National Register of Historic Places

Baird, George W., House

Edina, Hennepin County, Minnesota
Listed
March 26, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80002067

About this property

The George W. Baird House is a house in Edina, Minnesota, United States, built in 1886 by a prominent farmer in the Edina Mills community. The house was originally part of a 120-acre (49 ha) farmstead. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 for having local significance in architecture, agriculture, and settlement. The house is two stories tall and is built in the Eastlake style. It has a distinctive silhouette, with multiple roof shapes, dormers, a square tower, and tall brick chimneys. The large front porch has wooden posts and balusters, with a pediment over the entrance. The exterior is embellished with stone window trim, transoms, scalloped wooden shingles in the gables, and belt courses. It was designed by prominent Minneapolis architect Charles S. Sedgwick. The house is significant for its architecture, although it is not an outstanding example of a Charles Sedgwick-designed Eastlake house when compared to other houses. (Sedgwick also designed other properties listed on the National Register, such as the George R. Newell House and Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, and the First National Bank and the Nehemiah P. Clarke House in St. Cloud, Minnesota.) In addition to its architectural notability, the house recalls the agricultural roots of Edina. The owner, George W. Baird, moved from Pennsylvania to Minnesota in 1857 and bought a farm in the Edina Mills area. Baird was a promoter of scientific farming practices and pioneered in livestock breeding, and he is credited with bringing the first Merino sheep to Minnesota. Baird and his wife Sarah helped found the Minnehaha Grange Hall in 1873 and both served as Grange Masters there at different times. Sarah Baird also led the state Grange for 18 years. In 1936, 80 acres (32 ha) of the farm were platted as the County Club District, which itself is listed on the National Register. The home is in an excellent state of preservation, thanks to attention from current and previous owners. The house received a 3,500-square-foot (330 m2) addition in 2002–2003 that does not detract from the original appearance when viewed from West 50th Street. National Register of Historic Places listings in Hennepin County, Minnesota

Location

4400 W. 50th St.
Edina, Hennepin County, Minnesota
44.91275, -93.33695

Categories

AGRICULTUREARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Bridge No. 90646
Industrial
0.1 mi
Country Club Historic District
Listed
0.4 mi
Minnehaha Grange Hall
Industrial
0.6 mi
Cahill School
Modern
0.6 mi
Grimes, Jonathan Taylor, House
Industrial
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Baird, George W., House listed on the National Register?

Baird, George W., House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 26, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Baird, George W., House?

Baird, George W., House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Baird, George W., House?

The period of significance for Baird, George W., House is recorded as the industrial era.

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