discover the remarkable story
300 Clifton
Photo of the mansion from Clifton Avenue.
Labor of Love,
The
Restoration
In 2013 the mansion was purchased by local preservationists who have restored the Mansion, Carriage House, and formal Gardens.
Restoration included stripping painted woodwork, removing newly added walls and partitions, and restoring the large summer veranda that was removed in the late 70’s.
During it’s painstaking renovation, many of the mansions original furnishings and fixtures were tracked down and brought back to the home. Today, the mansion has many original pieces including custom made tables by local artist, tiffany light fixtures, and an assortment of family photos.
Today, the mansion is open as a Bed and Breakfast and open for tours. The mansion is used for many neighborhood fundraisers, political events, and seasonal celebrations.
How it began,
1887
300 Clifton, also known as the Eugene J. Carpenter Mansion is a Georgian Revival-style home located in Loring Park, the mansion district in turn-of-the-century Minneapolis.
The house was originally built in 1887 by C.M Douglas, who owned a coal delivery business. It was built in the Queen Anne style, with large porches and a turret in the southeast. Harvey Brown, a successful businessman and banker bought the house in 1890 and lived there until his death in 1904.
The house was purchased in 1905 by the Carpenter family. Eugene and Merrette came from lumber milling families and were owners of the Carpenter-Lamb Lumber Co. of Minneapolis, one of the largest mills in the country. The Carpenters were also significant patrons of the arts and Eugene Carpenter played a pivotal role in establishing the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
The house remained in the family until 1948. From 1948 to 2012 the mansion was used as an apartment building, office complex, and almost torn down. During this time, many of the original furnishings and fixtures were removed.
300 Clifton, one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the state of Minnesota.
300 Clifton from the street sometime between 1887 and 1889.
Photo of Eugene and his brother Elbert inside their office at the Minneapolis Lumber Exchange.