Paul Peterson House

Mr. Child was the Edina Village Clerk from 1920 to 1922, and served as a trustee (modern council member) from 1947 until 1954. The Childs were also members of the Minnehaha Grange, where Mr. Child was elected Master of the Grange in both 1921 and 1927. In 1949, Mr. Child sold all but 1.5 acres of his land to builders for single family homes in the area, but retained ownership of the house. In 1964, the home was sold and has since been the home to four more families (there have been 7 families total).

Historical & Architectural Significance

The Peterson House is a notable, well-preserved specimen of Late Victorian period domestic architecture. The style of the home is a frame, 1 and 1/2 story cottage with Eastlake style detailing. It has a compound plan, intersecting gable roof, a gabled dormer and an enclosed porch. The walls are finished with clapboard siding. Eastlake style detailing is present in the form of spindled bargeboards, decorative shingle "feathering" in the gables, a bay window and corner boards. Contextually, the home relates to the theme of rural residential development in Edina.

Heritage Landmark Designation

The historic Paul Peterson House had been included in the city's heritage preservation overlay district in 1987. In 2002, the home was re-designated an Edina Heritage Landmark to comply with the updated zoning ordinance governing landmark designations. At that time, a plan of treatment was created to guide the future of the property. The designation recognizes the significance of the property on several counts:

The home is a rare, unaltered example of the Eastlake architectural style;

• The property is associated with Paul Peterson, an early pioneer in the area, and Fred S. Child, a past village recorder and trustee;
• The site and character of the home evokes an image of the rural agrarian heritage of the community.