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701 Summit Avenue

701 Summit Avenue

Influenced by the romanticism of classical European architecture, well-known Minnesota architect Clarence Johnston left his mark on St. Paul in the late 1800s. This house, built in 1898, was a true masterpiece and was recently restored by Robert Glynn of Spara Realty. With the help of Stacey Johnson, a local real estate investor, interior designer and Spara Realty agent, the house now shines again!

701 Summit Avenue has become an anchor on such a historic street for more than one reason. Johnston’s passion for his career came from good friend Class Gilbert and their time spent living together in New York. The two were so inspired by one another they built similar houses right next door to each other on Summit. Johnston was the Minnesota State Architect from 1901-1931 and is known for quite a few buildings around town. Most noteworthy – The St. Paul Curling Club, Williams Arena & Northrup Auditorium on the University of Minnesota campus. Also, in 1904, Johnston designed the Glensheen mansion in Duluth. We are thrilled that we could do our part to help restore a historic masterpiece on Summit Ave!

701 Summit Ave encompasses nearly 7,000 sq feet. The 6-bedrooms and 6-bathrooms have been redone and outfitted for a modern family. Johnston clearly spared no expense in designing the Renaissance Revival beauty years ago, and the recent renovation further highlighted the unique details!

The team hired a local artisan to restore all the home’s woodwork with a specially mixed shellac, true to the original coating. Glynn and Johnston worked with other local businesses to refinish the hardwood floors that he found were in great shape, repair the windows and the clay-tiled roof, install new and to-code electrical, plumbing, lighting, and heating and air-conditioning, and pour a new driveway. The renovation saw an expansion in the original servants’ kitchen to create a fully equipped space for modern cooks and upgraded the master bedroom to include an en-suite master bath.  On the exterior, Spara oversaw a bit of a facelift at 701 Summit Ave, including new tuckpointing, painting and the addition of a two-car garage.

The addition of traditional and transitional furniture completed the modern meets classic revival. Along with Spara Realty, we welcomed nearly 500 guests to an open house this week to see all the hard work and beautiful end project. After nearly a year-long labor of love, 701 Summit Ave is back in action as one of the Summit Ave’s grand mansions!

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