As we approach the 250th birthday of the United States next July, WCCO takes a looks back through the eyes of Minnesota over those same 250 years.
This month we focus on the Ard Godfrey House which stands just across the Mississippi River from downtown Minneapolis in Northeast, a landmark for the city that is often overlooked.
Ard Godfrey was brought to Minnesota by Franklin Steele to construct the first dam on the river, and the first sawmill along St. Anthony Falls.
In 1849 he completed a home for his family that still stands today, thanks to the Woman’s Club of Minneapolis who helped restore this national treasure. The Woman's Club oversees the maintenance of the interior of the house, and its members also serve as volunteers and guides.
"The president of the women's club at that time, it was Katie Landmark, saw that that little yellow house was all boarded up and vacant," explains Board President, Margaret Leibfried. "So she took her request to the board of directors of the Women's Club, and they just agreed it would be a worthwhile project."
The 1 1/2 story home is still furnished in 19th century décor.
"Everything in there is, at least they try to make it as close to period as possible," she adds.
Leibfried says it's almost like a historical museum. It is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
"Some of the writings in there are in native German," she says. "So when you go through the house and you see all these artifacts, I mean, it's just a wealth of history that is worth seeing."
Godrey and his family lived in the home until 1853. After they moved out, various other families occupied the house until 1905 when it was sold to the Hennepin County Territorial Pioneers Association.
The building was used as a museum of historical artifacts until 1943 when it was closed and boarded up due to a shortage of funds. The Club opened the house to the public in 1979 when it was refurbished, and the home remains as the oldest wood frame house in Minneapolis.
The current location of the house is at 28 University Ave SE, Minneapolis, across University of Lunds & Byerlys.