Albert Scheffer Mansion

Hello friends. Today let's discuss one of my favorite houses and one that actually still stands (well the shell does).  This home is located in my neighborhood and is one of the oldest structures in the city.  The Smith-Davidson-Scheffer House/Commodore Davidson House/Mounds Park Rest Home/Mounds Park Residence; Built in 1856 (1850 according to the Dayton's Bluff Neighborhood Association; 1875 according to Ramsey County property tax records.) The structure is a two story, 9484 square foot, nursing home/private hospital. The house was built for John Burns, but before it was completed he went belly up. Truman Smith then purchased it and completed the home.

Truman M. Smith began his career as a banker, also was a realtor and a marble dealer, and was once among the richer men in the city. In 1850, Smith built this house with a commanding view of the Mississippi River. He had a love of gardening and his home site was adorned with a variety of flowers. In 1856, Smith was one of 11 realtors in business in St. Paul, including Lyman Dayton, according to a trade directory. He had to be forceable evicted from the home. He attempted in a series of legal moves to save the home but was unsuccessful and foreclosure set in. In 1860, Smith grew an acre of grapes. Truman M. Smith started a nursery on Dayton's Bluff, St. Paul, in 1866, selling hardy roses, fruit plants and evergreens. Along with many others, Smith was wiped out in the 1857 financial panic, his house went on the auction block, and his career as a banker was over. To survive, Smith turned his green thumb into a livelihood and was soon a major garden farmer, put out a catalog that listed a wide selection of small fruits and other plants for sale, had a vineyard of 5,000 well trained vines, and raised ten varieties of pears, 30 different types of apples, and nearly 40 types of grapes. Smith moved to San Diego, California, in 1888, but died in 1909 in St. Paul.

Mr. Truman Smith himself.

The house was subsequently owned by W. Davidson, who had a glassed-in pilot house built on top of the house, but since removed.  Commodore William "Fuse" Davidson (1825-1887) and the late Wash Honsehll started steamboating together as deckhands on a small boat called the "Resist," plying between Portsmouth and Catlettsburg, Kentucky. Both died millionaires, with Davidson worth four million dollars at his death.

Commodore William "Fuse" Davidson

After the house had fallen into disrepair it was raffled off in the local newspaper. Anyone interested in entering simply had to buy a ticket and the winner would be announced in the paper later on. It  was won in the $5 raffle by a Dr. Murphy.  Dr. Murphy apparently rented the home out for a time before being purchased  by banker Albert Scheffer from 1886 to 1899.  Albert Scheffer who was president of the German American Bank later purchased the modest stone house and added the EastLake style decoration on the home turning it into an elaborate show piece.  Interesting enough the man who lived in my house first, Hugo Schlenk was a personal secretary for Mr. Scheffer.  Scheffer it seems had a very fine life here and many happy events held from the grand mansion.

Albert Scheffer.

Side view of the mansion after Scheffer added his porches.  Before this, the house was much simpler style.

Scheffer family gathered in the parlor to celebrate the wedding of his daughter to a member of the famous Hamms family. To see a bit of the Hamms family mansion click Hamms Family Mansion

 View from the glass pilot house.  One could see the entire growing city and the river snaking around.

Showing the formal parlor. 

Scheffer family enjoying a horseback ride just outside the mansion.

 The Scheffers only lived here until about 1899 and then thereafter became a military academy for a time. After which, Mrs. Mildred Evans purchased and  "restored" the house in the 1940's and operated the Mounds Park Rest Home at this address. The rest home still operates to this day. The mansion once took up nearly a full city block but after the Scheffers left the land began to be split up and other houses began to be erected on the lot.

View showing the porch has changed but still elements of the original design left.  The home at this time had been stuccoed, covering up the old limestone walls, the glass pilot house removed and soon thereafter the porches enclosed and a series of other changes made the building almost unrecognizable today to what it was. Here are a few current photos to compare to.

 If I had a a few million I'd buy the place and restore it back.  So see that donate button below? Feel free to donate a bit to get this project going!

If you like what you read on my blog and would like to contribute to the house restoration please click the donate button below. All donations will be GREATLY appreciated!! You will also be publicly thanked if you wish on a contributes page I hope to add at some point in the future.