To spot the Michael Majerus House, look to the corner lot near you for a striking three-story red-brick mansion topped by a five-story square tower, with a fancy mansard roof and a wrought-iron balcony above its front doors.
Now, let’s step back in time together-imagine it’s 1891, St. Cloud is growing, and right here stands Michael Majerus’s incredible new home, the undisputed star of the block. Take in those smooth granite windowsills, the bold red bricks, and-look way up!-that tower rising grandly above you like a brick-and-mortar lighthouse. If you listen closely, you might almost hear the clack of horse hooves as a carriage pulls up to the original garage, which once held hay in a loft upstairs.
Built as a second home for Majerus, this place was ahead of its time-or rather, behind it! By 1891, Americans were crazy for Queen Anne and Richardsonian Romanesque, but Majerus insisted on the elegant Second Empire style, complete with curvy mansard roofs and ornate stone details. Rumor has it, the style reminded his German neighbors of the old country, and didn’t our friend Majerus love to bring a bit of Europe to Minnesota?
Now glance at the first and second floors-see those carved rosettes, cherub faces, little scrolls? Even the balcony above the main doors seems to invite you into a century-long mystery: Why build this when everyone else was picking something fashionable? Maybe nostalgia, maybe a love for drama-who knows!
Fast forward to the 1970s, and picture workers dusting off old beams, sighing as they restored everything back to its 19th-century glory. Only five families have called this mansion home, and thanks to award-winning preservation, the house you see today looks almost exactly as it did over 130 years ago-ready to impress, and maybe even inspire your next dream home.
