Sibley Historic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Henry H. Sibley House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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The Henry H. Sibley House from the north
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | Willow Street, Mendota, Minnesota |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1836 |
| Part of | Mendota Historic District (ID70000293) |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000676 |
| Added to NRHP | January 20, 1972 |
The Sibley Historic Site is a special place in Mendota, Minnesota. It was once the home of Henry Hastings Sibley. He was the first governor of Minnesota and a manager for the American Fur Company. This site is one of 26 historical places looked after by the Minnesota Historical Society.
The site has four old stone buildings and a big grassy area. You can visit three of these buildings. One is a cold storage building from 1843 used by the fur company. Another is the 1840 home of Jean-Baptiste Faribault, who was also a fur trader and ran a hotel.
Contents
The Sibley House Story
Building Minnesota's Oldest Home
The Sibley House is thought to be the oldest private home in Minnesota. It was built between 1835 and 1836. Over 100 workers, both white and Dakota people, helped build it. John Mueller was in charge of the project. The house was made from limestone blocks cut from a nearby quarry.
Henry Sibley lived here by himself for eight years. Then he married Sarah Jane Steele. After they got married, Sibley changed his business office into a living room. They also added more rooms, including a kitchen, dining room, and two more bedrooms upstairs. An office was added on the east side.
A Place for Big Plans
Important plans for the Minnesota Territory were made in Sibley's office. In May 1840, the house even became the temporary headquarters for the territory. Governor Alexander Ramsey stayed there as Sibley's guest.
New Owners and Hard Times
In 1862, General Sibley moved to a new home in St. Paul. He sold his old house to St. Peter's Catholic Parish. From 1867 to 1878, Catholic Sisters used the house as a school and a place for nuns to live. They added a bell tower to the roof and changed the inside.
For many years after that, different people rented the house. An artist named Burt Harwood used it as a studio and art school in the summers of 1897 to 1899. Later, the house was used as a storage place for a short time. Then it was left empty and became a place for railroad workers to stay. These new people took out the floorboards and stairs for firewood. The house started to fall apart.
Saving the Sibley House
On April 19, 1910, the house was saved from ruin. The St. Paul chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) worked together with Mrs. Lucy Shepard McCourt and Archbishop John Ireland. DAR groups from all over Minnesota helped fix up the house. It opened to the public on June 14, 1910.
In May 1997, the DAR gave the Sibley Historic Site to the State of Minnesota. The Minnesota Historical Society now manages it. Since 2015, the site has been run with the help of the Dakota County Historical Society.
The Faribault House
Next to the Sibley property is the house of Jean Baptiste Faribault. It was built in 1839. This house is made of local yellow sandstone with a red sandstone front.
Faribault left the house after his wife passed away in 1847. His grandson, George Faribault, then ran a hotel in the building. Many different people stayed at the inn. These included river travelers, priests, teachers, explorers, and government workers.
The house was sold and rented to many private people. Over time, it also started to fall apart. By the 1880s, Mendota was no longer a busy center. It became a quiet village. Eventually, people realized the Faribault house was very important historically. It received government help to be fixed up.
In 1934, the State Highway Department began restoring the Faribault House. This was part of a Public Works Administration project. In 1935, the house was partly restored and given to the DAR. They finished the restoration work. The house and its grounds opened to the public on May 5, 1937.
The Dupuis House
On the southeast side of the historic site is the Dupuis House. It was built in 1854 for Hypolite Dupuis. He was a fur trader and also worked as a private secretary for General Sibley for many years. This house is made of bricks from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In 1869, the house was sold to Tim Fee. It stayed in the Fee family until the Minnesota DAR bought it in 1924.
In 1928, the house was changed to become a tea house. A porch was built on the east side, looking out over an old-fashioned garden. Later, a large glass-enclosed porch was added to the west side. The Sibley Tea House became one of Minnesota's most popular tea houses. Thousands of guests visited each season until it closed in the 1970s. Today, the Dupuis House holds the offices for the Sibley Historic Site. It also houses the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Tribal Community.
See also
- List of the oldest buildings in Minnesota
