Going, Going, Gone! The Emmett Butler House in Saint Paul, 1935. Sunday, March 29, 2026; Noon–2pm.
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Join Docomomo US/MN to tour the Emmett Butler House, built in 1935 by the Steel Projects Construction Company with with Saint Paul-based architects Raphael Heime, Eugene Land, and Walter J. MacLeith. The architecture is a rare blend of art-moderne design, technological innovation, and ornamental detail. This “all metal house” is an historically-intact showcase of the design fashions and advanced products of its time. Emmett Butler, a member of the prominent family of builders who built the state capitol, was the first owner. While there are dozens of art deco/moderne style houses of this size in the Upper Midwest, only a handful are clad in metal panels and built with an all-steel structure, floorplates, and even stairs. The 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago celebrated a streamlined future where automation and technology promised easier and more elegant lives for Americans. Several small companies emerged to promote pre-fabricated and designed metal houses and commercial buildings. With the help of St. Paul architects Raphael Heime, Eugene Land, and Walter J. MacLeith, Steel Products Construction built the house as a model for the future complete with the latest products in windows, ventilation, kitchen and bathroom design. The Emmett Butler House is located in the Cables Stonebridge subdivision of the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood of Saint Paul, just steps from the Mississippi River. |
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Tour Details:The house will be open for FREE self-guided tours on Sunday, March 29, 2026 from Noon – 2pm. Eventbrite registration is required!
Please park on the street, observing all local regulations. Address will be provided with Eventbrite registration. Originally featured as Going, Going, Gone! in July, 2016. Read More about the Emmett Butler House. |
About Docomomo US/MN Series of Going, Going, Gone! Tours:
Docomomo US/MN seeks to highlight Mid-Century Modern properties across Minnesota as they become available for sale, or may be threatened by demolition. The Going, Going, Gone! series of tours are pop-up events that attempt to connect sensitive Modernist properties with good stewards for the next generation of preservation and adaptation. If you are the owner of a mid-century home, a real estate agent or neighbor of a notable property – please let us know if there is a site that should be included on a future tour, or added to the MN Modern Registry!
