35 Irvine Park, Saint Paul, Minnesota

35 Irvine Park, Saint Paul, Minnesota

This beautiful historic home in St. Paul was acutally built by Nick's Great-Great-Great Grandfather, Michael Murray (Nick's middles name is Murray).

Michael Murray founded Northern Cooperage Co., a wooden barrel manufacturer which operates today in its original building on the lower West Side, now known as Greif Bros. (http://www.greif.com/) (Info from the Minnesota Historical Society.) He hired architect Edward P. Bassford to design his home but died of pneumonia before it was completed in 1890. His wife Ellen moved in the house with her six kids and took in boarders, Her daughter Mae (or Mary) later married Rollin Lanpher, Jr. and they later moved into the house.

 

The house suffered much through the years of the decline of the neighborhood. By 1972, it had been subdivided into sleeping rooms, covered with asphalt siding, stripped of its tower cap and thoroughly vandalized.

 

History:

The 1887, 1889, and 1891 city directories indicate that Mrs. E. A. Murray resided at this address. The 1893 city directory indicates that Mrs. Ellen A. Murray and William Murray resided at this address.

The 1895 city directory indicates that Mrs. E. A. Murray, Edward Yanish, and William J. Murray resided at this address.

In 1910, Ellen Alice Dollard Murray (1852- ,) the widow of Michael Norbert Murray, lived at this address with her son, William J. Murray (1873- ,) a cooperage manager, and daughter, Ethel Murray (1880- .)

The 1916 city directory indicates that Mrs. E. A. Murray and her daughter resided at this address.

In 1919, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Murray resided at this address.

The 1924 city directory indicates that Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Lanpher, Mrs. E. A. Murray, and Edward Yanish, all resided at this address. The 1918 city directory indicates that Mrs. E. A. Murray, her daughter, and Edward Yanish all resided at this address.

The 1930 city directory indicates that this address was vacant.

In 1969, Charles J. Skaggs resided at this address. [1]

Michael Norbert Murray

The home in 1919. You can see two little ones in the front of the home.