The history of North Minneapolis can be traced back to as early as 1857. People from all over the world were making and building their homes in North Minneapolis from the later 19th century through today. With it’s close proximity to the river, it was a convenient place for families to live. Many businesses were started along West Broadway and Washington Avenues at the turn of the century and large and ornate brick and clapboard homes were built for these successful merchants in what is now called Old Highland; an area just north of Plymouth Avenue and west of Lyndale. The Jordan neighborhood, north of Broadway along Fremont and Emerson also boasted prosperous businesses. Many unique and beautiful churches and places of worship sprang up as symbols of the residents’ faiths. Some of the remaining oldest buildings in North Minneapolis are to be found along Broadway Avenue. As the century progressed, the neighborhoods pushed west towards Theodore Wirth Parkway which showcase outstanding stucco and brick homes constructed in the Homewood neighborhood and along Penn Avenue North. North of Lowry Avenue, the neighborhoods boast some of the most charming and delightful homes built in Minneapolis in the roaring 1920′s. As the population moved out to the city limits, the neighborhoods take on the architectural styles popular after WWII with many rembler styles to choose from. Depending on your niehgborhood of choice, you can find any style; from an early Victorian Queen Anne home to a Dutch Colonial to many charming bungalows and four square homes to a 1950′s rambler.
In more recent years, new construction has also been developed. For example, the Humboldt Greenway and the new Eco Village (being developed) feature lovely new homes whose architectural style reflects the styles of North Minneapolis’ older homes.
