The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project

President's House

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President's House, Concordia College (MN)

Institution Name: Concordia College (MN)
Original/Historic Place Name: Huntoon House
Location on Campus:
Date(s) of Construction:

1910	original construction

Designer: unknown
Type of Place: Individual building
Style: Other (Glossary)
Significance: architecture, education, history
Narrative: see below
References: see below

Materials:

Foundation: brick

Walls: brick, stucco

Roof: wave-coursed cedar shingles

Function:

1910-1945	private residence (of Lew Huntoon family)
1945-1951	residence hall (women)
1951-present (2006)	president's house

Narrative:
The former Lew Huntoon house is a two-story English Cottage style building located on a prominent corner of the Concordia College campus. The first floor is constructed of dark red brick, and the second floor is white stucco. Wide, tri-part windows fill much of each wall. The roof is paired gables on the front façade, and the front porch roof repeats the gable on a much smaller scale. The roof shingles wrap under the eaves, giving the house a soft appearance and its distinctive English style. One side of the roof is marked by paired dormer windows, one a shed dormer, the other an eyelid dormer (from "Huntoon, Lew A, House," National Register report [1980]).

This building was originally the home of the prominent Moorhead banker Lew Huntoon and his family. It was acquired by the college in 1945. It was first used as a women's residence hall and then the home management house before becoming the president's house in 1951.

A recent garage was built on one corner of the lot. An attempt was made--with moderate success--to complement the residence. The garage is not included in the nomination.

References:

Englehardt, Carroll. On Firm Foundation Grounded: The First Century of Concordia College (1891-1991). Moorhead, MN: Concordia College, 1991.

Harvey, Tom. Lew A. Huntoon House. Inventory report. St. Paul, MN: State Historic Preservation Office, Minnesota Historical Society, 1979.