Story of The Gathering Place

The house was built in 1927 and purchased by newlyweds Floyd & Ellen in 1961, who moved to the Twin Cities from Northern Minnesota. Floyd accepted a job with the Department of Education, and he and Ellen settled into the house and raised their 3 kids.

A skilled craftsman, Floyd soon began adding to the original 800 square foot footprint. Initially he added a garage and concrete porch. He further expanded the footprint in the 1980's, adding a Great Room, fireplace, third level, and foyer, but they were never finished -- never insulated, never heated, and never lived in. For the next 40 years, the original house sat inside the shell of a new house.

Floyd never stopped learning. He loved learning about nature, science, gardening, and industrial arts. He literally had an industrial arts shop in this basement! A 10-ft lathe, industrial welder, drill press, work bench, a million tools, and metal cabinets filled with manuals and supplies for various projects he pursued, such as home building, auto body, furniture making, plumbing, electrical, and more. It was Floyd’s man cave, if you will.

When we moved into the neighborhood in 2000, Floyd was one of the first to stop by, offering conversation and his garden crops. One of his favorite garden crops to share was Swiss chard, which our family loved.

Over the years, Myron and Floyd shared many friendly conversations and helped each other with various tasks and projects. Time wore on. Ellen passed, and aging took a toll on Floyd. No more garden crops and less activity in the yard. Floyd went into memory care. Myron helped the family watch over the property.

In the summer of 2024, we had the opportunity to buy the property from Floyd’s family, and the transformation began. What once was an early 1900s 800-square-foot house is now a modern 4,200 square foot house with three full floors, including the former basement shop and garage converted to livable space, a new roofline, and finally finishing the Great Room.

It was important we continue to honor Floyd and Ellen. We kept several pieces of their furniture, refinishing it and placing it throughout the house. And how could we not name one of the bedrooms after Floyd?! There is a Floyd Lake in northern MN, after all.

We know Floyd & Ellen would be proud to see what has come of their endearing property of 60 years.

A picture of the house from the 1960s, during a classic Minnesota winter. The original 800-square-foot house was built in 1927.

A glimpse of Floyd's industrial arts passion in his basement.