Docomomo US/Minnesota Tour Day 2019

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Join Docomomo US/MN for the annual Fall Tour Day on Saturday October 12, 2019! This year's tour features four decades of mid-century modern homes by notable architects in Minneapolis, Saint Paul and suburban Twin Cities.

One of the featured homes, the Boyd Thomas and Art Naftalin House, has unique connections to Minnesota's modern historical roots and a special connection to Docomomo US/MN!

Built in 1948 for University of Minnesota faculty members Boyd Thomes and Art Naftalin (the latter would later become a four-term Minneapolis mayor), this Prospect Park duplex was designed by architect Elizabeth "Lisl" Close of the nascent Close Associates.

After serving as a rental property for much of the 1990s and 2000s, the current owners embarked on an extensive remodel and addition in 2016 as they downsized from their large family home in St. Paul. As part of their research, the homeowners attended the Docomomo US/MN Tour Days in 2013-2014 to see other Close Associates properties and gain insight and inspiration. Eventually the owners engaged Close Associates to design the addition, modernizing the home while keeping the feel and intent of the original.


Tour Schedule:

Folwell Avenue Walking Tour, 10:00 am – 11:45 am
Docomomo US/MN returns to University Grove for the morning session of the 2019 Fall Tour on October 12. Check in at the tent near 2151 Folwell Ave to receive your tour wristband for the day. Enjoy an encyclopedic city-block walk of midcentury Minnesota architects. Four homes along either side of Folwell Avenue will be open for interior tours – including designs by architects Ralph Rapson, Tom Van Housen and Cecil T. Griffith. 

2132 Folwell Ave., Cecil T. Griffith

2151 Folwell Ave., Tom Van Housen / Progressive Design Associates

2161 Folwell Ave., Tom Van Housen / Progressive Design Associates

2179 Folwell Ave., Ralph Rapson

Minneapolis and Golden Valley Tour, 12:15 pm – 3:00 pm
Four properties will be available for tours across Minneapolis and Golden Valley. Tour tickets or wristbands will be required for entry. On-street parking will be available for all tour houses, though some walking and stair climbing will be required to access the properties. Afternoon homes may be visited in any order:

21 Barton Ave. SE, Minneapolis

3616 Edmund Blvd., Minneapolis

8640 Winsdale Street N, Golden Valley

1445 Fairlawn Way, Golden Valley

Atomic Ranch Revival Tour and Reception, 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Join members of the Docomomo US/MN Board for conversation, appetizers, and refreshments on the last stop on the tour!

2337 Nottingham Ct., Minnetonka


Advance registration required.

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