Stuart - Driscoll House

The oldest house on Summit Avenue

The Stuart-Driscoll house, know as the oldest house on Summit Avenue, was built in 1858 prior to the Civil War. The Italian styled mansion can be seen high on the bluff (from what is now know as Seven Corners) in a 1859 photograph by Prairie photographer Joel Whitney.  The current stair configuration and much of the paneling throughout the house was a result of a 1887 remodel by Gilbert and Taylor architects, commissioned by new owner, St. Paul Mayor Robert Smith.  Of note for the expansive remodeling job, was the stairway and hall, dining room, living room and many other spaces in the house. President Grover Cleveland dined in the house by invitation of the mayor soon after the remodel.  The stair has a classic "Gone with the Wind" cache, and one can envision Scarlett O'Hara flowing down the steps. The ornate chandelier in the ladies reception room toward the front of the house is original to the time of the remodel.