Edna S. Purcell House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Edna S. Purcell house
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The east facade of the Edna S. Purcell (now Purcell–Cutts) House.
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| Location | 2328 Lake Place, Minneapolis, MN |
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| Built | 1913 |
| Architect | Purcell & Elmslie |
| Architectural style | Prairie School |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001024 |
| Added to NRHP | October 29, 1974 |
The Edna S. Purcell House, also known as the Purcell–Cutts House, is a special home in Minneapolis, MN. It was designed in 1913 by architect William Purcell for his family. This house is a great example of Prairie School design. This style often uses long, low lines, like the flat landscape of the American Midwest.
The house has a unique, open floor plan. This was very different from the many small rooms found in homes of that time. In 1974, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it is part of the Minneapolis Institute of Art and has been carefully restored. You can even take tours of the house on the second weekend of every month!
Contents
History of the Purcell–Cutts House
Building the Purcell Family Home
The "Edna Purcell dwelling" was built in 1913. Architect William Purcell worked with his partner, George Elmslie, on the design. They built the house on a narrow city lot in Minneapolis, near Lake of the Isles.
William and his wife, Edna, started planning their dream home in 1911. They had just adopted their son, James. They needed a bigger space for their family and for entertaining guests. The new house also showed off their firm's amazing architectural skills.
The Purcell family moved into their new home at Christmas in 1913. A few years later, in 1916, William Purcell took a job in Philadelphia. By 1918, his family had moved there too, and the house was put up for sale.
The Cutts Family Takes Over
In 1919, Anson Bailey Cutts Sr. bought the Edna S. Purcell House. He worked for the Great Northern Railway. Mr. Cutts lived in the house with his wife, Edna, and their son, Anson Jr.
Anson Jr. later went to college and started his career. But he returned to the house in 1962 to help his mother. He continued to live there after she passed away in 1976. In 1985, Anson Jr. left the house to the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts. This organization is the parent group of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Now, the house is a part of the museum's collection.
Design and Special Features
House Layout and Outside Look
The Edna S. Purcell House was sometimes called the "Little Joker" by George Elmslie. It is famous for its smart use of space. Even though the lot was narrow, the house felt big and open inside. This was because it was designed along one long line.
Purcell and Elmslie placed the house far back from the street. This gave the family privacy. It also allowed them to enjoy their front garden. This garden had a reflecting pool with water plants and a small fountain. The back porch looked out over Lake of the Isles. This gave the Purcells a quiet, natural spot in the middle of the city.
The house is built with a strong steel frame. It has a light-colored stucco outside and a concrete base. Its design is clean and modern. The roof has long overhangs, especially at the front. These overhangs help control sunlight and heat. They also make the house look long and low, fitting the Prairie School style.
The front of the house has a wall of beautiful art glass windows. These windows connect the inside to the garden. Wooden parts of the house were treated with a special Japanese technique. This made the wood look aged and natural.
Outside Decorations
George Elmslie added fun decorations to the outside of the house. These included red and blue patterns and carved wood pieces. Some designs had special meanings for the Purcell family. For example, a carved beam above the side gate said "Gray Days and Gold." This referred to Purcell's grandparents and the colors of their architecture.
Two art glass windows next to the front door had a playful message. They spelled out "Peek-a-Boo" for visitors!
Inside the House
The first floor of the Purcell–Cutts House has an open plan. But different areas feel like separate rooms. This is because the floor levels change. The living room at the front has a high ceiling. This allows for tall art glass windows. The dining area is a bit higher up and has a lower ceiling.
A special pointed wall separates the dining and living areas. This creates a cozy spot for Edna Purcell's writing desk. The design makes the house feel open but also private in different spots.
The second floor has a guest bedroom, a bathroom, and the family's sleeping area. The family bedroom could be divided into two rooms. A built-in folding screen wall separated the children's area from the main bedroom. The maid's room was near the stairs, which were surrounded by more art glass windows.
Decorations, Furniture, and New Ideas
Inside the house, you can see painted designs by Elmslie along the top of the walls. These patterns were different in each room. The curtains originally matched these designs. The windows throughout the house have pretty geometric patterns made of clear and colored glass.
In the living room, these patterns are repeated in the art glass doors of a built-in bookcase. Above the fireplace, there's a painting by Charles Livingston Bull. It shows herons flying over a lake.
Purcell and Elmslie also designed some furniture for the house. This included a small, triangular chair for Edna's writing nook. Many pieces were built right into the house. For example, there was a bench that also covered a radiator under the living room windows. The children's room had a special bed that combined a bed, desk, bookcase, and storage. It was inspired by train sleeping cars!
The house also had some very modern features for its time. It had a new heating and cooling system. There was even a central vacuum system. The Purcell home had a telephone area, an electric call system for the maid, and a special kitchen door that opened with buttons on the floor.
Changes and Restoration
The Cutts family took good care of the house. They didn't change it much, except for adding a garage in the 1920s. They also filled in the reflecting pool in the front garden. The kitchen and bathroom areas are still almost exactly as they were when the house was built. This is very rare for a home of this age.
William Purcell stayed in touch with the Cutts family. He was happy they kept the house so well. He even hoped the house could be restored and opened to the public someday.
Anson Cutts Jr. made sure this dream came true. When he passed away, he left the house and money for its restoration to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. From 1987 to 1990, the museum worked to bring the house back to its original look.
They fixed the roof and strengthened the overhanging eaves. They also returned the outside stucco to its original color. Inside, they cleaned and repainted the wall designs. The wood trim was refinished, and the painting by Charles Livingston Bull was cleaned. All the beautiful art glass windows were repaired.
The garden was also recreated to look like old photographs. This included bringing back the reflecting pool and fountain. The museum even made copies of some of the original furniture. The house opened to the public as the Purcell–Cutts House in September 1990. You can still visit it today!
Why the House is Important
The Edna S. Purcell House was well-known to architects of its time. It was featured in magazines and books. Many experts, including William Purcell himself, believed it was one of the most complete and important works by Purcell and Elmslie.
This house showed many modern ideas for homes. It had an open layout and flexible rooms. It also had built-in furniture and advanced technology. Unlike some expensive homes of the time, the Purcell house was designed for a young family. It was easier to maintain and offered a flexible lifestyle. It truly pointed to the future of home design.
