The Grand Old Ladies of Lanesboro

People love Lanesboro for many reasons. One reason is the area’s natural beauty: the Root River, the bluffs, the nearby rolling fields, wide horizons and verdant forests have attracted people here for more than 150 years.

Another beauty in Lanesboro is hand-built—the town’s amazing historical architecture. San Francisco has its Victorian homes called “Painted Ladies.” Our town has similar late-19th century houses that could rightly be called the “Grand Old Ladies of Lanesboro.” Some are large, almost majestic. Others are smaller and more delicate. All are beautiful and deserve a closer look.

Lanesboro was founded in 1869 and within a decade the town was booming. The population soared as daily trains deposited immigrants and adventurers. (Hard to believe, but more people lived in Fillmore County in those days than in what we call the Twin Cities). New shops and businesses opened almost weekly. Mills were humming, farmers and lumberers prospered, optimistic bankers eagerly lent money. Life was good and held the promise of only getting better.

People needed places to live, and the strong economy meant many could afford to build nice homes. Soon, all around town, but especially in Lanesboro’s southern “Brooklyn” neighborhood, large Victorian homes were under construction.

The name comes from the “Victorian Era,” the reign of England’s Queen Victoria (1837-1901). It was a progressive time of new developments (from railroads to telegraph to telephones to automobiles) and styles, including the look of homes being built not just in England, but across North America…and all the way to Lanesboro, Minnesota. Local examples include the Thompson House (401 Parkway Ave. S., 1870), the Habberstad House (706 Fillmore Ave. S., 1897), the Scanlan House (708 Parkway Ave. S., 1890), the Samuel Nelson House (709 Parkway Ave. S.), the Scandinavian Inn (701 Kenilworth Ave., 1892), the Vickerman House (600 Calhoun Ave. S., 1893), Anna V’s (507 Fillmore Ave. S., 1908) and the Cady Hayes House (500 Calhoun Ave. S., 1894).

Several of those are “Queen Anne Victorians,” distinguished by large wrap-around porches, intricate stained glass windows, rounded towers or turrets, upstairs porches, high ceilings, and sweeping, ornate staircases. The homes were opulent, but not gaudy, wealthy yes, but with Midwest sensibility. Norwegian immigrant craftsmen left their mark in creative embellishments and filigree, both inside and outside the homes. Their new look was combined with cutting edge amenities like indoor plumbing, hot and cold running water, and electric lights. Gardens and carriage houses were common and so were servant quarters. In recent decades, a number have been converted into stylish B&Bs.

As you visit this unique little town, or if you proudly call it “home,” make sure to enjoy the natural beauty so accessible here. Take time, too, to appreciate the grace and beauty of “The Grand Old Ladies of Lanesboro.”