(GALLERY): The Foley Mansion Reborn as Events Center

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) - At last month’s Minneapolis Home and Design Show, a sustainable interior designer showcased the work done on a St. Cloud landmark. The Foley Mansion was built on 3rd Avenue in St. Cloud in 1889 by lumber and railroad tycoon Timothy Foley.

The home was transferred to his brother, Thomas Foley, in 1895, and then purchased by local lawyer and politician Ripley B. Brower in 1902 and again to banker William J. Bohmer in 1923.

The Foley-Brower-Bohmer House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 for its local significance in the themes of architecture, industry, and politics.

A fire at the property destroyed the interior in 2001, and it sat unoccupied until purchased by Allen and Carmen Arvig with the intent of renovating it into an event center

Carter Averbeck, a sustainable interior designer, says it’s one of very few Richardsonian-Romanesque architecture in Central Minnesota.

It was a typical style that was Americanized. It's Richardsonian. Really it is a home that is largely asymmetrical in style when you look at it from the outside. It's got an interesting gabled roof structure and rough cut stone and brick as a combination, and heavily emphasized round arches or turrets.

Averbeck was hired to oversee the exacting renovation of the historic property. He started by pouring over old photos, including family photos, of the home.

The fire destroyed almost all interior finishes in the home. Averbeck says anyone looking to remodel an older home should search out salvage yards in the area.

Well, salvage places are one of those resources that you can go to without a doubt. Architectural antique salvage yards, which is a separate type of salvage yard, you can find a lot of things that may be missing in your home such as columns that were taken out that you can put right back in. And those are great resources for a homeowner to start with.

Averbeck says a small army of craftsmen worked to bring the details back to the home.

There were a lot of custom-made artisan pieces, such as the hand-stamped flooring. So we had to bring in artisans to replicate it, blended in with the original flooring so that it looked like nothing had ever happened. Same thing with the stained glass pieces. So a lot of wood, for instance, for the most part where we were able to get milled and have it look exactly the same.

For a video about the renovation process, click here.

The stained glass and woodwork in the main staircase were recreated by craftsmen for an amazing "wow" factor!

One of the dining rooms features plenty of elbow room for six, surrounded by the original splendor of the Foley Mansion.

The colors and finishes of this sitting room were researched and recreated for a remarkable effect.

The Foley Mansion is now available for rent as an event center. For more information, find their website here.

The wine cellar was completely destroyed by a fire in 2001.

A pair of carved.... people... guard the bottom of the main staircase.