I have always been fascinated by history. I’d love to be one of those people who truly lives in the moment, but I can’t. Sometimes it is more interesting to wonder about the past than face the present. (I fully understand the danger in this way of thinking…) From the mysterious figures looming in my family tree to stories about the people and buildings of my historic neighborhood, I am curious about what life was like and what motivated people to do what they did. For me, the smaller the story may seem, the more attracted I am to it.

From the moment my realtor showed me the condominium at The Tazewell twenty-two years ago, I knew it was the place for me. The three-story brick building was neat and tidy, the unit we looked at was chock full of sunshine and charm, and it was (almost) in my budget. Sure, there was a hideous wicker-accented ceiling fan in the middle of the dining room and tan wall-to-wall carpeting (very early-1980s), but it also had a built-in buffet and a walk-up dressing room in the bedroom. It was adorable.

I had been in a lot of apartment buildings in the Twin Cities, but I had never seen one exactly like The Tazewell. It wasn’t the grandest I’d seen, but something about it stirred my imagination. I wondered who built it, what the interiors looked like originally, and who called The Tazewell home before me.

Bit by bit I satisfied my curiosities and developed new ones with intermittent research. With the opportunity to write an article for Ramsey County History Magazine presented itself, I got serious about sharing the history of a St. Paul, Minnesota apartment building on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. Like most to reach the ripe age, The Tazewell basked in the glory days of her youth, endured the struggles of decline through middle age, and with equal doses of stubbornness and luck is still here today. Click here to read the article.