HISTORY

Jeremiah W. Selby was born in Ohio in 1820.  He arrived in St. Paul in 1849 and purchased a 40 acre parcel of land on St. Anthony Hill.  The price was $50 per acre for what is now known as Cathedral Hill. 

The presence that dominates Selby and Cathedral Hill is the Cathedral itself, which was begun in 1906.  It was dedicated in 1915 and was the last of Archbishop John Ireland’s works.  It was designed by Frenchman Emmanuel Masqueray and is all granite and marble.

Street car service began in St. Paul in 1890 with three lines moving West from St. Anthony Hill- including the Selby Line.  The Selby businesses catered to food, clothing, and services.  There were between 100 businesses between Western and Lexington alone.  The Selby-Dale corner was the hub.

Immediately abutting this vital hub, at the old 579-581 Selby address, stands a mansion built in 1890.  This is where you fine the current IL VESCOVINO.  Described as Victorian Romanesque / Chateauesque, this four gabled, four bay, red pressed brick beauty stands as a reminder to everyone that grandeur and elegance persist in the city of St. Paul.

This sophisticated double brick house is one of the few 3 ½ storey houses in St. Paul.  It is unlike many of the surrounding woodframe structures which gave it, as designed, an urban flair.  At the time it was built there was a barn, constructed for $100, on the site as well.  This parcel was owned by Mr. C. Ackernecht, who presumably commissioned the building. 

The architect of the mansion was Hermann Kretz, a German immigrant who arrived in St. Paul via Pittsburgh.  Known for over 15 major projects around the city of St. Paul, most notably the Blair Arcade on Selby and the downtown building housing the current city of St. Paul Licensing and Environmental Protection (LIEP), Mr. Kretz was active in creating many double-houses for the citizenry of St. Paul.  He felt they were efficient dwellings, promoted neighborly feelings, and were beautiful and stately.

The double house as 579-581 Selby cost $17,000 to build.  The foundation is of rockfaced red sandstone and the roof style is Truncated Hip and Gable.  It has two interior brick chimneys.  The original owner was John E. Williams, a real estate dealer who lived at 541 Martin.

In cyclical fashion, there has been a revitalization of the Selby and Cathedral Hill neighborhood.  Community organizations have united with the citizens of the area to rebuild and the process is continuing to this day.  The 579-581 Selby Avenue double house is a great example.

One Mr. David E. Nelson, of The Tuffet Creates, Inc., identified, purchased and renovated an old vacant double house in 1980.  It took him over 2 years.  Luckily, the house was in the Woodland Park National Register District and the State and H.P.C. Hill District.  It was soon placed on the Ramsey County Historical Society registry.  The Heritage Preservation Commission granted license to Mr. Nelson and the construction was done.

In the early 1990’s the building changed hands.  And again, it went through renovations.  The walls were knocked out between the two separate apartments, creating one vast mansion and one address, 579 Selby.  A bar and restrooms were placed on the first floor.  A commercial kitchen was added to the second floor and the third and fourth floors became fully renovated banquet space.  A patio was added to the West of the building.  The Vintage Restaurant was operating, but in keeping with the cyclical nature of the neighborhood, its run eventually came to an end.

The owners of IL VESCOVINO saw the potential of 579 Selby immediately.  They have completely re-done the inside, creating the inviting, warm atmosphere you see today with more changes afoot.