Friday Fun: Minnesota Style, Taylors Falls, MN

I'm finally sharing my long-promised pictures of the beautiful Taylors Falls, Minnesota! I apologize, but life just kind of took over for a couple of weeks as I was on a deadline. This writing journey is definitely a learning experience and next time I have a deadline I'll be a little more prepared for it (I hope!).

A few weeks ago my husband and I took our daughters to Taylors Falls, Minnesota, which is in the southeastern portion of our state on the Minnesota/Wisconsin border on the St. Croix River. We went to see one of the oldest homes there, the Folsom House, built in the early 1850's when Minnesota was still a territory.

Here are the pictures we took of Taylors Falls. It is such an incredibly beautiful town and one we want to go back to over and over again.



The oldest standing public school house in Minnesota




The original jail




The Taylors Falls Queen Paddle Boat





My girls in Wisconsin :)




Looking at Wisconsin from Minnesota



The town is built into the river vally



The St. Croix River




The houses are so quaint



A lot of the original homes were built in the Greek Revival
style so popular in Minnesota in the 1850's & 1860's




A church built in 1861 and still being used

What about you? What town would you go back to over and over again?

Friday Fun: Minnesota Style, Folsom House

One of the things I love most about Minnesota is its diverse history. Last weekend Dave and I took our two girls to Taylors Falls, Minnesota. It's a little town on the Southeast border of Minnesota on the St. Croix River. This part of Minnesota is especially beautiful with the rocky bluffs, dipping river valleys and historic buildings.

We went to Taylors Falls to see the Folsom House, a historic home built in 1855 and owned today by the Minnesota Historical Society. My current story, Forgiveness Falls, is set in 1857 in Central Minnesota and I wanted to make sure that my historic details were accurate. We toured the home and I was able to ask lots of questions.

It was fun watching my girls be enthralled by the old home. They aren't strangers to historic sites (how could they be as my children?), but it was fun to watch them discover chamber pots, spittoons and coffin pianos.

It was a lot of fun spending the day in Taylors Falls (and St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, across the river) with the girls. My time with them, and the memories we made, were priceless. I'll share some incredible pictures of Taylors Falls next Friday, but today I want to share some from the Folsom House.



I'm amazed at the beauty and craftsmanship of a house

built in Minnesota Territory in 1855. There was very little

in Minnesota at that time and everything they used for

the house had to be sent from a great distance.







The main staircase was very wide. The tour guide couldn't
really explain why...



Mr. Folsom's Office. While we were there, they were
having a quilt show, so that's why you see quilts in
all the pictures.



Spittoon in Mr. Folsom's Office

 

Dining Room and my oldest daughter

 

The paint on this hutch was tinted blue with blueberries
and these are Mrs. Folsom's original dishes from 1855.

 

Mrs. Folsom's coffin piano - it was huge!

  

The "Men's" Parlor is in the front and the "Women's"
Parlor is in the back. I wish there weren't so many quilts
lying around! The furniture underneath was gorgeous.



Me in the Men's Parlor



Two connecting bedrooms, separated by a pocket door

Mrs. Folsom's Bed



Chamber Pot



My daughter thought we should take this potty chair
home for the twins :)



The back of the Folsom House

What about you? Have you been to a historic home lately? What is your favorite architectural period for homes?