The house that has stood steadfast on 2653 Plymouth Road since 1936 is home to an incredible piece of Minnesota history. Few are like this beautiful Bavarian Tudor. “The house was originally designed by the architectural firm Magney & Tusler, who was the firm behind iconic Minnesota landmarks like the Foshay Tower, the post office downtown, the Calhoun Beach Club, and the MacPhail music school,” shares current owner of the home Jonathan Watson. “Magney & Tusler designed very few private residences. This home is one of only six or seven that they designed.”
While the house has undergone extensive renovations since 1936 to bring it into the modern age, the 10,000+ square-foot home has kept its original charm. “That’s what attracted me to this home. I love the character of old houses. But what stunned me when I walked through the home for the first time was that it felt like new construction but with all the charm of an old home.”
The kitchen appliances, driveways, electric gates, and bedrooms have all been updated, but details like the wooden oak beams and lumber used throughout the home were from trees felled on the original property. The stucco is original, and while the roof was replaced with titanium, the decorative tiles on top of the roof are also original to the home. Above the garage are two staff quarters that were reserved for the gardener and housekeeper. You’ll even find a little cupboard to the outside for when the milkman would deliver your cold glass bottles of milk.
Little, unique features are scattered throughout the home. “All the light switch plates are machine-brassed instead of plastic. Most of the pulls and knobs are original to the property and were cast in a foundry in Ohio,” shares Jonathan. “The majority of the windows are also original. There’s so much light in the house. Every room is full of light. It’s one of the main things I love and what drew me to home. It creates an intimate but also very open space.”
But, perhaps the most unique feature of the home is the fire hoses. Yes, fire hoses. House historian Kathleen Kullberg reveals, “The original owner of the home, Albert Horton Dietz, who lived there with his wife Alice King Nash Dietz, was deathly afraid of fire. He built a closet on each floor that housed an old-fashioned commercial fire hose. Only one hose is left for nostalgia just outside the kitchen.”
Kathleen explains where wooden joists would normally be used on the first floor, Dietz instead used firebrick and rebar. So, if there was ever a fire from the oil fire furnace in the basement, it would be contained, and he wouldn’t have to worry about the fire spreading throughout the rest of the home. And what is now a beautiful multi-level wine cellar completed by Jonathan once held a large holding tank for water that was used for the fire hose system.
“The cellar maintains the perfect temperature year-round for wine,” says Jonathan. “We built a 500-litre wine cask right into the wall.”
The home’s delights don’t end there. Heading down to the lower level, the home seemingly transforms into a log cabin. “It feels like you’ve gone somewhere completely different. Like you’ve been transported to the Northwoods,” says Jonathan. But, his favorite space in the home is the sunroom. “The sunroom is just beautiful. With big, arched wooden beams, it just has so much character. It’s a fantastic place to sit and look out into the woods with a nice cup of coffee in the morning.”
“The property was originally over 40 acres until it was developed in the 1980s for the Bent Tree Subdivision, and eventually, the land was replatted into three lots,” shares Kathleen. “The property is surrounded by nature and backs up onto a pond that was used for swimming by previous owners and their children.”
Jonathan adds, “With the house tucked back away from the road, it feels like you’re living in the woods, but you’re only about three minutes away from Ridgedale.”
This home is truly unlike any other, steeped in a rich history. And while Jonathan and his wife are selling the property, Jonathan expresses how much he will truly miss the home. “I’ve had over a dozen properties in my lifetime, and this is by far the nicest property I’ve been in. There’s not a day I don’t wake up and say this is just a gorgeous home, I’m so lucky to live here.”
If you’re interested in becoming the next owner of a one-of-a-kind Magney & Tusler Bavarian Tudor, connect with Chris Dennis at Lakes Area Realty: https://www.lakesarearealty.com/agents/76647/Chris+Dennis