Stripped of its original Tiffany light fixtures, lamps, and
stained-glass panels, a Lowry Hill mansion was returned to its original
grandeur after an owner bought back many of these furnishings. A family
in Winona has spent three decades slowly uncovering a landmark
Victorian's hidden beauty. Minneapolis graphic designers have
meticulously restored a Frank Lloyd Wright gem, even fabricating
never-before-built cabinets, furniture, and rugs Wright originally
designed for the home.
In Lost Twin Cities and Once There Were Castles, Larry Millett retrieved
Twin Cities architecture vanished in time, giving us a view into
buildings and homes lost to demolition, accident, and neglect. In
Minnesota's Own, he and photographer Matt Schmitt invite us into homes
from across the state that have been lovingly preserved, saved so that
they can remain jewels among the state's living architecture.
From Duluth to Bemidji, Red Wing to the Twin Cities, Millett and Schmitt
travel throughout Minnesota, highlighting homes designed by architects
such as Edwin Lundie, Frank Lloyd Wright, and William Purcell and George
Elmslie and with sumptuous ornamentation by local craftspeople including
interior decorator John Bradstreet and woodcarver Johannes Kirchmayer.
Homes originally owned by Daytons, Hills, and Ramseys find themselves in
new hands that have taken great care in their upkeep and preservation.
Minnesota's Own welcomes readers into twenty-two of these homes through
over two hundred color photographs and Millett's captivating stories of
their construction, original owners, and restorations.
