Stevens House

Stevens House. Our Most Moved House. , Do you know how many times the Stevens House has been moved? , For 134 years, this small wood structure has been moved four times. The third move, which brought the house to Minnehaha Park, is heralded as the first act of historic preservation in Minneapolis., Built on the banks of the Mississippi in 1849, just south of St. Anthony falls, the house was the "birthplace of the city" and the site of many firsts in its establishment. As industry took hold of more and more land near the falls, the house was moved short distances in 1872 and in 1881. Neglected and forgotten, the sturdy little house was rediscovered in its third location by a reporter of the Minneapolis Journal. The Journal identified the house's historical importance, saw its potential for publicity and purchased the house., The Journal noted that every school child in Minneapolis knew the history of the "Old Stevens House," so the paper decided to donate it to the school children of Minneapolis. The Journal then arranged for it to be moved to Minnehaha Park, where it would to be safe from future city growth. The catch was, the children would receive this gift directly, by pulling it to Minnehaha Park themselves!, On May 28, 1896, a public holiday was proclaimed. Children were given badges to take park in one of six relays of the move. Two 500 foot long ropes (with a team of horses as back up) were hitched to the house. Upon arriving in the park, the house was presented to the Park Board on behalf of the children.,

"It was better than a circus day, better than the Fourth, almost better than Christmas. School was out, street car rides were free, and out at Minnehaha Park, popcorn, peanuts and lemonade awaited all…" , from an article reminiscing about the event. , The Journal Magazine, May 1, 1932.

, Moved Twice… , Jenny Hiscock was 15 in 1896 when she helped pull the Stevens house to Minnehaha Park. In 1982, at the kick off of the house's restoration, she along with Hattie Peterson and Laura Mindrom, who all participated in the original move, were there as honored guests cutting a ribbon rather than pulling a rope. , "I don't think we did much, all we did was hold the rope." ------- Jenny Hiscock , (Minneapolis Star Tribune, 9-24-82)