The James J. Hill House on Summit Avenue: Story and Facts

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The James J. Hill House on Summit Avenue is a Minnesota story with a documented core at James J. Hill House, 240 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, Ramsey County. The sources are named below.

HistoryKind of story
2Named sources
Twin CitiesRegion
Nov 1Checked, 2026

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The James J. Hill House on Summit Avenue

People say the railroad builder James J. Hill built the biggest and fanciest home Minnesota had ever seen, on a hill over downtown St. Paul. It had a pipe organ and its own art gallery.

What The Record Shows

The Minnesota Historical Society says the house was completed in 1891 and was, when finished, the largest and most expensive home in Minnesota. The Boston firm Peabody, Stearns, and Furber designed it in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. The cost was $931,275.01 including furnishings and landscaping for a three-acre estate. MNHS gives 36,500 square feet on five floors, 13 bathrooms, 22 fireplaces, a two-story art gallery and a 1,006-pipe organ. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and MNHS acquired it in 1978. A National Park Service nomination form from 1974 lists different bathroom and fireplace counts (18 and 35) than current MNHS materials, so counts vary by source.

Sources: About the House (James J. Hill House, Minnesota Historical Society); James J. Hill House (Minnesota Historical Society).

A Note

Tour days and prices change, so check the Minnesota Historical Society page. Not confirmed: some National Park Service figures for the house.

Its home: James J. Hill House. Official page.

On this site: Historic Sites, National Historic Landmarks, Twin Cities Events.

Looked for and Not Found

We found no claim for this story that we could not trace to a named source.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the story of The James J. Hill House on Summit Avenue true?

The Minnesota Historical Society says the house was completed in 1891 and was, when finished, the largest and most expensive home in Minnesota.

Is this a legend?

It is a story with a documented core. The facts are listed on this page with their sources.

Where do these facts come from?

From the named sources listed on this page: About the House (James J. Hill House, Minnesota Historical Society); James J. Hill House (Minnesota Historical Society).

Sources

Read on November 1, 2026. Stories are for fun; the facts come from these sources. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? tell us.

Cite this page: It's Minnesota, “The James J. Hill House on Summit Avenue”, itsminnesota.com/legends/james-j-hill-house/ (updated 2026-11-01). By the It's Minnesota editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.