This Unassuming MN Home Is Actually Older Than Minnesota Is!

Minnesota has been a state since 1858. Before becoming a state, there were pioneers living within its borders, and they had homes where they lived. With all the advances in technology and how we build our homes, rarely, a home that existed before Minnesota became a state would still be standing, let alone still in use. This house in Richfield was built several years before MN became a state, and it's still standing and in use!

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The Bartholomew House in Richfield was built in 1852 and serves as the Richfield History Center. The man behind the home was named Riley Bartholomew and he came to Minnesota in 1852 from Ohio. The Bartholomew family resided and farmed on the property until 1962, more than 100 years in the same house, before it was expected to meet the wrecking ball.

Luckily the home was saved in 1967 by a women's group in Richfield. The house was then restored to a 19th-century farmhouse.

The home is open on select days to visitors between April and November. The home can be viewed on Wednesdays and Saturdays during those months from 12 – 4 pm, admission into the home is free.

In today's seemingly throwaway society, utilizing something like this 172-year-old seems to be a rarity, whereas 100+ years ago it seemed we were more apt to use what was existing.

You can learn more about the Bartholomew house, and family, which includes a state representative, by heading here.

Are there any 170+ year-old homes still standing here in St. Cloud?