Thompson Summer House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Thompson Summer House
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The Thompson Summer House from the south-southeast.
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3012 Shoreline Dr., Minnetonka Beach, Minnesota |
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| Built | 1887 |
| NRHP reference No. | 97001652 |
| Added to NRHP | January 15, 1998 |
The Thompson Summer House is a special old house in Minnetonka Beach, Minnesota. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site in the United States. You can find it on Hennepin County Road 15, right across from Lafayette Bay on Lake Minnetonka.
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Discovering the Thompson Summer House
This beautiful house was built in 1887. It was made for Charles Telford Thompson and his wife. Charles Thompson was a lawyer and an important leader in his community.
A Classic Lake Minnetonka Summer Home
The Thompson Summer House is a great example of a Queen Anne summer home. Many wealthy families from Minneapolis owned houses like this on Lake Minnetonka in the late 1800s. These homes were their special getaways during the warmer months.
Charles Thompson's brother-in-law, Samuel A. Harris, had a house just like it next door. Sadly, that house was taken down in 1968. This makes the Thompson Summer House even more unique today.
Saving a Historic Treasure
By the 1990s, the Thompson Summer House was getting old. It was starting to show damage from weather and time. The owners wanted to fix it up and keep its original look.
Bringing the House Back to Life
They started a big project to restore the house. This included making the foundation strong again. They also rebuilt the porch that wrapped around the house. Wes Foss, who is married to Thompson's great-great granddaughter Debbie, led this work.
The restoration project was so impressive that it was shown on a TV show called Hometime on PBS. In 2005, the house even won an award from the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota. This award recognized their great work in saving the house.
The House Today
Today, the Thompson Summer House is one of the oldest summer homes still standing on Lake Minnetonka. It is in excellent condition and looks wonderful.
The house is still used as a summer home, just as it was over a hundred years ago. It is a popular spot for family gatherings and continues to be a cherished place for the family.
