A piece of Minnesota history — the Cedarhurst Mansion in Cottage Grove — is for sale for $1.95 million.
The iconic 153-year-old property has been owned by Laotian immigrant True Thao for 19 years.
But the family is selling it, according to a family member who asked not to be identified. Thao did not return phone messages left Tuesday.
The 13-acre, seven-building estate has a rich history in Minnesota.
In 1886, Cordenio Severance bought the property, which included a large farmhouse built in 1867.
Severance made a fortune as the lawyer for railroad tycoon J.J. Hill, and owned another house on Summit Avenue.
In 1911 Cass Gilbert — architect of the Minnesota State Capitol and the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. — added four rooms to the front of Cedarhurst. It transformed the farmhouse into a mansion, with stately columns and a 100-foot-wide veranda.
In 1916, Gilbert added an ornate ballroom which took 35 men six months to complete. The mansion was built for lavish entertaining – and was visited by four U.S. presidents.
Severance and his wife died in 1925 with no heirs. Many owners followed, and Cedarhurst began a long, slow decline.
Thao bought the property in 2001, and has been gradually restoring it ever since. As part of his effort, Thao traveled to South Carolina to study restored antebellum mansions. He looked for antique wallpapers, original light fixtures and period antiques. Thao has lived with his family in Cedarhurst, and rented it for weddings and other events.
The mansion is on the busy corner of Keats Avenue and 70th Street, surrounded by rapidly-developing neighborhoods.