St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-06-08
HOME OF THE HILLS.
The Regal Residence Just
Completed by the Rail-
way Magnate.
A Magnificent Castle, With
Scarcely a Superior in
Existence.
Briefly Sketehed Description
Of the Summit Avenue
Mansion.

A Collection Of Rare and
Valuable Paintings Fit
for a King.
No one would think of pointing out
the beauties Of st. Paul and emitting
the splendid and baronial mansion of
James j. Hill, in the aristocratic center
of Summit avenue, overlooking the
majestic sweep of the Mississippi river.
1t is not only the most magnificent resi-
dence in st. Paul, having cost In the
neighborhood of a million dollars, but
is outranked by very few homes in the
country. 1t is Of heavy, uncut brown
stone, and resembles a baronial castle
in its solidity and durability. In its
outward aspect it is surpassed by many
less pr~etentiOus homes, but its interior
magnifcence is scarcely approached by
the residences of any of the bonanza
kings of America.
The building is absolutely fireproof in
the largest sense of the word. The roof
is a mass OF iron joists and beams, filled
between with terra Gotta, and covered
with three-eighths of an inch of Monson
sawed slate, and all the floors and par
titions throughout the building are of
the same material, as to iron and terra
Gotta. Competent judges pronounce the
heating and ventilation of the house
beyond anything in this country. The
heating is done by the indirect hot water
system leading from the basement,
while the ventilation comes from a
powerful exhaust fan in the attic, which
constantly forces delightful cool air
through every room in the house.
Imagine ten miles Of wire to light a
house. Our grandfathers would have
said it was impossible, but this is the
exact length OF copper turned into all
sorts of angles TO feed the hundreds Of
incandescent lights in the Hill house,
and there is no other house in the world
that contains such perfect electric APP
planes.
The wood finishing OF the house is
unique and elegant. The parlor and
music room are done in enamel over the
wood the dining room and library in
mahogany; the hall, the art gallery and
breakfast room i'll oak, while the nam
bers are in oak and prayayera, or white
mahogany.
Who a describe such magnificence
fifty? Each room with its different de-
signs and massive furnishings, would
do grace to a palace. The rugs alone
cost $3.50, O00-rugs of the finest texture
that the celebrated looms of Persia
could make. and of the most wonderful
patterns and coloring. Hangings that
would do the
Eye of a COnnoisseur
good. so fine is the texture, and so mag
nificent is the design. Take the brocha
tapestry between the hall and drawing
room-what could be more beautiful
than the soft ivory tones, with the rich
gold running through it? 1t was made
in Paris, and designed by the great
Philip de lie Sale. But 1t is no grander
than the drawing room, which the
heavy silken draperies separate from
the great hallway. 1t is at once both
classic and unique, done in white and
gold, with a suggestion of Louis XVI.
What could be more exquisite In texture
and design than the brocha, Lyons
tapestry tIeiZe? 1t is but thirty inches
wide. still it cost s75 a yard.
Then, too. the music room. What a
beautiful room it is-dOne in the Adams
style. with its paneling of pale sea green
and ivory satin, and furnishings that re-
mind one of the crest of a sea wave, so
exquisite Is the colOring.
What a superb room the dining room
Is for grand dinners, where beautiful
women, with costly array and sparkling
jewels, and brilliant men,, with their
flow of wit, gather around the festive
board, meath the glow of numerous ill.,
candescent lights, making merry the
room, with Its ceiling of pure gold and
Its magnificent walls of Illuminated
blue.
But the real grandeur of the house is
the magnificent hallway, S6X100 feet-as
large as an ordinary dwelling. What a
delightful place to linger. The broad
stairs and vaulted archway, fretted
and jeweled with renaissance terra
Gotta work done in soft creams from end
to end; each doorway has its lacework,
each window its carved setting. And
yet the design of the whole is so artistic
that no effect of the statellnesS or
grandeur can be diminished through all
the costly furnishings or ornament.
Passing DOWN the hall through the
heavy tapeStried portiers at the end,
one finds himself in Mr.. HILLS magnifi-
cent art gallery, which is probably the
finest art collection in the West. and it
is safe to say there is no finer private
gallery in this country, unless it be Mr..
Charles A. Dana'S or DIR. COttier's gal
lery in New York.
What a magnificent room it is, large,
high-yaulted, we'll lighted, and finished
In richly carved antique oak. At one
end is a large pipe organ of antique
oak and silver pipes, while at the other
end of the long gallery is an old Eng
lish fireplace, done in onyx and dull
ocher mosaic. surmounted by a high
mantel of dark, richly carved oak, over
which hangs RibOt'S great picture OF
.'Cbrist Taken from the Cross" which
covers the entire end of the gallery.
The Art Treasures.
Mr.. Hill is a connoisSeur in art; in
fact, buying pictures is his pet hobby.
and there is not a finer art critic in this
country than Mr.. Hill. His collection
of French pictures is one OF the largest
in this country. He owns, for instance,
two DupreZ, four Millets. four Dau-
bignys. six pictures by Diaz; three
Dalacroixs, including the small Con
missionaries de Tangiers," which
is we'll known in this country. He
the Defoer collection, aud a fine nude
female figure, which Corot sometimes
painted, but rarely exhibited. and sew
eral other Corots. He has Rousseau's
beautiful "Mont Jean de Paris" Once
in the Morgan collection, aud other
Kousseaus, besides three by Decamps,
three Troyon and three of the great
Fromentins, three by Bonvin. Ribot,
Cain. two by PuviS dc Chayannes.