The OTHER Hill Family Mansions
Hundreds of people visit the James J. Hill Mansion on Summit Avenue to see how a wealthy industrialist of the Gilded Age lived. It is a wonderfully preserved home and the Minnesota Historical Society does a fantastic job of maintaining it for the public and educating them about its many wonders. But did you know that besides the landmark James J. Hill House at 240 Summit Avenue the Hill Family owned more than 10 other houses along Summit through the years?
(From Oldest to Youngest)
Mary Francis “Mamie” Hill
The oldest child, Mary Francis (but known as Mamie) married a railroad executive named Samuel Hill, so her last name stayed the same. They briefly lived in Minneapolis before creating homes in Washington DC and Seattle, Washington.
James Norman Hill
The oldest male child, James Norman, graduated from Yale and then moved back in with his parents for a few years. He then moved to New York City where he continued to work for his father.
Louis Warren, who would prove to be more suited to leadership than his older brother and take over the Great Northern from his father, built his own home right next door to his parents at 260 Summit Avenue.
Clara lived at home, unmarried, until she was 45 years old. When she married Erasmus Lindley in 1918, they lived across the street at 251 Summit Avenue and later moved to New York.
Charlotte and her husband, George Slade, also lived at 251 Summit Avenue for a time. They then moved to 435 Summit Avenue (which has since been torn down).
Ruth Hill Beard Lorillard Heidsieck
Ruth left for New York with her first marriage - and stayed there for two more.
Rachel and her husband, Dr. Egil Boeckmann, moved closer and closer to her childhood home through the years. They lived at 505 and 421 Summit Avenue before building a home at 366 Summit Avenue.
Gertrude Hill Gavin
Gertrude and her husband, Michael Gavin, moved to New York City and lived in the home her father built for them next to his own. Those two residences are now the Pakistani Consulate.
Walter, the youngest, bounced around a lot. He lived with his first wife at 1111 Summit Avenue (which was demolished to make way for the Greek Orthodox Church). Then they owned 19 S Summit Court. He and his 2nd wife (who was also his oldest brother, James Norman’s, sister-in-law) lived at 533 Summit Avenue. He later lived at the Northcote Farm in northwest Minnesota, then Montana and California.
It really puts a different image of Summit Avenue into our imaginations when we picture them just strolling down the block or crossing the street to visit each other. It’s easy to forget that the homes on Summit are more than just individual mansions, but connected by the lives lived within them.
