The George Loomis House

The George Loomis House was built in 1856 by George Loomis (1835-1894), brother-in-law of John North, who founded Northfield, MN in 1855. It is one of the oldest remaining structures in the town. The Loomis House sits on Washington Street, overlooking downtown Northfield, three blocks from the Cannon River.

The house has been remodeled several times, including an extensive renovation in the 1950's which converted the building into four apartments. Some early details remain, however, including this 1880's brasswork, presumably from an early remodelling.

A complete ownership history of the house is available, primarily as fodder for search engines.

For those of you with an obsessive interest in historic wallpapers, check out the Wallpaper Collection, gathered from the remaining layers in various parts of the house.

A restoration on the interior of the Loomis House is ongoing, insofar as original details can be determined. This includes the restoration of the original floorplan where possible, uncovering and refinishing of hardwood floors, refinishing of walnut woodwork which has been painted over, refinishing of existing brasswork and replacement where missing, and other detail work.

Fall 2001: View the restoration of the porch


If you are related to George Loomis (or any of the previous owners), or have any information about the Loomis family's time in Northfield, photos of this house, or any other historical material, I'd love to hear from you; please contact Mark F. Heiman (mheiman [at] loomishouse [dot] net)