Julian. H. Sleeper (1854-1948) was a successful St. Paul entrepreneur, real estate
speculator, and theatrical promoter. After owning a profitable tobacconist's shop,
he purchased and managed the Hotel Sherman, across the street from the downtown railway
station. By 1884, Sleeper was doing well enough that he hired architect Havelock
E. Hand and builder Gustav Dressel to create his dream home at 574 Holly. It was
enlarged and remodeled during the 1893 depression, employing several laborers and
artisans who otherwise would have had no income. Having bought the existing boarding-house
complex at 673-679 Lincoln, Sleeper moved his house in 1911 to 66 South St. Albans,
connecting the three buildings with underground tunnels. In 1993, Dr. Seth C. Hawkins
purchased the Julian H. Sleeper House to relocate his museum collection of Gilded
Age (1865-1899) decorative arts, formerly the Gowie-Nomand House Museum in New Haven
CT.
Tours by Appointment
Dr. Seth C. Hawkins, Director
66 South St. Albans Street
St. Paul MN 55105
651 225-1505
