Ivory McKusick House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Ivory McKusick House
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The Ivory McKusick House from the east-northeast
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 504 North 2nd Street, Stillwater, Minnesota |
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| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1866/1872 |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| MPS | Washington County MRA (AD) |
| NRHP reference No. | 82003077 |
| Designated NRHP | April 20, 1982 |
The Ivory McKusick House is a special old house in Stillwater, Minnesota. It was finished in 1872 for a man named Ivory McKusick. This house is important because of its unique design and because it belonged to a very important family in Stillwater's early days. It shows a cool style of building called Second Empire architecture. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's recognized as a significant historical site.
Contents
What Does the House Look Like?
The Ivory McKusick House started as a one-story building in 1866. It was made bigger in 1872 with a new two-story part. This new part is now the main front of the house.
Special Architectural Features
The house has many interesting features from the Second Empire style.
- It has a special roof called a mansard roof. This roof has four sides, each with two slopes.
- There are round-arched dormers (windows sticking out from the roof).
- You can see many fancy brackets (decorative supports) on the house. These brackets are on the window hoods and under the wide roof edges.
- Even larger brackets support the cover over the front door.
- A patterned frieze (a decorative band) wraps around under the roof.
- There's also a decorative bay window (a window that sticks out from the wall) on the side.
- A two-story wing for servants was added to the house before 1888.
Who Was Ivory McKusick?
The McKusick family came from Maine. Four brothers, John, Ivory, Jonathan, and Noah, eventually settled in Stillwater. John arrived first in 1840. He was looking for chances in the lumber business.
Starting Stillwater's Lumber Industry
John McKusick found a good spot on the St. Croix River. In 1844, he and three partners opened a sawmill there. A town quickly grew around the mill. Many people from Maine moved there. John McKusick even named the town Stillwater after his hometown. He also became its first mayor.
Ivory McKusick's Life and Work
Ivory McKusick arrived in Stillwater in 1847. He first worked in his brother John's mill. Later, he started his own businesses. In 1854, he married Sofia, and they had three children.
During the Civil War, Ivory McKusick earned a lot of money from government contracts. In 1864, he helped build a fort called Fort Wadsworth in Dakota Territory. He returned to Stillwater the next year. In 1867, he became the Surveyor General for a part of Minnesota. This job involved mapping and measuring land. Around this time, he had his house built overlooking the St. Croix River. After 1875, Ivory McKusick was involved in many businesses. These included lumbering, warehousing, and making farm tools.
Other Historic Homes in Stillwater
Many early lumbermen in the Stillwater valley built large, impressive houses. They wanted to show how successful they were in their businesses. Besides the Ivory McKusick House, other famous homes built by these pioneers include:
These houses are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
See also
In Spanish: Casa de Ivory McKusick para niños
