Home listings in the Milwaukee Avenue Historic District of Minneapolis' Seward neighborhood are rare, but one family will put theirs on the market soon.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - For the last six years, Milwaukee Avenue has been an oasis in the middle of the city for Garrett Peterson and his family, but in a couple of weeks, they will be putting their home in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis up for sale to move closer to their jobs.
"It’s really bittersweet," said Peterson. "We have been raising our two young kids here, so we have a lot of great memories and great friends on the block."
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Family lists Milwaukee Avenue Historic District home in Minneapolis
For the last six years, Milwaukee Avenue has been an oasis in the middle of the city for Garrett Peterson and his family, but in a couple of weeks, they will be putting their home in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis up for sale to move closer to their jobs.
Their home is one of 48 two-story brick houses built in the 1880s along a two-block stretch of what was once a narrow alley. It was built mostly for Scandinavian immigrants who worked in the nearby railroad yards and factories.
By the 1970s, the homes had fallen into disrepair and the city wanted to demolish them, but a group of neighbors banded together to preserve the houses because they exemplified how industrial workers lived during that time.
"The industries in the area needed workers, and the workers lived in houses like this," said Peterson.
The neighbors not only saved the majority of the homes and replaced those that were beyond repair with replicas, they also turned the narrow street into a pedestrian walkway and green space. The neighborhood was also designated a historic district and is on the National Register of Historic Places because of its social significance.
"To be able to have a street that kind of showcases a place that’s a different way of looking at how life can be without having the vehicular traffic in front is great," Peterson added.
The house already has six showings scheduled and an offer on the table before it’s even hit the market, but they will be sad to leave a pocket of Minneapolis history that has stood the test of time.
"This is just a special place that has a lot of history and a lot of great people who live here, and it will make a great home for somebody," Peterson said.