John H. Stevens House Museum

Story

The John Harrington Stevens House was the first authorized house on the west bank of the Mississippi River in what would become Minneapolis in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was built in 1850 at Saint Anthony Falls by John H. Stevens on the site where the Minneapolis Post Office now sits. He was granted permission to build his house on land controlled by Fort Snelling in exchange for providing ferry service across the river, accounting for the nickname "ferry farm." In the subsequent five years, the home became a hub of civic and social activity, and was dubbed the "birthplace of Minneapolis." Both Hennepin County and Minneapolis were organized in Stevens' home. He and his wife, Frances Helen, had no white neighbors, but Indians were often seen nearby.The Stevens House was moved several times, finally to Minnehaha Park in south Minneapolis in 1896. The home is part of the Minnehaha Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. The house is now a museum, with tours available on summer weekends.