Overview

Built in 1891, the Bennett-McBride House is an example of the Queen Anne style based on a catalog plan.

• Location: 3116 Third Avenue South
• Neighborhood: Central

Historic profile

Built in 1891, the Bennett-McBride House is an example of the Queen Anne style based on a catalog plan. Minneapolis grew rapidly in the 1890s while this style became popular.

Henry Harrison Bennett was the first owner and lived here until 1893 with wife Agnes. Then Hiram W. Foote, a state oil inspector, bought the house and lived here with his wife Viola. Foote sold it to John H. McBride, a grocer, in 1904. McBride lived here with his wife Arminda until his death in 1943.

Master builder T.P. Healy built the house using pre-cut pieces. Since it came from a catalog, it does look like other Queen Anne houses. This house has Palladian windows, Moorish arches, a Gothic stairway, spindlework, and stained glass. The walls have wood lap siding and the first story has wider siding than the upper two stories. The foundation is covered by a checkered wood grill. The front porch has a wood balustrade of spindles and a gabled roof. The entry doors are made of carved oak panels. The interior is finished with wood of various types. For example, the foyer has a Minnesota White Pine floor, the music room is finished with oak, and the third story has a maple wood floor.

It is remarkable that the wood elements of the Bennett-McBride House remain intact. Often, later owners remove these features as they make a house more modern.