Douglas County Historical Society
1219 Nokomis St
Alexandria, MN 56308
Phone: 320-762-0382

Alexandria Residential Historic District – The Silk Stocking Neighborhood

By Knute | February 14, 2018

Like many towns in Minnesota, early Alexandria settlers who prospered had the wherewithal to build lovely homes in a variety of architectural styles. Skilled carpenters and craftsmen were found among the community, and constructing these homes provided steady employment.  The Alexandria Residential Historic District is on the National Register of Historic places, whose website describes it as: “Outstate Minnesota’s largest and most intact late-19th/early-20th-century residential district, with 59 houses charting Alexandria’s professional class and its architecture.”

Robards House, Alexandria, Minnesota, built in 1889, by contractor James L. Aiton, whose family also built the Pope and Douglas County Courthouses, the first high schools in Glenwood and Alexandria, and several of the 1880’s era brick buildings in downtown Alexandria

The Douglas County Historical Society has individual files on these homes, describing the architecture of each, and details of their applications that were completed when they were included in the Alexandria Residential Historic District. The District as a whole is on the National Register of Historic places, located east of Lake Winona near Cedar and Douglas Streets, and from 6th to 12th Avenues.  The name of the house often refers to the original owner, or the most historically noteworthy owner.  Some of the individual homes are also on the National Register.

Alexandria Historic District, the “Silk Stocking” neighborhood Cedar and Douglas Streets, from 6th to 12th Avenues

Alexandria Residential Historic District
(Number of National Register contributing properties: 53)
County:  Douglas
City or Township:  Alexandria
1.Property:  A. Jacobson House
Address:  405 7th Ave. W.
Date:   1904
2.Property:  Barnes House
Address:  509 Lincoln Ave. W.
Date:   1901
3.Property:  Carlson House
Address:  405 Lincoln Ave. W.
Date:   1902
4.Property:  Christie House
Address:  713 Cedar St.
Date:   1916
5.Property:  First Lutheran Church
Address:
Date:   1960
6.Property:  G.B. Ward House
Address:  505 7th Ave. W.
Date:   1895
7.Property:  Gilpin House
Address:  716 Douglas St.
Date:   1890
8.Property:  Gregerson House
Address:  1003 Douglas St.
Date:   1905
9.Property:  houe
Address:  1022 Douglas St.
Date:   1909
10.Property:  house
Address:  1021 Douglas St.
Date:   1916
11.Property:  house
Address:  317 Lincoln Ave. W.
Date:   1912
12.Property:  house
Address:  919 Douglas St.
Date:   1950
13.Property:  house
Address:  922 Douglas St.
Date:   1920
14.Property:  house
Address:  1101 Douglas St.
Date:   1920
15.Property:  house
Address:  1106 Douglas St.
Date:   1919
16.Property:  house
Address:  1107 Douglas St.
Date:   1920
17.Property:  house
Address:  1110 Douglas St.
Date:   1915
18.Property:  house
Address:  1004 Douglas St.
Date:   1902
19.Property:  house
Address:  1007 Douglas St.
Date:   1920
20.Property:  house
Address:  1010 Douglas St.
Date:   1890
21.Property:  house
Address:  1011 Douglas St.
Date:   1920
22.Property:  house
Address:  1014 Douglas St.
Date:   1940
23.Property:  house
Address:  923 Douglas St.
Date:   1989
24.Property:  house
Address:  1017 Douglas St.
Date:   1920
25.Property:  house
Address:  903 Douglas St.
Date:   1900
26.Property:  house
Address:  1111 Douglas St.
Date:   1920
27.Property:  house
Address:  1115 Douglas St.
Date:   1917
28.Property:  house
Address:  1116 Douglas St.
Date:   1912
29.Property:  house
Address:  1117 Douglas St.
Date:   1925
30.Property:  house
Address:  1122 Douglas St.
Date:   1913
31.Property:  house
Address:  710 Douglas St.
Date:   1970
32.Property:  house
Address:  406 Lincoln Ave. W.
Date:   1920
33.Property:  house
Address:  416 Lincoln Ave. W.
Date:   1915
34.Property:  house
Address:  424 Lincoln Ave. W.
Date:   1880
35.Property:  house
Address:  504 Lincoln Ave. W.
Date:   1960
36.Property:  house
Address:  521 Lincoln Ave. W.
Date:   1960
37.Property:  house
Address:  607 Cedar St.
Date:   1890
38.Property:  house
Address:  608 Cedar St.
Date:   1960
39.Property:  house
Address:  721 Cedar St.
Date:   1915
40.Property:  house
Address:  722 Cedar St.
Date:   1912
41.Property:  house
Address:  704 Douglas St.
Date:   1960
42.Property:  Johnson House
Address:  909 Douglas St.
Date:   1916
43.Property:  Knapton House
Address:  915 Douglas St.
Date:   1897
44.Property:  Leach House
Address:  810 Douglas St.
Date:   1908
45.Property:  LeRoy House
Address:  519 Lincoln Ave. W.
Date:   1910
46.Property:  Ludke House
Address:  821 Douglas St.
Date:   1915
47.Property:  McEwan House
Address:  303 Lincoln Ave. W.
Date:   1885
48.Property:  N.P. Ward House
Address:  422 7th Ave. W.
Date:   1903
49.Property:  Paulson house
Address:  417 Lincoln Ave. W.
Date:   1904
50.Property:  Raiter House
Address:  302 Lincoln Ave. W.
Date:   1909
51.Property:  Robards House
Address:  518 Lincoln Ave. W.
Date:   1889
52.Property:  Schraeder House
Address:  908 Douglas St.
Date:   1916
53.Property:  Sims House
Address:  521 7th Ave. W.
Date:   1876
54.Property:  Stevens House
Address:  321 Lincoln Ave. W.
Date:   1868
55.Property:  T. Jacobson house
Address:  722 Douglas St.
Date:   1895
56.Property:  The Belmont
Address:  307 Lincoln Ave. W.
Date:   1920
57.Property:  Thornton House
Address:  902 Douglas St.
Date:   1929
58.Property:  Van Hoesen House
Address:  421 7th Ave. W.
Date:   1883
59.Property:  Volker House
Address:  804 Douglas St.
Date:   1902
60.Property:  W.F. Sunblad House
Address:  914 Douglas St.
Date:   1899
61.Property:  Wedum House
Address:  1121 Douglas St.
Date:   1916
Posted in History Story