Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Historic Tour in White Bear Lake

The Ramsey Hill House Tour was last weekend, if you missed it or are just hankering to walk through more historic houses, our neighbor city White Bear Lake has their White Bear Historical Home Tour is THIS SUNDAY, September 20,2009 from 12-6pm!

How to purchase your tickets:
1. By phone: 651-407-5327
2. At the Depot - Hwy 61 and 4th Street. Depot hours are 10 am – 4 pm, Tuesday through Friday, and 10 am – 1 pm on Saturdays.
3. By mail – make check payable to “WBLAHS” and send to PO Box 10543, White Bear Lake, MN 55110
4. Online at http://www.whitebearhistory.org/Tickets.htm

Tickets are $25 each before the tour, $20 for WBLAHS members and $30 the day of the tour for everyone. Visa/MasterCard/Discover accepted. Tickets purchased by phone, mail or online may be mailed up until September 11th Or picked up at the Depot through September 19th. Or picked up at the Fillebrown House the day of the tour.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Fall 2009 Street Closures

Labor Day was Monday, which means the end of the State Fair, the start of school, and the beginning of Fall here in the northland. For Summit Avenue, Fall brings the St Paul Bike Classic and the Twin Cities Marathon.

Bike Classic: Sunday 9/13/09

Summit Avenue will not be closed to car traffic for the Bike Classic, however, parking will be restricted on the North side of the street on Sunday, September 13th, 2009 during the event in order to provide an expanded bike lane (From the Classic's website, "On some open streets, like Summit Avenue, a wide lane is provided for cyclists). The bike ride--it is not a race, just a fun family-friendly event--will begin at Cretin and Summit, and I imagine there will be a bit of a bottle neck there around the two start times of 7:15 AM and 9:15 AM. For more information, check out their website or the course map.

Marathon: Sunday 10/4/09

Summit Avenue will be closed for the Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday October 4, 2009 from 6:50 AM until around 2:00 PM for most of Summit, for more information, check out TC Marathon's page on road closures and Marathon Course Information.

Pre-Marathon: Saturday 10/3/09

The East end of Summit, from the Cathedral to Pascal Street, will be closed to all traffic on Saturday morning October 3rd, 2009 at approx. 8:20 a.m. until approx. 11:30 a.m. for a 5k Fun Run. For more information, check out TC Marathon's page on road closures.

Tree Work

Many SARPA members and readers of this blog will remember back a score and some years ago when Dutch Elm disease swept though St Paul, thinning much of the gorgeous canopy of trees along Summit. Unfortunately, tough times for trees have returned to St Paul. I came across a two block closure of Summit this afternoon
toward the eastern end of the Avenue, and in the middle found a crew of tree workers. I immediately guessed it was the Emerald Ash Borer, a reasonable assumption since the borer was discovered in St Paul this Spring. And while it is likely that there are ash trees along Summit that will come down, the tree being removed today was a 100+ year old Elm struck down by the old tree killer, Dutch Elm Disease.


For more information on the Emerald Ash Borer locally, the University of Minnesota Extension Services offers the following advice if you have an ash tree:

  • Ash trees lack a way to defend against these pests. Once an ash is attacked, it will be killed.
  • Look for 1/8 inch, D-shaped exit holes in trees. These are the result of borers leaving the tree once they have become adults.
  • Do not apply insecticides to ash trees out of the likely range of emerald ash borer.
  • Do not transport firewood, even within Minnesota.
  • Extension has close to 200 volunteers trained as emerald ash borer First Detectors. These volunteers can help homeowners determine if their ash trees have been attacked.
  • If you think you have found emerald ash borer, go through the steps at Do I have emerald ash borer? (246 K PDF) to be sure. Those without internet access can call Forest Resources Extension at 612-624-3020.
More Ash Borer Information:

Local blog with a wealth of information about the ash borer, including great images.
City of St Paul website: the city's plan to dealing with the ash borer.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Cass Gilbert 150th Birthday Party

150th Birthday Celebration for Famous Minnesota Capitol Architect Cass Gilbert

Join the Party Saturday, November 21st

The Cass Gilbert Society will host a celebration to honor this nationally recognized architect whose buildings are an important part of Minnesota history.

The 150th Birthday Celebration for Cass Gilbert will begin at 2pm on Saturday, November 21, 2009 with a free tour of the Minnesota State Capitol. Guides from the Minnesota State Historical Society will focus on the Cass Gilbert story and the architectural details of the capitol. These free tours, which begin at 2pm, require reservations by calling 651-296-2881. A LEGO(TM) model of the capitol will be on display to delight visitors young and old.

An exhibit highlighting 50 years of buildings designed by Cass Gilbert will be on display in the North Corridor of the capitol building and continue to be available for public view for two weeks following the celebration.

Festivities will include a birthday cake that will be served in the capitol’s Rathskeller at 3:30pm. This event is free an open to the public.

Gilbert’s first residence in St. Paul was built on Ashland Avenue for his mother. Soon his commissions included churches, office buildings, railroad stations and commercial buildings in Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas and Montana. He designed several homes along Summit Avenue, including the Lightner House at 318 Summit, pictured below.



In 1895 Cass Gilbert was selected to design the new state capitol in Minnesota. This job enhanced his career and brought him national recognition. In 1899, he won the commission for the U.S. Custom House in New York. The same year he opened his New York office and moved to New York.

Gilbert would go on to design many buildings in New York. In 1913, he completed the Woolworth Building in New York City. It would stand as the world’s tallest building for over a decade. His work was recognized throughout the United States. Cass Gilbert’s last building was the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C.

The Cass Gilbert Society is a non-profit organization founded in 1998 to preserve and enhance the nation’s cultural heritage by advancing scholarship and appreciation of Cass Gilbert’s contribution to American architecture. Membership in the society is open to all. To join go to www.cassgilbertsociety.org.



For more information contact: Cindy Stephani 612/719-8419
www.cassgilbertsociety.org