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CategoriesHistory JournalThe Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion on East 22nd Street in Minneapolis photographed around 1990, its Gothic entry porch framed by old trees, during the decades it served as an institution rather than a home

Why Are There Two Copies of the Pillsbury Mansion’s Front Elevation?

By John K

Two prints of Sheet No. 7 survive from the Pillsbury Mansion drawings: one clean, one…

CategoriesHistory JournalHistoric photograph of a woman in a long dark coat standing in deep snow outside the arched stone entrance of the Pillsbury Mansion in Minneapolis, beside a snow-covered evergreen

What Did Mary Pillsbury Lord Do During the Second World War?

By John K

Before the United Nations, the Pillsbury Mansion daughter chaired the civilian advisory committee of the…

CategoriesClub LifeHandcrafted seasonal cocktails on the bar at the Pillsbury Club in Minneapolis, poured before guests board the holiday trolley

Can You Take Photos Inside the Pillsbury Club?

By John K

What the Pillsbury Club’s photography policy actually says — what needs written permission in advance,…

CategoriesHistory JournalThe oak-panelled dining room of the Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion in Minneapolis, one of the tall first-floor rooms drawn in section on the architects’ 1916 sheet.

What Does a Cross-Section Drawing Reveal About the Pillsbury Mansion?

By John K

Sheet No. 12 of the original Hewitt & Brown drawings cuts the Pillsbury Mansion in…

CategoriesHistory JournalColour illustration of the Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion in 1916, showing the full corner site, the gabled roofline, the clustered chimney stacks and the balustraded terrace wall along the street.

What Was on the Grounds of the Pillsbury Mansion? Reading the Original Site Plan

By John K

Sheet No. 1 of the Pillsbury Mansion drawings is not the house — it is…

CategoriesClub LifeThe carved fireplace inside the Pillsbury Mansion today, dressed with a Christmas wreath — the sort of setting a family gathered around during the 1938 holidays.

Where Are the Best Holiday Lights Near Downtown Minneapolis?

By John K

An honest guide to Minneapolis holiday lights: the free residential show, the ticketed displays worth…

CategoriesHistory JournalPeriod photograph of the oak-panelled dining room in the Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion, with a long carved table, high-backed chairs and an ornamental plaster ceiling.

What Was in the Basement of the Pillsbury Mansion?

By John K

The original Hewitt & Brown basement plan names three fuel rooms, a boiler, a wine…

CategoriesHistory JournalCarved stone gable and rooftop figure of the Pillsbury Club mansion, shown in black and white against a dark winter sky.

Who Actually Built the Pillsbury Mansion?

By John K

Hewitt drew it and Duveen filled it. But the contractor who raised the Pillsbury Mansion…

CategoriesClub LifeA vintage white Minneapolis Trolley waiting at dusk outside the lit arched entrance of the Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion, with the stone gate piers alongside.

Where Should You Take Out-of-Town Guests in Minneapolis?

By John K

One reservation, one historic mansion, and an evening that works for any visitor. How to…

CategoriesHistory JournalAn early view of the great hall and carved oak staircase inside the Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion in Minneapolis, showing the newel posts and panelled walls

What Was Upstairs in the Pillsbury Mansion? Reading the Original Second-Floor Plan

By John K

The original Hewitt & Brown second-floor plan of the Pillsbury Mansion labels five chambers, two…

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