Irvine Park Historic District | |
 The Ohage and McDonald Houses in Irvine Park | |
   | |
| Location | Roughly bounded by Elm Street, West 7th, Eagle Parkway, and Shepard Road Saint Paul, Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 44°56′27″N 93°6′10″W / 44.94083°N 93.10278°W |
| Built | 1849 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000993[1] |
| Added to NRHP | November 27, 1973 |
Irvine Park is a neighborhood just west of downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, that contains a number of historic homes. The neighborhood was platted by John Irvine and Henry Mower Rice in 1849. At the center of the neighborhood is Irvine Park, a New England–style public square. The neighborhood is a district listed on the National Register of Historic Places and also designated by the city as a historic district.[2]
The neighborhood suffered for much of the twentieth century. A report on housing from the 1930s characterized the area as being:
... in the less desirable rooming-house district; old homes, that at one time were mansions, but, over a period of years have been out-moded. Each successive tenant has been a little less able to pay adequate rent until the present occupants have commercialized the homes in one form or another.[3]
In 1970, 96 percent of the neighborhood's houses were classified as substandard by the city.[3] In the early 1970s the city planned to tear down the area and replace it with high-rise apartments for public housing.[4] This plan was not implemented, however, and the neighborhood became a National Register Historic District in 1973. Irvine Park was named Saint Paul Heritage Preservation District in 1982.[5]
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ Millett, Larry (2007). AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: The Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press. pp. 430–434. ISBN 0-87351-540-4.
- ^ a b Empson, Donald L. (2006). The Street Where You Live. University of Minnesota Press. pp. 139–140. 9780816647293.
Street Where You Live: A Guide to the Place Names of St. Paul By Donald Empson.
- ^ Linda Mack (September 30, 2007). "Making history". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on July 26, 2007. Retrieved November 19, 2007.
- ^ "West Seventh". Ramsey County Historical Society. 2005. Archived from the original on November 22, 2007. Retrieved November 19, 2007.