I hear these words ring through my head as I drive by 2500 Portland Avenue in Minneapolis. A big fan of the Back to the Future trilogy, I can’t help but feel the need to scream “Save the Clock Tower”, or in this case, save a rare piece of architectural history from neglect. Yes, this Moorish home is located in a not so good part of town, but is there anyone out there willing to take the risk and save this historic home from further decay and vandalism?
As a real estate agent, I know that in today’s market, the buying of a home comes down to price for most people. When this home was first placed on the market as a foreclosure by Automated Realty, it was priced at $229,900, well below the 2006 purchase price of $385,000. It has recently been reduced to $208,900. But the location of the home is the main culprit for its lack of appeal. If it were located in Ramsey Hill of Saint Paul, or near the Minneapolis chain of lakes, the home would have sold in no time at all. So is it any wonder that there are no takers?
Built in 1883 by Charles Bardwell, the original design was as a Queen Anne Victorian and was located on a different site at 1800 Park Avenue . However when the new owner, Emil Ferrant, purchased the home in 1890, he had Moorish features added to the home which can easily be seen in the onion domes. It is now simply known as the Bardwell-Ferrant House and was registered on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1984.
Before the home was bought and renovated in 1986 by Rolf Lokensgard, the once beautiful historic home was in disrepair. About $160,000 in renovations were put into the home and you can find stories about the renovation on other blogs. Please, someone, buy this house and save it!