Archie Walker House, 1950 Knox Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota
From Placeography
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Archie Walker House | |
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| Address: | 1950 Knox Avenue S |
| Neighborhood/s: | Lowry Hill, Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| City/locality- State/province | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| County- State/province: | Hennepin County, Minnesota |
| State/province: | Minnesota |
| Country: | United States |
| Year built: | 1949 |
| Primary Style: | Art Deco/Art Moderne |
| Major Alterations: | Significant Alterations |
| Historic Function: | House/single dwelling or duplex |
| Current Function: | House/single dwelling or duplex |
| Architect or source of design: | Humphrey and Hardenbergh |
| First Owner: | Archie Dean Walker |
(44.962959° N, 93.302388° WLatitude: 44°57′46.652″N
Longitude: 93°18′8.597″W)
Contents |
History
The structure is a three story, 4106 square foot, 12 room, four bedroom, five bathroom, house. The house was built for Archie Dean Walker, a grandson of Thomas B. Walker, a lumber baron and the founder of the Walker Arts Center. The house was designed by Humphrey and Hardenbergh, and completed in 1949.
Archie Dean Walker (1882-1971) was the youngest and longest-surviving child of T. B. Walker and Harriet G. Walker, graduated from Minneapolis Central High School in 1901, began higher education at the College of Engineering at the University of Minnesota, transferred to Cornell University in 1904, married Bertha Willard Hudson (1882-1973) in 1906, was the secretary of the Red River Lumber Company from 1908 until 1933, replaced Willis Walker as company president in 1933 to appease creditors and was president until 1956, was president of the Barlow Realty Company from the 1930's until the 1960's, was also involved in the Industrial Investment Company, the Pacific Investment Company, the Penwalk Investment Company, the Walker-Pence Company and its subsidiaries, and the Walker-Burton Company, the Four Walkers, the Walker Associates, and the Walker Brothers family partnerships, the Foote Lumber and Coal Company, the Globe Lumber Company, the Waland Lumber Company, and the Hennepin Paper Company, the Lincoln National Bank and the Lincoln Trust and Savings Bank, the Minneapolis Central City Market Company, the Minneapolis Land and Investment Company, the Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern Railway Company, the Northwest Warehousing Company, the Superior Land Company, the Kicherer Motor Company, the Lake Hassel Gun Club, Inc., the Northome Improvement Association, and Northome Private Roads, Inc., was a member of the Minneapolis Civic and Commerce Association and the Hennepin Avenue Improvement Association, was the president of the city library board, was the chairman of the board of trustees of Hennepin Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church from 1955 to 1958, was the president of the Walker Methodist Home, was a trustee and the president of the T. B. Walker Foundation, Inc. from 1929, and established the Archie D. and Bertha H. Walker Foundation.
Bertha Willard Hudson was a daughter of the Minneapolis jeweler Josiah Bell Hudson, and the couple had six children: Hudson D. Walker (1907-1976,) Louise Walker (1915- ,) Phillip H. Walker (1917-1969,) Stephen A. Walker (1910- ,) Walter W. Walker (1911- ,) and Archie D. Walker, Jr. (1920- .) The 1909 city directory indicates that Archibald D. Walker, the secretary of the Red River Lumber Company, resided at 419 Graveland Avenue. Archie Walker (1882-1971) was born in Minnesota, had a mother with a maiden name of Hulet, and died in Hennepin County. Thomas Barlow Walker ( -1928) died in Hennepin County. James (partner, Faegre & Benson)and Barbara Fitzmaurice purchased the home from the Walker family in the 1960s. The property was sold in 1990 by Barbara E. Fitzmaurice to R. Bellafronto and D. Bellafronto, and in 1996 by R. Bellafronto and D. Bellafronto to Michael J. Peterman and D. A. Wilson. The current owners of record are Michael J. Peterman and David A. Wilson. Substantial alterations to the property, design by Randall J. Kipp Architecture, were made in 1996. Michael J. Peterman and David A. Wilson are board members, respectively, of the Walker Art Center and the Guthrie Theater. Wilson and Peterman also are collectors, and their house has been redesigned to feature their collection of contemporary art works.
