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Historical homes

Here is a list of residences that we think have historical significance for the Como neighborhood, Minneapolis, and Minnesota. We compiled this list in preparation for the historical re-survey that the City of Minneapolis is conducting in 2011 for Como and several other neighborhoods. Since many of our homes are important because of who lived in them, we've linked to other information to help explain how or why that individual is unique and/or important to the Como neighborhood.


  1. * Hubert H. Humphrey house, 890 19th Ave SE
    1. house built in 1927
    2. lived here while Mayor of Minneapolis 1945-1948
    3. home shot at while he was mayor and living here
  2. * Maria Sanford house, 1050 13th Ave SE
    1. house built in 1885
    2. Maria can be found here in the 1909 city directory
    3. Maria Sanford was the first female professor at the University of Minnesota
  3. * Donald Cattanach stone house, 1031 13th Ave SE
    1. house built in 1893
    2. Donald Cattanach was a mason
    3. nominated for National Register of Historic Places in 1981; see Minneapolis Landmarks
  4. James T. Elwell house, 945 14th Ave SE
    1. James can be found here in the 1909 & 1922 city directories
    2. made 1st plat of Como on February 9, 1882
    3. this is his 2nd residence in Como (1st residence at 903/905 15th Ave SE was torn down in 1950s; Elwell there in 1886)
    4. served in the Minnesota Senate from 1907-1915
    5. author of Elwell's Law
    6. home was vacant in 1936
    7. house may have been moved instead of torn down when Van Cleve Park expanded in 1969?
  5. * Houghtaling/Elwell/Way/Harry W. Jones house, 1519 Brook Ave SE
    1. house built in 1906
    2. Harry W. Jones was the architect; see link
    3. Jay Houghtaling was a salesman at Western Electric Company and resided here in 1909
  6. Tallmadge Elwell house, 1064 16th Ave SE (house number was "1002" before 1888)

    1. Tallmadge and his wife Margaret (Miller) Elwell lived here from the early 1880's until Tallmadge's death in 1903

    2. daguerreotyper
    3. James T. Elwell's father
    4. namesake of Talmadge Ave SE
  7. * Andrew Rasmussen/Carleton W. Farnham house, 1055 14th Ave SE
    1. house built in 1926
    2. Andrew can be found here in the 1936 city directory
    3. Andrew T. Rasmussen was a professor at the University of Minnesota
    4. Carleton W. Farnham was the architect; see link
  8. Blanche La Du house, 1075 14th Ave SE
    1. house built in 1906
    2. Blanche lived here from 1922-1946
  9. Otto Schmitt house, 1912 Como Ave SE
    1. house built in 1921
    2. Otto lived here from 1940-late 1990's
  10. Les Bolstad house, 1100 12th Ave SE
    1. house built in 1911
    2. Alfred Bolstad listed here in 1922; Les also listed in 1936 as a golf pro
    3. Les is the namesake of University of Minnesota golf course
  11. Alden W. Elwell house, 1815 Como Ave SE
    1. house built in 1906
    2. Alden there in 1922; widow Agnes there in 1936
  12. George H. Elwell house, 1063 13th Ave SE (1013 is the circa 1886 house number)
    1. George can be found here in the 1886 directory
    2. George H. Elwell’s house at 1063 13th Ave. SE was moved, to 907 SE 7th St. SE, before 1907
    3. house there now was moved to the 13th Ave. SE site in about 1970, and may be one of the residences moved for the expansion of Van Cleve Park in 1969 (was never an Elwell house)
  13. * Dr. Ernest Baker house, 1734 Como Ave SE
    1. house built ~1910
    2. Dr. Baker can be found here in 1922 directory
    3. see People
  14. * Harry O. Sova house, 1034 12th Ave SE
    1. house built in 1933
    2. Harry is listed here in the 1936 city directory
    3. Harry Sova was a teacher at Marshall High School
    4. see People
  15. Kustermann house, 1067 14th Ave SE
    1. house built in 1916
    2. Mr. Kustermann ran a drug store at 15th & Como Aves SE
  16. William Simms house, 1085 14th Ave SE
    1. owner of William Simms Hardware at 411/413 14th Ave SE in Dinkytown
    2. William lived here in 1922
    3. Robert Simms lived at 1051 14th Ave SE
    4. Robert is co-owner of Simms and Nordin Hardware at 1519 Como Ave SE in 1922
      1. 1519 Como Ave SE is still a hardware store today - Oaks Hardware
    5. R.E. Simms is V.P. of the Como Commercial Club, 1530 Como Ave SE, in 1922
  17. Charles M. Way residence #1, "1026" 15th Ave SE

    1. Charles listed here in the 1886 city directory

    2. this is his 1st residence in Como (2nd residence at 1019 19th Ave SE; 3rd residence at 960 15th Ave SE was torn down in 1963)
    3. house number likely different today
  18. Charles M. Way residence #2, 1019 19th Ave SE
    1. Charles M. Way and his growing family lived here from at least 1899 - 1907
    2. the house still exists and has been repainted

    3. they moved to the mansion at 960 15th Ave. SE about 1907

  19. Harvey Johnson family house #1, 1097 22nd Ave SE
    1. house built in 1891
    2. Mr. Berg, Harvey Johnson's grandfather, lived here from 1891-1940
  20. Harvey Johnson family house #2, 1101 22nd Ave SE
    1. house built in 1891
    2. Mr. Magnuson, Harvey Johnson's great uncle, lived here from 1891-?
  21. Harvey Johnson family house #3, 1089 22nd Ave SE
    1. house built in 1923
    2. Nels Johnson, Harvey Johnson's father, lived here from 1923-?
    3. Harvey Johnson family lived here until 2002?
  22. O'Neil family house, 907 21st Ave SE
    1. house built in 1923
    2. remains in O'Neil family, 3rd generation O'Neils living there now
  23. 1114/1116 13th Ave SE
    1. built before 1882 and lot was not part of Elwell’s 2nd Addition because it pre-existed his plat
    2. built by a bricklayer named Staples, according to Penny Petersen, and along with the 1870s or 1860s farmhouse just east of 21st and Talmadge Ave. SE, may be the oldest existing house in Como
    3. located at the intersection of 13th Ave SE & E. Hennepin Ave.
    4. had a storefront
  24. 1056 13th Ave SE
    1. house built in 1887
  25. Rollins house, 1056 19th Ave SE
    1. house built in 1917
    2. Hattie Rollins, John F. Rollins' widow, is listed here in the 1922 directory
    3. "John F" likely refers to a son of Capt. John Rollins and not Capt. John himself
  26. William C. Bailey house at 1023 17th Ave. SE
    1. owned a prominent hard wood lumber yard at 600 Central Ave. from 1882 to after 1915
    2. donated the lumber that built the Como Congregational Church.
    3. probably the good wood so many of Como’s early homes were built of, came from Bailey’s lumberyard
  27. James Cuzner house at 1203 Talmadge Ave. SE
    1. a draftsman, brother to the U’s gardener, whose family lived in that house, still extant and looking much the same as it did in 1885, for generations
    2. there is still a Mrs. Cuzner on 12th Ave. SE

  28. The house that today sits at 1007 [?] 13th Ave. SE (second house from the corner, between 1003 & 1011 13th Ave. SE)

    1. was moved there in 1969-1970

    2. it had been on a

      lot in one of the two blocks of homes at 14th & Como that were demolished by

      Minneapolis Public Schools in 1969, to provide a ball field for Marshall High School

      when I35W was constructed



* denotes those featured in the "Como Architecture Styles guide"
- houses that were moved or possibly moved
- important items to emphasize
Subpages (1): Lost Como homes
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