Historic Lecture Series: Carving a Legacy: William Yungbauer's Designs in St. Paul's Grand Homes

Historic Summit Avenue Lecture Series

Carving a Legacy: William Yungbauer's Designs in St. Paul's Grand Homes

Thursday, October 16

Social Hour: 6:30-7:00 

Lecture: 7:00

St. Clement's Episcopal Church

901 Portland Ave

St. Paul

The Summit Avenue Residential Preservation Association (SARPA) and the Ramsey Hill Association (RHA) will be hosting an interesting and informative talk on Carving a Legacy: William Yunbauer's Designs in St. Paul's Grand Homes presented by Gabrielle Horner.

William Yungbauer (1860-1935) was a European-trained master woodcarver and fine furniture manufacturer whose skill lay in designing and executing harmonious interiors in collaboration with leading architects such as Clarence H. Johnston, Cass Gilbert, Thomas Holyoke, Edwin Lundie, and William Channing Whitney. In the 1890’s Mr. Yungbauer arrived in Saint Paul to supervise the interior carving and furniture installation at the James J. Hill House, as an agent for Hill’s Boston-based designers Irving & Casson. Yungbauer wisely decided to remain in Saint Paul and became a well-known artist, civic leader, and businessman. Yungbauer rarely signed his work, and his style contributed to the sense of luxury and craftsmanship on St. Paul’s Summit Avenue and beyond, helping set a standard for artistic interiors in the Twin Cities. His legacy, though anonymous, remains visible in the fine interiors of St. Paul’s grand homes, representing a blend of European technique and Gilded Age American grandeur.

WHO: Gabrielle Horner was born and raised in the heart of Saint Paul's Historic Hill District and is descended from generations of skilled craftsmen who immigrated to Minnesota.  She has been researching the life and work of William Yungbauer with the Clarence H. Johnston Society, in recognition that Yungbauer's exquisite interiors have been historically overshadowed by the well-known architects whose projects he enhanced.  Gabe is co-author of  “Tikkun Olam: Jewish Women Serving Their St. Paul Community,” for the Ramsey County Historical Society (2021), and primary author of A Grand History: The Summit Hill Neighborhood’s First 200 Years (2010).  She is a policy and data analyst and a researcher extraordinaire. She’s worked at The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the University of Chicago.  She’s a graduate of Macalester College.

Parking: Street Parking is available on the south side of Portland Avenue and on Milton Street. Please Note: Parking on the NORTH side of Portland Avenue is restricted until 8PM

Although FREE to attend, pre-registration is required!

If you are not current members of Ramsey Hill Association or SARPA but are interested in joining, click the respective links below to learn more:

Click here for Ramey Hill Association Membership

Click here for SARPA Membership