Folsom House
An 1855 Greek Revival house, original furnishings, gardens, and family records connect domestic life with Taylors Falls logging, politics, and river commerce.
Artwork inspired by Josephine Lutz Rollins
W.H.C. Folsom arrived through the lumber economy and became a businessman, legislator, and local leader. The house’s restrained exterior gives way to rooms where furniture, textiles, books, and family objects show how prosperity, taste, and household work took shape in a small river town.
The surrounding St. Croix landscape matters because timber, transport, geology, and tourism all met here. A guided tour can reveal original objects that are easy to overlook; pair it with the historic district or Interstate State Park, but treat those as separate visits with separate parking and access.
- Built
- 1855
- Builder
- W.H.C. Folsom
- Style
- Greek Revival
Quick guide
- House key
- Original objects in context
- Town key
- Lumber and river commerce
Connect one household to a river-and-lumber economy
- Start with
- Use the Greek Revival façade to identify how architectural fashion signaled ambition in an emerging river town.
- Look closely at
- Study original family furnishings as evidence of use, taste, travel, and household relationships.
- Connect the story
- Walk the terraced garden to understand how the steep site shapes views, circulation, and domestic landscape.
- Plan around
- House access depends on a limited seasonal tour schedule; verify a tour before driving to Taylors Falls.
Good to know
The house is not open daily; tour dates are seasonal and can be much narrower than nearby park hours.
Notice these
- Greek Revival façade
- Original family furnishings
- Terraced garden