Pauline Fjelde House, 3009 Park Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota
From Placeography
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Pauline Fjelde House | |
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| Address: | 3009 Park Avenue S |
| Neighborhood/s: | Central, Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| City/locality- State/province | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| County- State/province: | Hennepin County, Minnesota |
| State/province: | Minnesota |
| Country: | United States |
| Year built: | 1907 |
| Year razed: | 2009 |
| Historic Function: | House/single dwelling or duplex |
| Historic Function: | Weaving, Embroidery and Dressmaking shop |
| Current Function: | Razed |
| Architect or source of design: | Boehm and Cordella |
| Builder: | Olof Eneroth |
| Material of Exterior Wall Covering: | Stucco |
| First Owner: | Pauline Gerhardine Fjelde |
(44.947968° N, 93.264796° WLatitude: 44°56′52.685″N
Longitude: 93°15′53.266″W)
Pauline Gerhardine Fjelde was born in Aalesund Norway in 1861.
Her father Paul was a master wood carver and furniture maker.
Her mother Claudine, was an expert seamstress.
Following her mother's example, Pauline became a very talented
painter, seamstress, embroiderer, and weaver.
In 1887 Pauline immigrated to the United States with her brother Jacob. They settled in Minneapolis where their brother Oswald lived. In 1888 their sister Thomane, brother Herman and mother Claudine joined them. Pauline and Thomane started a dressmaking and embroidery business.
Jacob, became famous sculptor. His works include the Minnesota monument at Gettysburg, the Minerva sculpture at the Minneapolis Public Library, the Ole Bull statue in Loring Park, and the Hiawatha and Minnehaha sculpture at Minnehaha Falls.[1]
In 1893, Pauline and her sister Thomane were chosen to embroider the first Minnesota state flag (used from 1893 to 1957). The flag won a gold medal at the 1893 World Columbian exposition in Chicago.
In 1907, Pauline Fjelde had a duplex built at 3009 Park Avenue South in Minneapolis. She wanted a structure large enough to serve as both a business and a home for herself and other family members. The house was designed by architects Boehme & Cordella and built by Olof Eneroth for $7500. [1]
Pauline's sister Thomane Fjelde Hansen lived in 3008 Park directly across the street. A carwash is now on this site.
In December 1910, Pauline returned to Europe to study the Gobelin method of tapestry weaving in Copenhagen and Paris. She also studied Norwegian billedvaevning (Picture Weaving) in Norway.
Like her brother Jacob, Pauline was interested in creating a work of art devoted to the story of Minnesota Native Americans Hiawatha and Minnehaha. She commissioned a sketch from Danish painter Hans Andersen Brendkilde which she used as the scene for her tapestry.
The "Hiawatha" tapestry is reported to have taken between 10-13 years to create. Lila Nelson, herself a master weaver and retired curator of textile arts at the Vesterheim Museum in Decorah Iowa provides an expert assessment of Pauline's tapestries in her article "A Forgotten Artist Remembered: The Tapestry Weaving of Pauline Fjelde" for the Norwegian Textile Letter.[1]media:Mdougla--nortl1104.pdf
In August 2008, the Pauline Fjelde house was purchased by the owners of a block of circa 1920s stores on Lake street. The stores are a few feet away from the house. In November, they applied for a wrecking permit to demolish the house and use the land for a parking lot.
Central Neighborhood housing committee member Brian Finstad identified Pauline Fjelde as the original owner of the house. Brian and other neighborhood activists conducted an intensive research effort regarding the house and Fjelde family which revealed the importance of their contribution to the arts and culture of the City of Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota.
Inspired by their discoveries, a coalition of preservationists was formed to oppose the demolition of the Pauline Fjelde house.
The wrecking permit application was denied by the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission on January 13, 2009. This decision was upheld when appealed to the Minneapolis Zoning and Planning.
The house was razed by emergency demolition order on December 24, 2009.[1]Contents |
Memories and stories
Photo Gallery
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Related Links
[1] Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission Report: 3009 Park The Pauline Fjelde House
[2] Home of Pauline Fjelde is Threatened by the Wrecking Ball. by Brian Finstad
[3] Pauline Fjelde at the Healy House blog by Connie Nompelis and Brian Finstad
[4] This Minneapolis Building has been Flagged
[5] Saving the Fjelde House or Not
[6] Minnesota's First State Flag
[7] Mpls e-democracy.org Pauline Fjelde discussion
[8] Fjelde house burns - September 30, 2009
[9] Fjelde house razed - December 24, 2009
[10] ]The Pauline Fjelde House is Demolished
[11] Photos of the Pauline Fjelde House Demolition
[12] Senseless Destruction of the Pauline Fjelde House
[13] Fire and Snow Seal the Fate of Historic House
[14] Fjelde House: Gone, but still "protected"
