House at "Dellwood" for Mr. Barnum, St. Paul, MN, 1885, OrigPlan. Cass Gilbert.

A Beautifully Detailed, Original Plan of the House at "Dellwood" for Mr. A Kirby Barnum in Saint Paul, Minnesota.  HAND-COLORED.  Cass Gilbert, Architect.  From the American Architect and Building News, January 17, 1885.

Augustus K. Barnum was born in Alabama and moved with his mother to Saint Paul, Minnesota prior to the Civil War. On his birth certificate his parents are listed as Augustus Barnum, MD, born in Maryland, and Allie Miller, born in Pennsylvania. His birth date is given as Dec. 8, 1848, in Alabama.

 

He was often referred to as the first real millionaire in Saint Paul. He built a magnificent house there (perhaps the one illustrated in the plan you are advertising; since demolished) and he owned much real estate there during the best years of his life.

 

A.K. Barnum married, about 1878 in Saint Paul, Josephine Thompson (b. Georgia, abt. 1851, d. abt. 1922), a daughter of James E. Thompson, a prominent pioneer banker. The couple had at least two children: Edith J. Barnum, born 1879 in Saint Paul, Minnesota and still living in 1923 in Roswell, New Mexico, m. Henry Meyers; and Edmund Kirby Barnum, b. abt. 1881 and still living in 1923 in Fresno, California.

 

The last job Augustus held was sweeping the halls of the city hospital, where he lived and worked for many years. He died in the hospital, a pauper, on May 16, 1923.

This picture is extremely hard to find, as the American Architect and Building News not only had a very small circulation during that time, but very few were actually preserved or colored as this has been.  It measures 16.5 by 12.5 inches.  Has a mat border and foam core backing (not attached to the picture).  The whole plan measures 19.5 by 15.75 inches (with mat border).  Finely detailed and beautifully hand-colored.  Shrink wrapped.

Plan is in VG+ condition.

This is a highly unusual, scarce item. See our other auctions for more hand-colored original plans.