. As
one newspaper obituary noted,
[Mary Severance's] activities in political, civic, social educational and general welfare fields
were legion... Probably one of the most active women in Minnesota, she has been identified
with virtually every progressive women's organization. Her abilities as an organizer of
[women] were recognized by national [leaders] and in a number of instances [she] gave of
her time and effort in [the] national affairs of national organizations. But principally her
activities were centered in local philanthropies and civic endeavors."
Mary was particularly interested in child welfare, serving as chairwoman of the Ramsey
County Child Welfare Board and the Ramsey County Child Labor Committee, director of the
Protestant Orphan Asylum, and a member of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
Her political engagement included membership in the first Republican executive committee to
include women and the first presidency of the Ramsey County Republican Women's Club. She was
a participant in local and national political campaigns, including the campaign for women's suffrage,
a member of the Women League of Voters, and author of a handbook for women voters. Like
Cordenio, she was a patron of the arts, participating in the Schubert Club, chairing the women's
committee of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, and directing the St. Paul Institute and St. Paul
Association. Her involvement in relief work included a position as a director of the American Red
Cross, the Fund for French Wounded, the National League for Women's Service, and the St. Paul
chapter of the Red Cross, and she received an award from King Albert of Belgium for her support of
Belgian relief during World War I. In addition to these activities, she helped to found the Business
and Professional Women's Club in St. Paul, served on the advisory committees for Wellesley and
Carleton Colleges, and was a member of patriotic organizations such as the Daughters of the
American Revolution, the Colonial Dames, and the Daughters of Patriots and Founders.''
Like her husband, Mary's activities featured prominently in the society columns of St. Paul
newspapers. The 1912 History of St. Paul and Vicinity noted that "Mrs. Severance is the mistress of an
attractive and hospitable home, and both she and her husband hold an assured place in St. Paul
Society."58 Both Mary and Cordenio were included in the 1916 Summer Social Register, a listing of
M
prominent members of the American upper class.59 Mary was also listed in the 1924 Who's Who
Among Minnesota Women and the 1924 Biographical Cyclopedia of American Women.60
Cedarhurst. c. 1669 -1925
From 1889 until their deaths in 1925, the Severances developed their Cottage Grove estate
into a social hub that would become known as "Cedarhurst," a place for maintaining and developing
existing professional and personal connections and pursuing their individual interests. For most of
their married lives, the Severances appear to have maintained residences in both St. Paul and Cottage
Grove, utilizing Cedarhurst as a part-time "country" residence for entertaining guests and
vacationing during the summer. As early as 1892, a newspaper article records Mary Severance
entertaining guests at her "country house" in Cottage Grove, and an article from June, 1893, noted
that the Severances had "gone to their farm at Cottage Grove."" Articles from the mid to late 1890s
record additional summers spent at Cedarhurst and additional parties and events hosted here by the
Severances.62
From 1890 until 1902, St. Paul city directories list Cordenio Severance's residence as 589
Summit Avenue, St. Paul (located in the local, state, and NRHP-designated Historic Hill District),
where he and his wife had moved shortly following their marriage.63 From 1903 until 1907,
Severance was listed as a resident of St. Paul's Aberdeen Hotel.64 From 1908 until the early 1920s, St.
Paul directories list Severance as a resident of Cottage Grove, suggesting that the Severances
considered Cedarhurst their primary residence in their later years.65 Though other publications from
1912 and 1923 still provided a "town" residence for Cordenio at the St. Paul Hotel, a 1921 article in
the American Bar Association Journal also suggested that the Severances preferred to reside at
Cedarhurst, noting that "the legal residence of Mr. Severance is St. Paul, but when Mr. and Mrs.
Severance are in Minnesota they usually occupy Cedarhurst. ,66
According to accounts by several secondary sources, including architectural historian Robert
Vogel, the Severances expanded and remodeled the original c. 1867 farmhouse at their Cottage
Grove property in the late 1880s.67 Given that the Severances were married in 1889, however, this
remodeling likely occurred at a slightly later date. Newspaper articles from February 1903 indicate
that Cedarhurst had "quite extensive repairs" at this time; another article from December 1904
indicates that the property had been "done over and is now one of the most charming and complete
country homes in this part of the country. ,6' This evidence suggests that c. 1904 is a better date for
the Severance's expansion of the original c. 1867 house. However, given that parties were hosted at
the property as early as 1892, there may have been two expansions and remodeling campaigns — one
in the early 1890s and another in the early 1900s. Given the architectural styles employed (see
below), it is even possible that the property was expanded by the Harrimans before being acquired
by the Severances in c. 1889. A final expansion commissioned by the Severances and likely designed
by St. Paul architect Allen H. Stem can be firmly dated to 1917 (see below).
ELF
A 1994 compilation of the Severance's family history includes several photos that show the
remodeled and expanded house prior to the construction of the 1917 addition (see Figures E, F, G,
and P). The photos which date to the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries show a cross -
gabled, two-story addition attached to the east elevation of what was likely the original c. 1867
house. An elevated, columned portico accessed via steps at its north, south, and east sides dominated
the primary east elevation. At the north elevation, the second level was cantilevered over the
driveway to create a portico supported by columns. A windowed cupola was located near the center
of the cross -gabled roof. A cross -gabled, two-story segment with one-story porch along its west and
south elevations (likely the original c. 1867 house) is visible at the rear of the addition along with a
formal garden with concrete knee wall topped with balustrades and wooden trellises.'9
The design of this addition (or additions) can be best described as a blend of Greek Revival
and Italianate architectural styles. The low-pitched gabled roof, prominent cornice with wide band
of trim, front -gabled, full -height entry porch supported by Tuscan columns, and three-part
windows on the south elevation reflect the Greek Revival style popular in the United States from
approximately 1825 until 1860. However, the house lacked the elaborate door surrounds with
transoms and sidelights common to this architectural style. Moreover, the two -over -two windows
and the central cupola are not characteristic of the Greek Revival style and are more indicative of the
Italianate style commonly employed in the designs of American houses c. 1840 — 1885.70
By 1901, a plat map indicates that the Severances owned 158 acres of land surrounding
Cedarhurst (Figure Q). By 1912, this had expanded to 547 acres (Figure R), most of which the
Severances appear to have retained until their deaths in 1925.71 Several sources indicate that this
acreage was actively farmed, presumably by individuals or families employed by the Severances. A
letter from Mary Severance dated c. 1906 described the property as consisting of "700 acres, five
large and three small houses, and 37 barns to be put in order each spring," suggesting that the
Severances maintained additional structures on their larger acreage, perhaps for rental to tenant
farmers.'' According to another 1925 source, "the Cedarhurst estate included a farm of more than
500 acres, and Mr. Severance was in touch with the management of all its affairs."73
In 1916, the Severances commissioned a large addition to their home (likely completed in
1917). Though numerous secondary sources have attributed this addition to architect Cass Gilbert,
correspondence included in the Davis, Kellogg & Severance papers at the Minnesota Historical
Society (MNHS) archives indicates that St. Paul architect Allen H. Stem was very likely responsible
for its design. The mistaken attribution of the addition's design to architect Cass Gilbert may have
stemmed from Gilbert and Severance's professional connections. Correspondence between the
architect and the firm of Davis, Kellogg & Severance in both the Davis, Kellogg & Severance papers
and the Cass Gilbert papers (also on file at the MNHS archives) indicates that law firm assisted
Gilbert with at least one legal matter pertaining to a property in northern Minnesota.74
The likely designer of the 1917 Cedarhurst addition, St. Paul architect Allen Stem, was born
in Ohio in 1856. After graduating from the Indianapolis Art School and practicing with his father,
U1]
architect J. H. Stem, he moved to St. Paul to establish a partnership with Edgar Hodgson. In 1890,
Stem joined with architect Charles Reed to form what would become, in the words of Minnesota
architectural historian Alan Lathrop, "a highly successful and lucrative practice." Reed and Stem's
design of New York's Grand Central Station brought them national recognition, and the firm
completed numerous commissions for the New York Central Railroad. These included the NYCRR
Power Station in Port Morris, New York, and the Union Station at Troy, New York (1892). They
also designed stations and depots for the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railroads at Devils
Lake and Bismarck, North Dakota. According to Lathrop, the firm's notable St. Paul designs include
the Palazzo Apartments, 10th and St. Peter Street (1890), the William Hamm residence, 668
Greenbrier Street (1892), the St. Paul Hotel, 350 Market Street (1909), and the University Club, 420
Summit Avenue (1912).
Following Reed's death in 1911, Stem brought Alfred Fellheimer and St. Paul architect Roy
Haslund into the partnership with Fellheimer occupying the firm's New York office and Haslund
remaining in St. Paul. Stem continued to practice until his retirement in 1920 and passed away in
1931. Lathrop lists the St. Paul Athletic Club at 340 Cedar Street (1917), the Allen Stem residence in
Dellwood (c. 1920), and the St. Paul Casket Company at 1222 University Avenue (1922) as some of
Haslund and Stem's most notable designs. 75
While drawings of the 1917 Cedarhurst addition have not been uncovered, correspondence
from Stem's office to Severance dated to the fall of 1916 indicates that Stem was overseeing
construction of the addition, indicating that Stem was likely responsible for its design.76 Given that
Reed & Stem also designed the Severances' 1911 garage, it is not surprising that Severance would
select Stem again for this job.
This last addition to Cedarhurst was opened to visitors for the first time in July of 1917. 77
The cross -gabled addition was added to the north elevation of the existing house to create a second
full -height, front -gabled columned porch at the primary east elevation and a two-story, windowed,
projecting bay at the north elevation (see Figures I and J). The bay window and full -height,
columned, front -gabled porch as well as the general symmetry of the addition are characteristic of
the Neoclassical Revival style. Most commonly utilized in American houses constructed between the
mid- 1890s and the mid-1950s, the style drew from the earlier Greek Revival and Early Classical
Revival styles. At Severance's addition, the new porch columns were apparently designed in a simple
style to match the columns at the existing porch at the east elevation rather than utilizing a more
ornate design common to Neoclassical Revival -style houses. The low-pitched gabled roof,
prominent cornice with wide band of trim, and two -over -two windows with wood trim likewise
reflect the design of the c. 1890s/early 1900s addition.78
The extent to which the existing house was altered in 1917 to accommodate the addition is
unknown. Alterations that appear in early 1930s or c. 1940 historic photographs (Figures K and S)
but cannot be dated with certainty include:
21
• installation of an elevator with rooftop penthouse (likely 1920s; by 1932)
• the removal of the cupola (by 1932)
• at the west elevation of the original c. 1867 house, the extension of the second level over the
first level to create another porch (by 1932)
• replacement of the primary entrance at the south side of the east elevation with the existing
wood and glass door with elaborate surround (by c. 1940)79
Primary sources indicate that the site landscaping during the Severances' occupation of the
property included lilac hedges bordering extensive lawns; large mature trees, including a grove of
cedars surrounding the house; and gardens (Figures E — I and P).S0 As one 1923 newspaper article
described, the property consisted of"an imposing white structure of colonial architecture [which]
stands surrounded by gigantic and venerable trees and broad gardens where long rows of old-
fashioned flowers lend a vivid splash of color to the landscape."" According to an 1984 interview
with the daughter of the Severance's gardener William Haapla (Margaret Haapla), the landscaping
was designed by the firm of Holm and Olson, which supplied plant and garden materials and
provided residential landscape design to Twin Cities residents during the early twentieth century.82
However, no additional information was uncovered to directly link Holm and Olson with the design
of the Cedarhurst grounds.
The Severances became widely associated with the entertainment and they provided at
Cedarhurst. Though they maintained a home in St. Paul as well as in Cottage Grove, as early as 1902
the couple was described as "wedded to their beautiful old home at Cottage Grove."13 A 1910 article
asserted that "their residence at Cottage Grove is a well-equipped city mansion, and when at home
they entertain extensive ly. " 14At the time of Cordenio's death in 1925, his obituary asserted that "for
years the Severance country place, Cedarhurst, near Cottage Grove, Minn., has been the scene of
entertainment on a manorial scale. Due to extensive travel, as well as to the international scope of
Mr. Severance's professional interests, his acquaintanceship included notables from all parts of the
world, so that Cedarhurst has for years been included in the itinerary of nearly all celebrated visitors,
American and European, to the Northwest."85 This was echoed by a 1928 publication, which
asserted that "during the later years of Mr. Severance's life, Cedarhurst was a center of hospitality.
Few homes in this country attracted a wider circle of distinguished visitors from this and other
lands."86
Newspapers are full of references to parties and distinguished visitors at Cedarhurst,
reflecting Cordenio and Mary's business associations and social connections. In the words of one
1925 newspaper article, the house was "famous in the annals of American social life."87 Another
article noted that "among the guests who have enjoyed its hospitality are distinguished statesmen
from Europe and Asia; artists of international fame; many important writers; and innumerable men
and women who have been conspicuous in American affairs in the past quarter century."88 Guests
who could be verified through newspaper article references included Senator Frank Kellogg,89 actor
Richard Mansfield,90 the executive committee of the American Bar Association (see Figure S),91 the
22
National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs,92 the Fourth District of the
Minnesota Federation of Women's Clubs,93 Judge Walter Sanborn and his associates on the circuit
court of appeals,94 judges of state supreme courts," American journalist Eleanor Franklin Egan,"
American novelist Hamlin Garland,97 judges of the circuit court,98 and the president of Carleton
College.99 A 1999 article in the Ramsey County History Magazine indicates that the Queen Marie of
Romania, Grace Coolidge, wife of president Calvin Coolidge, and United States Supreme Court
Justice Charles Evans Hughes were among the visitors to Cedarhurst; other sources list presidents
Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Warren G. Harding as visitors. Their visits could
not be verified through primary sources. However, Cordenio Severance accompanied presidential
candidate William Taft during 1908 trip to Minneapolis and Mary Severance was actively involved
in Warren Harding's 1920 campaign, suggesting that these individuals may have visited the
Cedarhurst estate.'oo The Severances were also known to host summer picnics for children at the
Protestant Orphan Asylum (of which Mary Severance was the director)."'
When Cordenio Severance died in May of 1925, his death was covered by newspapers across
the nation.'O' Obituaries described him as "a great lawyer and patron of the arts," an "internationally -
known St. Paul attorney and relief worker," a man with "an international reputation as a lawyer,
business man, and patron of the arts, literature and science" and an individual with "an international
reputation as an authority on corporation law."103 His funeral at Cedarhurst was attended by the
mayor of St. Paul, the governor of Minnesota, well-known attorneys and businessmen, and hundreds
of other individuals. In St. Paul, federal court was adjourned to allow judges to attend the funeral."'
Mary Severance died on September 11, 1925, just four months after Cordenio's passing.
Obituaries described Mary as an "internationally known clubwoman and social leader,"105 a
"nationwide leader in women's activities" and "pioneer suffrage worker,"'o6 and "prominent in
women's club work and various civic projects in the Twin Cities."107 One obituary included
statements from St. Paul Mayor Arthur Nelson, Supreme Court Justice Pierce Butler, and leaders of
numerous local civic organizations. Her funeral at Cedarhurst was also well attended by hundreds of
individuals, including representatives from numerous organizations of which she was a member."'
Cedarhurst: 1925 — Present
Between 1925 and the present, ownership of Cedarhurst has changed hands several times.
Following Mary Severance's death, ownership of Cedarhurst passed to her cousin, Mary Zelch.109
The 1938 plat map of Cottage Grove indicates that the Zelchs also owned the surrounding 100 acres
of land.11' A 1929 periodical noted that Mary and her husband John were living in St. Paul Park,
suggesting that they did not occupy their Cottage Grove estate.11' In 1939, Harvey Boomer, vice
president of the Jobbers Supply Company of Minneapolis, and his wife Celia purchased the property.
Following the Boomer's divorce in 1946, Celia was granted the property, which at that time
included approximately 140 or 160 acres of surrounding land and was being farmed by the
Boomers."' By 1950, the property had been purchased by Colonel Francis Markoe. In 1962, the
estate was sold to the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul. The Archdiocese apparently never realized its
23
intent to utilize the site as an elderly living facility, and the property was vacant for several years in
the 1960s.113 Sometime between 1973 and 1976, the Cordenio Severance House and ten acres of
surrounding land were acquired by St. Paul florist Frederick Newman. During Newman's
ownership, the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places."'
In 1977, the property was purchased by Jean and Ron Nienaber, who utilized Cedarhurst as
their personal residence, the site of their catering service and interior decorating businesses, and an
event space."' Building permits document several alterations to the main house at this time,
including reroofing, the addition of a wood fence and a ramp, and porch replacement (likely the
south porch at the c. 1867 portion of the house). Alterations to the site included the installation of a
septic system and planting of 60 trees."'
The property's next owner, Leyland Gohlike, acquired Cedarhurst around 1997, intending
to use the property as a bed and breakfast, restaurant, and conference center.117 Building permit
records list a few alterations completed during the late 1990s, including the remodeling of the first
level kitchen, roof replacement on the 1911 garage, and alterations to Shed #2.11s
In 2001, the property was purchased by the Thao family. The Thaos completed substantial
repair and restoration work and operated Cedarhurst as event space for weddings, conferences, and
other gatherings. According to city building permit records, exterior alterations completed during
the Thaos' ownership included roof replacement and replacement of original cornice molding with
gutters. At the interior, modifications and repairs included plaster and drywall repair, installation of a
sprinkler system and bar area, floor replacement, repair of interior water damage, and remodeling of
two second -level bathrooms.119
24
RECOMMENDED CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION AND PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE
For a property to be listed on the NRHP, it must demonstrate historical significance by
meeting at least one of the NPS Criteria for Evaluation and retain integrity (the physical materials
and features that were present during the time when the property achieved historical significance).
The NPS Criteria for Evaluation define historically significant properties as properties:
A. That are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad
patterns of our history; or
B. That are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or
C. That embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or
that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a
significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or
D. That have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in history or
prehistory. "'
Cedarhurst was listed on the NRHP in 1976. In the words of the nomination, "the
significance of this house lies in its association with Cordenio Severance, a leading St. Paul attorney
from 1887 through the 1920s, and as an example of an opulent country estate. "12' Though Criteria
for Evaluation are not listed, this statement suggests that the property was intended to be nominated
under Criterion B (association with significant individual) and Criterion C (architectural
significance). The nomination does not provide a clear period of significance for the property.
Based on our research, we agree that the property's listing on the NRHP corresponds to
its association with notable St. Paul attorney Cordenio Severance under Criterion B.
Severance's significance within the legal profession is well documented. Research has revealed that
Cedarhurst was strongly associated with Severance during his lifetime, and the property appears to
have played an important role in fostering and maintaining the relationships that supported
Severance's professional success.
Based on our research, we do not agree that the property meets Criterion C for
architectural significance. The house does not appear to embody the distinctive characteristics of a
particular architectural style, nor does it appear to be the best representation of the works of St. Paul
architect Allen Stem.
According to the National Park Service, "the period of significance for a property significant
for Criterion B is usually the length of time the property was associated with the important
person.""' Therefore, we recommend a period of significance for Cedarhurst of 1889 — 1925,
reflecting the time period during which Severance owned and occupied the property.
25
ADDITIONAL RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
In addition to Cedarhurst's documented historical significance for association with Cordenio
Severance, our research revealed additional areas of the site's history that could also be explored: 1) its
archaeological potential and 2) the significance of Mary Severance.
In 1997, an archaeological investigation was completed on the Cedarhurst site as part of an
archaeology course offered through the local school district. According to a 1997 memorandum
prepared by Cottage Grove historic preservation staff person Robert Vogel, "limited archaeological
excavations carried out at Cedarhurst in May 1997 identified below -ground cultural features
associated with the nineteenth century occupation and use of the property. The historic route of the
Military Road, which dates from the 1850s, also cuts across the northern edge of the Cedarhurst
estate." 12' Based on this information, the site may have the potential to yield additional information
important in prehistory or history through future archaeological excavations. Additional research in
this area may allow for the evaluation of the site under Criterion D.
Additionally, our research suggests that Mary Severance achieved prominence as a
philanthropist and leader in a wide variety of organizations. Mary's potential significance within the
women's suffrage movement and other areas of social and political history remains to be fully
explored. Additional research may reveal that Cedarhurst should also be considered historically
significant under Criterion B for its association with Mary Severance.
ENDNOTES
' National Register of Historic Places Nomination 7600177, Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota,
https:Hnpgaflery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/76001077.
' National Park Service, How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, rev. ed., 1997, p. 14,
https://www.nps.gov/subj ects/nationalregister/upload/NRB-15_web5O8.pdf.
' Plat maps indicate that the Severances owned between 158 and 547 acres of surrounding farmland between 1901 and
1925. See Northwest Publishing Company, Plat Book of Washington County, Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN: Northwest
Publishing Company, 1901), Sheet 41; Hudson Map Company, 1926 Plat Map of Washington County, on file at the John R.
Borchert Map Library, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
' National Park Service, How to Complete the National Register Registration Form, 1997, p. 16,
https://www. nps.gov/subj ects/nationalregister/upload/NRB 16A-Complete.pdf.
5 Aerial photographs of Cedarhurst, 1964, John R. Borchert Map Library Minnesota Historical Aerial Photographs Online,
https:Happs.lib.unm.edu/mhapo/ (hereafter cited as MHAPO); Nationwide Environmental Title Research Historic Aerials
Viewer, 1980 aerial photograph, accessed March 18, 2022, https://www.historicaerials.com/viewer (hereafter cited as
NETR HAV).
' Pre-1917 photographs of Cedarhurst, on file at the City of Cottage Grove; aerial photographs of Cedarhurst, 1936, 1945,
1947, and 1964, MHAPO; 1980 aerial photograph, NETR HAV; "Cottage Grove Cultural Resource Summary," WA-
CGC-002, July 1984, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
' "Cordenio Arnold Severance," American Bar Association Journal 7, no. 9 (September 1921), 451, 453,
https://v;wwjstor.org/stable/25710642; `Blossoming Lilacs Bid Severance Longed for Welcome Last Time," unknown
newspaper, 1925, in "Cedarhurst Family History," ed. Jean Nienaber, 1994, on file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St
Paul, MN (hereafter cited as MNHS; "Mrs. Cordenio A. Severance Is Hostess at Brilliant Tea," St. Paul Sunday Pioneer
Press, September 9, 1923, in "Cedarhurst Family History," ed. Jean Nienaber, on file at MNHS; "Solemn Simplicity Marks
Last Honors to Severance By Nation, State and City," unknown newspaper, 1925, in "Cedarhurst Family History," ed. Jean
Nienaber, on file at MNHS; Pre-1917 and 1917 photographs of Cedarhurst, on file at the City of Cottage Grove; Aerial
photographs of Cedarhurst, 1936 and 1947, MHAPO.
' See "Site History" section of this report for citations and more information.
' See "Site History" section of this report for citations and more information.
10 According to building permit records on file at the City of Cottage Grove, K-style gutters installed in 2002 replaced the
original wood cornice molding. See "Certificate of Appropriateness," September 3, 2002, "Certificate of Appropriateness,"
September 11, 2022, and City of Cottage Grove building permit 0202928, 6940 Keats Avenue South, September 11, 2022,
on file at the City of Cottage Grove. Some metal gutters and downspouts on Wing B have an older appearance and were
clearly installed at an earlier date.
" These light fixtures are visible in c. 1966 photographs of the house but cannot be dated. See c. 1966 photographs of
Cedarhurst, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
12 City of Cottage Grove Building Permit 014874, 6940 Keats Avenue, November 13, 1986, on file at the City of Cottage
Grove.
" 1959 photograph of Cedarhurst, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
is National Register of Historic Places Nomination 7600177, Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota,
https:Hnpgaflery.nps.gov/AssetDetaA/NRIS/76001077.
15 Robert Vogel to John Burbank, May 12, 1994, Memorandum, "Review of Building Permit - Historic Cedarhurst," on
file at the City of Cottage Grove; City of Cottage Grove building permit 9402079, 6940 Keats Avenue South, October 17,
1994, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
16 "A Cordial Welcome to Cedarhurst," c. late 1970s, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
" Justina J Pope to Ms. Vicki Neudahl, January 2, 2007, on file at the City of Cottage Grove; Brady Silver, "Washington
County Bulletin,"June 20, 2007, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
27
" According to a 1970s promotional brochure for Cedarhurst, the elevator was installed in the 1920s when Cordenio
Severance's health began to decline. This is supported by a 1932 photograph, which indicates that the elevator penthouse
was installed by that date. "A Cordial Welcome to Cedarhurst," c. late 1970s, on file at the City of Cottage Grove; 1932
photograph of Cedarhurst, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
19 City of Cottage Grove building permit 9900071, 6940 Keats Avenue South, February 9, 1999 and "Certificate of
Appropriateness for Minor Work," August 25, 1997, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
21 Historic photographs of the Cordenio Severance House, pre-1917, 1917 or later, 1932, and undated, on file at the City of
Cottage Grove.
21 Robert Vogel, "Minnesota Architecture -History Inventory Form," WA-CGC-002, 6940 Keats Avenue South, 1988 -
1990, on file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (MN SHPO), St. Paul, MN; Cottage Grove Historic Sites
Inventory Form, 9905 Military Road, undated, on file at the City of Cottage Grove; photographs of gardener's cottage,
undated, on file at the City of Cottage Grove; aerial photograph of Cedarhurst, 1936, 1945, 1964, MHAPO; Virginia
Savage McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses (New York: Alfred Knopf, 2014), 567 - 578; Robert Vogel,
Preliminary Inventory of Pre-1940 Houses in the City of Cottage Grove, (Prepared for the City of Cottage Grove Parks,
Recreation and Natural Resources Commission and the Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation, September 1988),
59.
22 Larry Klueh, "Barns in the City: Agrarian Landmarks in Cottage Grove," Perspectives in Cottage Grove History, No. 4
(August 1989), 9; photograph of barn, likely pre-1925, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
23 Aerial photograph of Cedarhurst, 1936, MHAPO.
21 "Severance Garage: Specifications for Garage for Mr. C. A. Severance at Cedarhurst, Cottage Grove, Minn.," File 2892,
Box 38, Davis, Kellogg & Severance Law Firm Records, MNHS; and "Contract: Garage, C. A. Severance, Cottage Grove,
Minn.," June 15, 1911, File 2892, Box 38, Davis, Kellogg & Severance Law Firm Records, MNHS. For Reed & Stem, see
"Party at Fairgrounds," Minneapolis Journal, April 12, 1910; "Reed & Stem Papers," Northwest Architectural Archives,
accessed March 17, 2022, https:Harchives.lib.unm.edu/repositories/8/resources/2218. For the date of the addition, see
Society," Minneapolis Morning Tribune, July 10, 1917.
2s Robert Vogel to Bob La Brosse, February 22, 1999, memorandum, "Cedarhurst," on file at the City of Cottage Grove;
photograph of garage, undated, on file at the City of Cottage Grove; "Cottage Grove Cultural Resource Summary," WA-
CGC-002, July 1984, on file at the City of Cottage Grove; "Severance Garage: Specifications for Garage for Mr. C. A.
Severance at Cedarhurst, Cottage Grove, Minn.," File 2892, Box 38, Davis, Kellogg & Severance Law Firm Records,
MNHS.
26 Aerial photograph of Cedarhurst, 1945, MHAPO.
2' Aerial photograph of Cedarhurst, 1945, MHAPO.
21 "Certificate of Appropriateness," October 7, 1998, on file at the City of Cottage Grove; City of Cottage Grove building
permit 9900072, 6940 Keats Avenue South, February 9, 1999, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
29 Historic photographs of the Cordenio Severance House, pre-1917, 1917 or later, 1932, and undated, on file at the City of
Cottage Grove.
31 Photographs of Cedarhurst, pre-1917, 1932, and 1937, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
31 Photographs of Cedarhurst, c. 1966, on file at the City of Cottage Grove; "Cottage Grove's 118-year-old Mansion
Comes Back to Life," Washington County Bulletin, October 26, 1978.
32 "Cottage Grove Cultural Resource Summary," WA-CGC-002, July 1984, on file at the City of Cottage Grove; Robert
Vogel to John Burbank, August 18, 1997, memorandum, "Site Plan Review and CUP Amendment for Historic Mary and
Cordenio Severance House," on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
33 The planter in the garden does not appear in a 1959 photograph of the garden, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
3' Robert Watson, Notes on the Early Settlement of Cottage Grove and Vicinity, Washington County, Minn, ed. Robert Vogel
(Northfield, MN, 1924), p. 35.
35 Watson, Notes on the Early Settlement of Cottage Grove, p. 35.
36 Charles E. Woodward and Mrs. Frank A. Belden, "Cottage Grove: From Unorganized Area to a Township to a Village,"
1972, on file at Park Grove Library, Cottage Grove, Minnesota.
37 "Fidelia Holbrook Fanning Harriman," Findagrave.com, accessed March 1, 2022,
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/35164982/fidelia-holbrook-harriman.
38 "Rose Chains," St. Paul Globe, June 27, 1889.
39 "Died," St. Paul Globe, December 22, 1889. An 1892 newspaper article indicates that the Severances occupied by the
property by that date. The 1901 plat map of Cottage Grove s,(iQws Mary as the owner of the 158-acre estate surrounding
the house. See "Mrs. Severance's House Party," St. Paul Globe, July 7, 1892 and Northwest Publishing Company, Plat Book
of Washington County, Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN: Northwest Publishing Company, 1901), Sheet 41.
40 Cordenio's house at 401 Clay Street in Mantorville is a contributing resource to the Mantorville Historic District. See
National Register of Historic Places Nomination #74001017, Mantorville Historic District, Dodge County, Minnesota,
https:Hnpgaflery.nps.gov/GetAsset/5c31684e-9223-4af 1-babe-626e97725515.
41 Samuel H. Morgan, "Timber, Steel, Law, and Politics: St. Paul's Pioneering Attorneys and Their More Interesting
Cases," Ramsey County History 33, no. 4 (Winter 1999), 5; Henry Anson Castle, History of St. Paul and Vicinity (Chicago:
Lewis Publishing Company, 1912), 1122. The McColl Building was renovated in 1967 - 1969 and listed on the National
Register of Historic Places in 1974. The nomination mentions that Davis, Kellogg, and Severance had offices in this
building. The areas of significance are listed as architecture, commerce, and politics. See "McColl Building (St. Paul, Minn.)
Remodeling Project Plans," University of Minnesota Libraries, Northwest Architectural Archives, accessed March 14, 2022,
https:Harchives.lib.umn.edu/repositories/8/resources/2372 and National Register of Historic Places Nomination #74001036,
Merchants National Bank, St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota, https:Hnpgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetaA/NRIS/74001036.
42 Marion Shutter and J.S. McLain, eds. Progressive Men of Minnesota (Minneapolis: Minneapolis Journal, 1897), 167, 254; "A
Sketch of the Life of Mr. Severance," in "Cedarhurst Family History," ed. Jean Nienaber, MNHS; "Cordenio Arnold
Severance," American Bar Association journal 7, no. 9 (September 1921), 451, 453, https://vAvwjstor.org/stable/25710642;
"Cushman Kellogg Davis," National Governors Association, accessed March 7, 2022,
https://www.nga.org/governor/cushman-kellogg-davis/; "The Nobel Peace Prize 1929," nobelprize.org, accessed March 7,
2022, https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1929/summary/; R. L. Polk & Co., St. Paul City Directory (St. Paul, MN: R.
L. Polk & Co., 1922), 430.
43 "Davis, Kellogg & Severance: An Inventory of Its Law Firm Records at the Minnesota Historical Society," Minnesota
Historical Society, accessed March 7, 2022, http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00361.xa; Morgan, "Timber, Steel,
Law, and Politics," 5 - 9; W. B. Hennessy, Past and Present of St. Paul (Chicago, S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1906),
654.
44 "Cordenio Arnold Severance: 1862 - 1925," American Bar Association Journal, 11, No. 6 (June 1925), 370.
45 "Cushman Kellogg Davis," National Governors Association, accessed March 7, 2022,
https://www.nga.org/governor/cushman-kellogg-davis/; "Frank B. Kellogg," Britannica.com, accessed March 7, 2022,
https://w-ww.britannica.com/biography/Frank-B-Keflogg.
46 Douglas A. Hedin, foreword to "Cordenio Arnold Severance," originally published in James Grafton Rogers, American
Bar Leaders: Biographies of the Presidents of the American Bar Association, 1878-1928 (Chicago: American Bar Association,
1932).
41 Cordenio Arnold Severance," American Bar Association Journal 7, no. 9 (September 1921), 451, 453,
https://wwwjstor.org/stable/25710642; "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Appt., v. UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD
COMPANY et al.," Legal Information Institute, Cornell University, accessed March 7, 2022,
https://www.law.comefl.edu/supremecourt/text/226/61; "Cordenio Arnold Severance: 1862 - 1925," American Bar
Association Journal, 11, No. 6 (June 1925), 370.
Oft Castle, History of St. Paul and Vicinity, 1122.
49 "Cordenio Arnold Severance," American Bar Associationiournal 7, no. 9 (September 1921), 451, 453,
https://vAvwjstor.org/stable/25710642.
so Frank B. Kellogg, "An Appreciation," in "Cedarhurst Family History," ed. Jean Nienaber, 1994, on file at MNHS;
"Cordenio Arnold Severance," American Bar Association Journal 7, no. 9 (September 1921), 451, 453,
https://vAvwjstor.org/stable/25710642; "Cordenio Arnold Severance: 1862-1925," American Bar Association_Journal, 11,
No. 6 (June 1925), 369.
" "Cordenio Arnold Severance: 1862 - 1925," American Bar Association Journal, 11, NO. 6 (June 1925), 369.
52 St. Paul Pioneer Press as quoted in "Cordenio Arnold Severance: 1862 - 1925," American Bar Association Journal, 11, NO. 6
(June 1925), 369.
53 Shutter and McLain, eds. Progressive Men of Minnesota, 167; Charles E. Flandrau, Encyclopedia of Biography of Minnesota
(Chicago: Century Publishing and Engraving Company, 1900), 410; Albert Nelson Marquis, ed., The Book of Minnesotans
(Chicago: A. N. Marquis & Company, 1907), 458; Warren Upham and Rose Barteau Dunlap, Minnesota Biographies 1655 -
1912 (St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 1912), 691 - 692; Albert Nelson Marquis, Who's Who in America, Vol. 12
(Chicago: A. N. Marquis & Company, 1922 - 1923), 2722; Joseph A. Burnquist, ed. Minnesota and Its People, Vol. 3
(Chicago: S.J. Clark Publishing Company, 1924), 164. For examples of references in local newspapers, see "St. Paul Social
aN
Circles," St. Paul Globe, November 2, 1902; "Society," Minneapolis Morning Tribune, July 10, 1917; and "Society,"
Minneapolis Morning Tribune, November 2, 1920.
5" "Cordenio Arnold Severance: 1862 - 1925," American Bar Association.Journal, 11, No. 6 (June 1925), 369.
ss "Mrs. Severance, Women's Leader, Dies in Germany," unknown newspaper, 1925, and "A Sketch in the Life of Mrs.
Severance," in "Cedarhurst Family History," ed. Jean Nienaber, on file at MNHS; "Tribute to Mrs. Severance," untitled
newspaper, in "Cedarhurst Family History," ed. Jean Nienaber, on file at MNHS.
s6 "Mrs. Severance, Women's Leader, Dies in Germany," unknown newspaper, 1925, in "Cedarhurst Family History," ed.
Jean Nienaber, on file at MNHS.
57 "Mrs. Severance Dies at German Health Resort," unknown newspaper, 1925, in "Cedarhurst Family History," ed. Jean
Nienaber, on file at MNHS; "Working Day of 8 Hours Necessary..." Minneapolis Journal, October 28, 1919; Mary Dillon
Foster, ed., Who's Who Among Minnesota Women (Mary Dillon Foster: 1924), 294; Mabel Ward Cameron, ed., The
Biographical Cyclopedia of American Women (New York: Harvard Publishing Company, 1924), 150.
58 Castle, History of St. Paul and Vicinity, 1122.
s9 Social Register Association, Summer Social Register (New York: The Summer Social Register Association, 1916), 916.
60 Foster, Who's Who Among Minnesota Women, 294; Cameron, The Biographical Cyclopedia of American Women, 150.
" "Mrs. Severance's House Party," St. Paul Globe, July 7, 1892; "Neighborly Notations," Minneapolis Sunday Tribune, June
18, 1893. The name "Cedarhurst" appears in newspaper articles dating to the late 1890s. See for example "Personal," St. Paul
Globe, June 5, 1898.
62 See for example John Zelch Weds," St. Paul Globe, June 7, 1895; "Neighborly Notations," Minneapolis Tribune, August
29, 1897; "Additional Society," Minneapolis Tribune, May 12, 1895.
63 R. L. Polk & Co., St. Paul City Directory 1890 - 1891 (R. L. Polk & Co.: St. Paul, MN, 1890), 1231; R. L. Polk & Co., St.
Paul City Directory 1902 (R. L. Polk & Co.: St. Paul, MN, 1902), 1450; "In A Personal Way," St. Paul Daily Globe, July 6,
1890; "Historic Districts and Sites: Online Tools," City of St. Paul, accessed March 2, 2022,
https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/planning-and-economic-development/heritage-preservation/historic-districts-and-
sites.
6" R. L. Polk & Co., St. Paul City Directory 1903 (R. L. Polk & Co.: St. Paul, MN, 1903), 1510
65 R. L. Polk & Co., St. Paul City Directory 1908 (R. L. Polk & Co.: St. Paul, MN, 1908), 1528. A 1912 publication notes
that the Severances had a town residence at the St. Paul Hotel, and a country residence at Cedarhurst in Cottage Grove. See
Castle, History of St. Paul and Vicinity, 1122.
66 "Cordenio Arnold Severance," American Bar Association_Journal 7, no. 9 (September 1921), 451, 453,
https://wwwjstor.org/stable/25710642; Castle, History of St. Paul and Vicinity, 1122; Marquis, Who's Who in America, Vol.
12, 2722.
67 Robert C. Vogel, "Roosevelt, Taft Harding among guests at Cedarhurst," City of Cottage Grove Reports (Fall 1998), on
file at the City of Cottage Grove.
61 "Society," St. Paul Globe, February 1, 1903; "Society," St. Paul Globe, December 25, 1904.
69 Historic photographs of the Cordenio Severance House, pre-1917, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
70 Virginia Savage McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses (New York: Alfred Knopf, 2014), 251 - 264, 283 - 286.
71 The Farmer, The Farmer's Atlas and Directory of Washington County, Minnesota (St. Paul, MN: Webb Publishing
Company, 1912), Sheet 27; Northwest Publishing Company, Plat Book of Washington County, Minnesota (Minneapolis,
MN: Northwest Publishing Company, 1901), Sheet 41. The 1926 plat book shows 545 acres in the Severances' possession.
See Hudson Map Company, 1926 Plat Map of Washington County, on file at the John R. Borchert Map Library,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. A c. 1906 letter by Mary Severance indicated that the couple owned 700 acres in
1906. See Mary Harriman Severance to Wellesley College Class of'85 Reunions, c. 1906, in "Cedarhurst Family History,"
ed. Jean Nienaber, on file at MNHS.
72 Mary Harriman Severance to Wellesley College Class of'85 Reunions, c. 1906, in "Cedarhurst Family History," ed. Jean
Nienaber, 1994, on file at MNHS.
73 "Cordenio Arnold Severance: 1862 - 1925," American Bar Association Journal, 11, NO. 6 (June 1925), 370; St. Paul Pioneer
Press, as quoted in "Cordenio Arnold Severance: 1862 - 1925," American Bar Association Journal, 11, NO. 6 (June 1925),
370; "A Sketch of the Life of Mr. Severance," in "Cedarhurst Family History," ed. Jean Nienaber, on file at MNHS.
74 For example, see Letter to Cass Gilbert, May 29, 1913, Letterpress Book Volume 83, Box 95, Davis, Kellogg
& Severance Papers, Minnesota Historical Society Archives, St. Paul, Minnesota; C. A. Severance to Cass
'9111
Gilbert, February 18, 1893, Box 17, Cass Gilbert Papers, Minnesota Historical Society Archives, St. Paul,
Minnesota.
75 Alan Lathrop, Minnesota Architects (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2010), 94, 201 - 202; "Reed & Stem Papers,"
Northwest Architectural Archives, accessed March 17, 2022, https:Harchives.lib.unm.edu/repositories/8/resources/2218
76 The Kellogg, Davis & Severance papers contain several pieces of correspondence from an employee of A. H. Stem that
indicate that Stem was overseeing the construction of the 1916 addition. See for example B. W. Day to C. A. Severance,
October 10, 1916, Folder 2, File 13, Box 88, Davis, Kellogg & Severance Law Firm Records, MNHS.
77 "Society," Minneapolis Morning Tribune, July 10, 1917.
78 McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, 434 - 446.
79 Historic photographs of the Cordenio Severance House, 1932 and c. 1940, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
According to a 1970s promotional brochure for Cedarhurst, the elevator was installed in the 1920s when Cordenio
Severance's health began to decline. This is supported by a 1932 photograph, which indicates that the elevator penthouse
was installed by that date. "A Cordial Welcome to Cedarhurst," c. late 1970s, on file at the City of Cottage Grove; 1932
photograph of Cedarhurst, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
ft0 "Cordenio Arnold Severance," American Bar Association Journal 7, no. 9 (September 1921), 451, 453,
htt2s://www.istor.org/stable/25710642; "Solemn Simplicity Marks Last Honors to Severance By Nation, State and City,"
unknown newspaper, 1925, in "Cedarhurst Family History," ed. Jean Nienaber, on file at MNHS; "Blossoming Lilacs Bid
Severance Longed for Welcome Last Time," unknown newspaper, 1925, in "Cedarhurst Family History," ed. Jean
Nienaber, on file at MNHS; Samuel H. Morgan, "The Severances and Cedarhurst," May 23, 1982, in "Cedarhurst Family
History," ed. Jean Nienaber, on file at MNHS.
R1 "Mrs. Cordenio A. Severance Is Hostess at Brilliant Tea," St. Paul Sunday Pioneer Press, September 9, 1923.
ft2 "Notes Taken During Conversation with Margaret Haapla," February 28, 1984, in "Cedarhurst Family History," ed. Jean
Nienaber, on file at MNHS; Landscape Research, Designed Historic Landscape Report: Minnesota Governor's Residence
(prepared for the Governor's Residence Council and the 106 Summit Avenue Society, 2013), 17 - 18.
" "Society," St. Paul Globe, July 20, 1902.
" "Cordenio A. Severance," Minneapolis.Journal, March 31, 1910.
ss St. Paul Pioneer Press, as quoted in "Cordenio Arnold Severance: 1862 - 1925," American Bar Association.Journal, 11, NO.
6 (June 1925), 370.
86 "Cordenio Arnold Severance, Marry Harriman Severance," 1928, courtesy of Carleton College,
https:Hcontentdm.carleton.edu/digital/api/coflection/Archives/id/4949/download.
R7 "Hundreds Mourn at Severance Rites," unknown newspaper, 1925, in Nienaber, "Cedarhurst Family History," MNHS.
" "Mrs Severance Dies at German Health Resort," unknown newspaper, 1925, in Nienaber, "Cedarhurst Family History,"
MNHS.
R9 "Society," Minneapolis Morning Tribune, November 2, 1920.
90 "Mrs. C. A. Severance," St. Paul Globe, May 9, 1903.
" "Society," Minneapolis Morning Tribune, August 21, 1923.
" Lillian E. Taaffe, "Leaders Among American Business, Professional Women Plan Epoch Making Convention at St. Paul,"
Minneapolis Tribune, July 25, 1920
" "Minneapolis Women Attend Reception for Mrs. Wharry," Minneapolis Morning Tribune, October 25, 1921.
" "Society," Minneapolis Morning Tribune, May 24, 1921.
9s "Bar Delegates to Be Guests Here Tuesday," Minneapolis Sunday Tribune, August 20, 1922.
" "Society," Minneapolis Morning Tribune, December 11, 1923.
97 "Book Notes," St. Paul Globe, April 3, 1903.
" "Society," Minneapolis Sunday Tribune, May 21, 1922.
99 "Society," Minneapolis Sunday Tribune, May 28, 1922.
"' Morgan, "Timber, Steel, Law, and Politics," 7; Ralph Thornton, "House of History Up for Sale," Minneapolis Star,
February 18, 1964. For Taft, see "Taft Is Busy on Day of Rest," Minneapolis Tribune, September 28, 1908. For Harding, see
"Women Playing Important Part in Republican Campaign," Brainerd Daily Dispatch, October 21, 1920, and "Senator
Harding Reiterates Position on League," Brainerd Daily Dispatch, October 21, 1920.
101 "Mrs Severance Dies at German Health Resort," unknown newspaper, 1925, in Nienaber, "Cedarhurst Family History,"
MNHS.
31
"' See for example "C. A. Severance Dies," Billings Gazette, May 7, 1925; "C. A. Severance, Former Law Partner of
Kellogg, Dead," St. Louis Post -Dispatch, May 7, 1925; "Funeral of C. A. Severance," Wilkes-Barres Record [Pennsylvania],
May 12, 1925.
"' "Minnesotan, Internationally Known as Attorney, Relief Worker, Victim of Heart Ill," unknown newspaper, c. 1925
and "Cordenio A. Severance," unknown newspaper, c. 1925, in "Cedarhurst Family History," ed. Jean Nienaber, 1994, on
file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, MN (Hereafter cited as MNHS; "Nationally Known Lawyer Succumbs,"
Anaconda Standard [Montana], May 7, 1925.
114 "Many at Funeral of C. A. Severance," unknown newspaper, 1925, "Blossoming Lilacs Bid Severance Longed for
Welcome Last Time," unknown newspaper, 1925, "Severance to Be Paid Final Honors Today," unknown newspaper,
1925, and "Sec. Kellogg to Attend Rites of C. A. Severance," unknown paper, 1925, in Nienaber, "Cedarhurst Family
History," MNHS.
115 "Many Pay Tribute to Mrs. Severance," Minneapolis Journal, September 12, 1925.
"' "Mrs. C. A. Severance, Active in Club, Welfare Work," Minneapolis Daily Star, September 11, 1925.
117 "Mrs. Severance, Women's Leader, Dies in Germany," unknown newspaper, 1925 and "A Sketch in the Life of Mrs.
Severance," in Nienaber, "Cedarhurst Family History," MNHS.
1 ' "Tribute Paid to Mrs. Severance," September 29, 1925, unknown newspaper, and "Hundreds Mourn at Severance Rites,"
unknown newspaper, 1925, in Nienaber, "Cedarhurst Family History," MNHS.
"' "Mrs. Severance Leaves $500,000," St. Paul Daily News, undated, in "Nienaber, "Cedarhurst Family History," MNHS.
`0 Hudson Map Company, Plat Book of Washington County, Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN: Hudson Map Company, 1938),
19.
"' "Our Album," Community Life 1, no. 3 (October 31, 1929) in Nienaber, "Cedarhurst Family History," MNHS.
12 Paul Presbrey, "Rambling Mansion at Stake in Stillwater Court Battle," Minneapolis Sunday Tribune, May 19, 1946;
"Given $100,000 in Divorce Grant," Minneapolis Star Journal, July 10, 1946; Atlas Company, Plat Book of Washington
County, Minnesota (St. Paul, MN: Atlas Map Company, c. 1949).
13 Ralph Thornton, "House of History Up for Sale," Minneapolis Star, February 18, 1964; "Maureen Weds Lampert,"
Minneapolis Morning Tribune, September 7, 1951; Neal Gendler, "Cedarhurst: A Museum, A Business, and A Home,"
Minneapolis Tribune, February 4, 1979; "Owners/Occupants," unknown date, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
14 Neal Gendler, "Cedarhurst: A Museum, A Business, and A Home," Minneapolis Tribune, February 4, 1979; "Village of
Cottage Grove," Map, Rockford Map Publishers, 1976, on file at the John R. Borchert Map Library, Minneapolis,
Minnesota; National Register of Historic Places Nomination #7600177, Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota,
https://npgafery.nps.gov/AssetDetaA/NRIS/76001077; Robert C. Vogel, "Roosevelt, Taft Harding among guests at
Cedarhurst," City of Cottage Grove Reports (Fall 1998), on file at the City of Cottage Grove; "Cottage Grove's 118-year-old
Mansion Comes Back to Life," Washington County Bulletin, October 26, 1978.
15 Neal Gendler, "Cedarhurst: A Museum, A Business, and A Home," Minneapolis Tribune, February 4, 1979.
16 "Cottage Grove's 11 8-Year-Old Mansion Comes Back to Life," Washington County Bulletin, October 26, 1978; City of
Cottage Grove Plumbing Permit 5659, 6940 Keast Avenue South, November 22, 1978, City of Cottage Grove Building
Permit 0945, Cedarhurst, July 13, 1979, City of Cottage Grove Building Permit 10018, 6940 Keast Avenue South, June 22,
1979, City of Cottage Grove Building Permit 014874, 6940 Keats Avenue, November 13, 1986, and City of Cottage
Grove building permit 9402079, 6940 Keats Avenue South, October 17, 1994, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
"' Robert Vogel to Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation, September 15, 1997, memorandum, "Historic
Cedarhurst Conditional Use Permit and Site Plan," on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
1' Judy Spooner, "The Grand Lady," South Washington County Bulletin, December 10, 1997, on file at the City of Cottage
Grove; "Certificate of Appropriateness for Minor Work," August 25, 1997, on file at the City of Cottage Grove; City of
Cottage Grove building permit 9900071, 6940 Keats Avenue South, February 9, 1999, "Certificate of Appropriateness,"
September 11, 1998, "Certificate of Appropriateness," October 7, 1998, and City of Cottage Grove building permit
9900072, 6940 Keats Avenue South, February 9, 1999, on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
19 Muriel Tan, "New Owners Moving Into Historic Mansion," St. Paul Pioneer Press, August 17, 2001; Resolution No.
01-198, December 19, 2001, on file at the City of Cottage Grove; "Certificate of Appropriateness," September 3, 2002,
"Certificate of Appropriateness," September 11, 2022, City of Cottage Grove Building permit 0202928, 6940 Keast Avenue
South, September 11, 2022, City of Cottage Grove building permit 0300282, 6940 Keats Ave S Cedarhurst, March 20,
2003, Justina J Pope to Ms. Vicki Neudahl, January 2, 2007, City of Cottage Grove building permit 2012-00546, 6940
Keats Avenue South, April 13, 2012, and City of Cottage Grove Electrical Permit 2012-00558, 6950 Keats Avenue South,
April 13, 2012, on file at the City of Cottage Grove; Bob Shzw. "Rescued by Refugees," St. Paul Pioneer Press, January 6,
2008; "Cedarhurst Mansion Still Fascinating Part of Cottage Grove's Landscape," South Washington County Bulletin, June
18, 2003; Brady Silver, Washington County Bulletin, June 20, 2007, on file at the City of Cottage Grove; Judy Spooner,
"Jewel on the Prairie," South Washington County Bulletin, June 18, 2003.
120 National Park Service, How to Complete the National Register Registration Form, 1997, ,
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/NRB16A-Complete.pdf, p. 37.
121 National Register of Historic Places Nomination #7600177, Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota,
https://npgaRery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/76001077.
122 National Park Service, How to Complete the National Register Registration Form, 1997,
https://vvww.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/NRB16A-Complete.pdf, p. 42.
12' Robert Vogel to John Burbank, August 18, 1997, memorandum, "Site Plan Review and CUP Amendment
for Historic Mary and Cordenio Severance House," on file at the City of Cottage Grove; Nails, Boot, Bottle
Found During Cedarhurst Dig," CG Reports June 1997), on file at the City of Cottage Grove.
33
APPENDIX A: CURRENT PHOTOS
Photo 1. View of drive from 70th Street South, looking north.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
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Photo 2. View of roundabout, looking south.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 3. View of east elevation of Severance House (Wing A), looking west.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
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Photo 5. View of cedar trees and parking lot to the southwest of the Severance House,
looking northeast.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 6. View of garden, looking north.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 7. View of vegetation to the west of the Severance House, looking northeast.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 8. View of lawn to the west of the Severance House, looking east.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
A
Photo 9. View of east and north elevations of Severance House (Wing A), looking
southwest.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
- --
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all
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 11. View of west elevation of Severance House, looking east.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
�I
Photo 12. View of west elevation of Severance House (Wing A), looking east.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
7�
Photo 13. View of north elevation of Severance House (Wing B), looking south.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
I i
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��4'
Photo 14. View of west elevation of Severance House (Wing B), looking east.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 15. View of south elevation of Severance House (Wing B), looking north.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 16. View of west elevation of Severance House (Wing A), looking northeast.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
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Photo 18. View of east elevation of Severance House (Wing A), looking northwest.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 19. View of east elevation of Severance House, looking southwest.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 20. View of central entrance on east elevation of Severance House, looking west.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 21. View of lower level of Severance House (Wing B), looking south.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 22. View of lower level of Severance House (Wing B), looking south.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 23. View of tunnel between Wing B and Wing A at lower level of Severance
House, looking east.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 24. View of lower level of Severance House (Wing A), looking northeast.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 25. View of lower level of Severance House (Wing A), looking southwest.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 26. View of first level entrance hall of Severance House (Wing A), looking west.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 27.
-44
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-4
View of first level bathroom at Severance House (Wing A), looking southwest.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 28. View of first level ballroom in Severance House (Wing A), looking north.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 29. View of first level ballroom in Severance House, looking south.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
hilb
Photo 30. View of first level bar area in sitting room at Severance House (Wing A),
looking southwest.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 31. View of first -level hall at Severance House (Wing A), looking east.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 32. View of first -level sitting room at Severance House (Wing A), looking
northwest.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 33. View of first -level library (bedroom) at Severance House (Wing A), looking
southwest.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 34. View of first -level dining room at Severance House (Wing B), looking south.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 35. View of first level dining room at Severance House (Wing B), looking north.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 36. View of first -level kitchen at Severance House (Wing B), looking south.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 37. Photo of second -level bedroom at Severance House (Wing A), looking
northwest.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 38. View of second -level sunroom at Severance House (Wing A), looking north.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 39. View of second -level corridor at Severance House (Wing A), looking south.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 40. View of second -level corridor at Severance House (Wing A), looking south.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 41. View of second -level corridor at Severance House, looking west.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 42. View of second -level bedroom at Severance House (Wing A), looking
northeast.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 43. View of second -level bedroom at Severance House (Wing A), looking
northeast.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 44. View of second -level bathroom at Severance House (Wing A), looking
southeast.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
i
Photo 45. View of second level family room at Severance House (Wing B), looking
northwest.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 46. View of second -level dining room at Severance House (Wing B), looking
west.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 47. View of second -level kitchen at Severance House (Wing B), looking
northwest.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 48. View of attic at Severance House (Wing A), looking north.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 49. View of attic at Severance House (Wing A), looking southwest.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 50. View of gardener's cottage, looking northwest.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 51. View of north and west elevations of the barn, looking southeast.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 52. View of south and east elevations of the barn, looking northwest.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 53. View of east elevation of garage, looking west.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 54. View of north elevation of garage, looking southeast.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 55. View of south and east elevations of upholstery shop, looking northwest.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 56. View of north and west elevations of chicken coop, looking southeast.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
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Photo 59. View of south and east elevations of valet shelter, looking northwest.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
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Photo 61. View of trellis, looking southeast.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Photo 62. View of garden, looking south. Planter is visible at the center of the garden.
All photos by New History in March 2022 unless otherwise noted.
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APPENDIX B: FIGURES
Figure A. View of Severance House, looking southwest, pre-1917. Photograph taken
from "Cedarhurst Family History," ed. Jean Nienaber, 1994, on file at the Minnesota
Historical Society (MNHS), St. Paul, MN.
Figure B. Aerial photograph of Cedarhurst, 1936. Photograph courtesy of the John. R.
Borchert Map Library Minnesota Historical Aerial Photographs Online,
https://apps.lib.umn.edu/mhapo/. North is up.
Figure C. Aerial photograph of Cedarhurst, 1936. Photograph courtesy of the John R.
Borchert Map Library Minnesota Historical Aerial Photographs Online,
https:Happs.lib.umn.edu/mhapo/. North is up.
Iml
Figure D. Aerial photograph of Ceda&rst, 1945.—Photograph courtesy of the John R.
Borchert Map Library Minnesota Historical Aerial Photographs Online,
https:Happs.lib.umn.edu/mhapo/. North is up.
11
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L
Figure F. View of west and south elevations of Severance House, pre-1917. Photograph
Figure G. View of east lawn and east elevation of Severance House, looking northwest,
pre-1917. Photograph courtesy of the City of Cottage Grove.
Figure H. View of garden, looking southwest, 1917. Photograph taken from "Views of
`Cedarhurst,' Country Home of Mr. and Mrs. Cordenio A. Severance," [Minneapolis & St.
Paul] Saturday Night, July 28, 1917.
Figure I. View of east elevation of Severance House, looking southwest. Photograph
taken from "Views of `Cedarhurst,' Country Home of Mr. and Mrs. Cordenio A.
Severance," [Minneapolis & St. Paul] Saturday Night, July 28, 1917.
Figure J. View of north and west elevations of Severance House, looking south, 1917.
Figure K. View of west and south elevations of Severance House, looking northeast,
1932. Photograph courtesy of the City of Cottage Grove.
Figure L. View of south (top photo) and north/west (bottom photo) elevations of the
gardener's cottage, looking north and southeast, respectively. No date. Photograph
courtesy of the City of Cottage Grove.
i
Figure M. View of east elevation of barn, looking northwest, likely 1925 or earlier.
Figure N. View of garage, looking west. No date. The west elevation of the upholstery
shop is visible at the left side of the photograph. Photograph courtesy of the City of
Cottage Grove.
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s
15
178
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O
Figure O. Excerpt from plat map of Cottage Grove by C. M. Foote & Company, 1887,
Sheet 15. Courtesy of the John R. Borchert Map Library, University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis. Red arrow indicates location of the existing Severance House.
Figure P. View of Severance House, looking west, pre-1917. Photograph courtesy of the
City of Cottage Grove.
t' -1rZ'
1
0
Figure Q. Excerpt from plat map of Cottage Grove, 1901. Northwest Publishing
Company, Plat Book of Washington County (Minneapolis, MN: Northwest Publishing
Company, 1901), Sheet 41.
Figure R. Excerpt from plat map of Cottage Grove, 1912. The Farmer, The Farmer's Atlas
and Directory of Washington County, Minnesota (St. Paul, MN: Webb Publishing Company,
1912), Sheet 27.
Figure S. View of east elevation of Severance House, looking northwest, c. 1940.
Postcard courtesy of the City of Cottage Grove.
Photograph of Secretary Hughes and members of the Executive Committee of the American Bar Association taken
in the summer of 1923 at "Cedarhurst; Mr. Severance's homve. Reading from left to right: John B_ Corliss, William
Brosmith, Thomas W. Shelton, A. T. Stovall, Thomas W. Blackburn, Cordenio A. Severance, Frederick E. Wadhams,
John W. Davis, W. Thomas Kemp, Edgar Bronson Tolman, Charles E. Hughes, W. O. Hart, S. E. Ellsworth, John T.
Richards.
Figure T. Members of the Executive Committee of the American Bar Association at
Cedarhurst, 1923. Photograph taken from "Cordenio Arnold Severance: 1862 — 1925,"
American Bar Association Journal, 11, No. 6 June 1925).
�' 211111111111111111
Cordenio Severance House Development Diagram
M WING A
Possibly 1917� - -- — LJ
Z( WING B
WING A
LOWER LEVEL
® Presumed c. 1867 (Wing B)
❑ Presumed late 1800s/early 1900s (Wing A)
® Presumed 1917 (Wing A)
1916-1932
■ Post-1925
I I M
Eq1FIM=
SIZES AN6 DIMENSJDNS ARE APPROMMATE, ACTUAt- MAY VARY
Dates and extents of building additions/wings are
approximate. Where possible, these diagrams are based on
historic photographs. Some inferences have been made
based on physical evidence.
CrJMatterport
(2) Site Element
Current Property Boundaries
Historic Property Boundaries
Cedarhurst Site Map
r7oih St
,oth St S
-06
1. Cordenio Severance House 6. Chicken Coop 11. Ice House Foundation
2. Gardener's Cottage 7. Shed #1 12. Wood Trellis
3. Barn 8. Shed #2 13. Planters N
4. Garage 9. Valet Shelter 14. Wood Fences
5. Upholstery Shop 10. Garden Wall
Appendix E: Chronology of Development and Use
c. 1867 Charles Fanning owns the property, which is occupied
by Charles Fanning and his wife; Mr. and Mrs. Edwin
Hart and daughter Mary (Charles's daughter, son-in-
law, and granddaughter); and Fidelia Harriman and
Mary Frances Harriman (Charles's daughter and
granddaughter).'
By 1887
Fidelia Harriman inherits or acquires the property and
100 acres of surrounding land
June 1889
Mary Harriman marries Cordenio Severance
1889
Mary Severance inherits or acquire Cedarhurst,
including the house and 100 acres of surrounding land
c. early 1900s
By 1901
The Severances own 158 acres of land surrounding
Cedarhurst
c. late 1800s/
early 1900s
1911
By 1912
Severances own 547 acres of land surrounding
c
Cedarhurst
-o
0
Between 1916
i.
a�
and 1932
a
-o
-o
t~
1917
Ou
a�
a
c. 1920s
1925
Cordenio and Mary Severance die. Mary Severance's
cousin Mary Zelch acquires Cedarhurst. It is unclear if
Mary and her husband John ever reside at the property.
1 For sources consulted, see citations included in the body of this report.
The original house is constructed.
The Gardener's Cottage and barn
are constructed.
Addition(s) are made to the
original c. 1867 house.
The garage is constructed.
At the west elevation of the
Severance House, the second level
is extended to create a sunroom.
The rooftop cupola is removed.
The final addition to the
Severance House is constructed.
The formal gardens at the south
elevation are present by this date.
An elevator is installed in the
Severance House.
1939 Minneapolis businessman Harvey Boomer and his wife
Celia Boomer purchase Cedarhurst for use as a private
residence.
1946 Ownership of Cedarhurst passes to Celia Boomer.
By 1950 Colonel Francis Markoe acquires Cedarhurst.
Post-1959 A small stair enclosure is
constructed at the north elevation
of the Severance House.
1962 The Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul acquires
Cedarhurst, intending to utilize the site as an elderly
living facility. This intended use was apparently never
realized.
Between 1973 St. Paul florist Frederick Newman acquires Cedarhurst.
and 1976
1976 Cedarhurst is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places.
Post-1976 A wood deck is constructed at the
west elevation of the Severance
House.
1977 Jean and Ron Nienaber acquire Cedarhurst and utilize
the property as event space and as the location of their
catering and interior decorating businesses.
1986 A ramp is installed at the north
elevation of the Severance House.
1996 The ice house is razed.
c. 1997 Leyland Gohlike acquires Cedarhurst with the intent to
utilize the site as a bed and breakfast, restaurant, and
conference center.
2001 Ceadrhurst is acquired by the Thao family and utilized
as event space for weddings, conferences, and other
gatherings.
2021 Three -Sixty Real Estate Solutions acquires Cedarhurst.