Overview

The Groves House is an excellent example of Mediterranean Villa style architecture in Minneapolis. 

• Location: 4885 East Lake Harriet Parkway
• Neighborhood: Lynnhurst

Historic profile

The Groves House is an excellent example of Mediterranean Villa style architecture in Minneapolis. It was designed by local architect Carleton W. Farnham for Frank M. Groves and his wife Hazel.

The Groves House includes the following features of the Mediterranean Villa style: 

• White brick cladding 
• Hipped roof with red tiles 
• A broad terrace with iron railing on the north side of the house 
• Round arches in the design 

It is located on a corner lot that is hilly. The house is surrounded by informal gardens and has a view towards Lake Harriet. Deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs conceal the house from the street. 

Frank, his brothers, and his father started the S.J. Groves & Sons Company in Minneapolis in 1908. They began by excavating basements and hauling ice. Under Frank's leadership, the company expanded to build roads, bridges, dams, and airports. It became one of the largest construction companies in the world.

Carleton W. Farnham was a Minneapolis architect who primarily designed residential houses. The University of Minnesota holds the plans for several of his houses in their archives.