English: Historic Marker, James J. Hill / The James J. Hill House - James J. Hill House-side, Minnesota, United States.

TEXT: The population of St. Paul expanded dramatically during the 1880s, and many business and civic leaders began building fashionable homes along the bluffs overlooking the city. Forty-six new houses were constructed on Summit Avenue between 1882-1886. James J. Hill tore down the first house ever built on Summit Avenue to construct a house that symbolized his success and suited him, his wife Mary, and their large family.

The red sandstone mansion was designed in the massive Richardsonian Romanesque style by Boston architects Peabody, Stearns and Furber. Completed in 1891, the 36,000 square foot residence immediately became the largest and most expensive house in Minnesota. The interior featured carved oak and mahogany woodwork, stained glass, gilding and crystal chandeliers. A two-story skylit art gallery at the east end of the first floor showcased Hill's extensive collection of French paintings. Innovative technical systems provided central heating, gas and electric lighting, plumbing, ventilation, security and communication.

Mary Hill maintained a watchful eye over the household, raising the children, hiring and managing servants, and hosting numerous social events, including a reception for President William McKinley in 1899. After her death in 1921, the children gave the house to the Archdiocese of St. Paul, and until 1978 it was used as a school, residence, and office building by the church. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, the James J. Hill house is now a historic site operated by the Minnesota Historical Society.