The Ard Godfrey House

Ard Godfrey came to Minneapolis in 1847 to supervise the first commercial dam and lumber mill at St. Anthony Falls. He built this 1 1/2-story wood frame house in 1848, where he and his family lived until 1853. After they moved out, various other families occupied the house until 1905 when it was sold to the Hennepin County Territorial Pioneers Association. The Association moved the building to its current location on Chute Square in 1909 and gave it to the City of Minneapolis. It served as a museum of historical artifacts until 1943. As a gift to the city of Minneapolis in honor of its bicentennial, The Woman's Club of Minneapolis undertook the renovation of the Ard Godfrey House in 1976. The Club opened the house to the public in 1979 and remains as the oldest wood frame house in Minneapolis.