Travels with Auntie M: Victorian houses

At the Capitol, we learn Summit Avenue was around the corner; a five mile stretch of historic Victorian houses and mansions.

Now part of two National Historic Districts and two City of Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Districts.

The homes were built between 1856 and 1880 and 85% remain in their original form.

The following architectural styles can be seen: Beaux Art, Georgian Revival, Italian Villa, Queen Ann, Prairie, Ranch, Romanesque, Second Empire, Spanish Colonial, and Tudor.

The Commodore Hotel, the place where F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the Great Gatsby, is also in this area.

We wanted to take a tour of the nearby Ramsey House, but it was closed for the summer.

There were also interesting Victorians near the Ramsey house.

Alexander Ramsey House

Alexander Ramsey was the first governor of the Minnesota Territory.

Ramsey House

Ramsey House After the last surviving granddaughter died in 1964, the 15-room house became a museum operated by the Minnesota Historical Society.

Ramsey House

While driving down Summit Avenue we saw a bunch of people standing outside a house and decided to investigate.

It turned out to be the Governors’ Mansion and they were conducting tours so we joined a group.

Trim Around Fireplace

Being filled with people, I didn’t find much to photograph but I was impressed with seeing a Calder:

I was at Fort Dix, NJ about 16 miles southeast of Trenton. Someone told me there was a museum on post, but I couldn’t find it, so I spent my spare time (in the rain) visiting the historic town where my hotel was located.

I never got to see the Mount the town is named after because it was overcast and raining during the daylight hours. The Mount is 185 feet above sea level while the center of town is only 15 feet above sea level and it was the site of an important skirmish during the battle of Trenton (1776).

I was driving around town and found St. Andrew’s Graveyard. It was raining but I had to get out of the car for a few photographs.

One section of town is call Mill Race Village, where they have turned the houses into shops.

The Silver Lining – Fine Silver and Wearable Art had several cute pieces…I found myself buying souvenirs of friends.

TW goes shopping at the Ghosthunter Store…real paranormal investigators selling equipment and supplies used in their line of work. (Link to Ghost Hunter Store) They had a cute t-shirt of a Ouija Board which said: “It’s Just a Game…Until Someone Gets Possessed.”