Overview

The Tilsenbilt Homes Historic District is the first privately developed interracial housing project in the city. It was also one of the first housing projects in the country to offer FHA-insured mortgages to all races. Realtor Archie Givens, Sr. and builder Edward Tilsen developed the houses, which are located across several blocks.

• Location: Selected parcels on 4th and 5th Avenues South between 39th and 47th Streets East
• Neighborhood: Bryant, Field, Regina 

Map and guidelines

See the map and design guidelines for this district

Historic profile

The Tilsenbilt Homes Historic District is the first privately developed interracial housing project in the city. It was also one of the first housing projects in the country to offer FHA-insured mortgages to all races. Realtor Archie Givens, Sr. and builder Edward Tilsen developed the houses, which are located across several blocks. 

African Americans have lived in what would become Minneapolis since the early 1800s. The population grew slowly over time. Starting in the 1910s, migration to Minneapolis increased. Some folks came from other parts of the state. Others arrived from other parts of the country. Many were drawn to the city’s booming economy and better opportunities. 

In the 1930s and 1940s, housing discrimination was prevalent across the country. Federal programs encouraged racial covenants and redlining. This restricted who could own houses and where people could live. 

Minneapolis was very segregated. African Americans were restricted to certain parts of the Northside and the Southside. Between 1946 and 1952, over 9,500 single-family houses and duplexes were built in the city. Of those, fewer than 20 were sold to African American buyers. 

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) had built several integrated housing projects elsewhere in the U.S. In 1953, FHA met with the Minneapolis Urban League and a few Black realtors to explore the topic. Realtor Archie Givens, Sr., identified a location and brought builder Edward Tilsen on board. They found scattered lots on the Southside owned by Mike Kelley, former owner of the Minneapolis Millers baseball team. They formed Tilsenbilt Homes, Inc. and built 52 houses. About 90 percent were sold to African American or mixed-race buyers. This district includes 28 houses, all designed in the Ranch style. 

Archie Givens, Sr., was a prominent African American developer and philanthropist. Edward Tilsen was a Ukrainian immigrant. He had worked on an interracial housing project in St. Paul before this one. The Tilsenbilt company continues to practice today.