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Daily stories from the history of the Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion and the people, places, and treasures behind it.

CategoriesHistory JournalPainted and stained glass panel in the Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion in Minneapolis, part of the centuries-old European glazing installed when the house was built.

What Was the Costessey Collection, and How Did Its Stained Glass Reach Minneapolis?

By John K

The Costessey collection was one of England’s great hoards of stained glass. How it was…

CategoriesHistory JournalThe carved English oak Walrond marriage fireplace of 1592, brought from Bovey House in Devon and installed in the lounge of the Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion in Minneapolis

Whose Marriage Is Carved Into the Pillsbury Mansion’s Oak Fireplace?

By John K

The lounge fireplace at the Pillsbury Mansion carries a 1592 marriage crest from Bovey House…

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

What Happened When a Training Center for the Blind Moved Into the Pillsbury Mansion?

By John K

For roughly three decades the Pillsbury Mansion was home to BLIND, Inc., a Minneapolis training…

CategoriesHistory JournalThe library of the Pillsbury Mansion, with the carved stone chimneypiece at left, leaded bay window and fitted oak bookshelves.

Who Were the Tallow Chandlers, the London Guild Behind the Mansion’s Oldest Fireplace?

By John K

Before it crossed an ocean, the Pillsbury Club’s 1476 chimneypiece belonged to a London guild…

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.

Which Other Minneapolis Buildings Did the Pillsbury Mansion’s Architect Design?

By John K

Edwin Hewitt designed the Pillsbury Mansion. Here are the other Minneapolis buildings by Hewitt &…

CategoriesHistory JournalThe John H. Stevens House, the first frame house on the west bank of the Mississippi in Minneapolis, in a 19th-century view

Why Did 10,000 Schoolchildren Pull a House Across Minneapolis in 1896?

By John K

In 1896, 10,000 Minneapolis schoolchildren pulled the city's first house to Minnehaha Park — its…

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

What Did It Take to Run the Pillsbury Mansion in 1916?

By John K

Behind the Pillsbury Mansion's Elizabethan rooms was a working house: a pantry that made the…

CategoriesHistory JournalA vintage Pillsbury flour sack, the packaging that carried the Minneapolis family name into kitchens across America.

Who Was Charles A. Pillsbury, the Miller Who Made the Fortune Behind the Mansion?

By John K

Charles A. Pillsbury turned a $10,000 gamble into the world's largest flour mill — and…

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

Where Else in Minneapolis Will You Find the Pillsbury Name?

By John K

A mansion, a stone campus hall, a statue by the sculptor of the Lincoln Memorial:…

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

Why Is There a Castle on Park Avenue Near the Pillsbury Mansion?

By John K

Less than a mile from the Pillsbury Mansion stands a limestone chateau built by a…

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