Cabins on the North Shore designed in the 1940s and 1950s by famed St. Paul architect Edwin Lundie will be open for a public tour July 19.
The annual bus tour, now in its fifth year, will stretch from Schroeder to Grand Marais, visiting three Lundie cabins -- the Robinson and Kromshroeder cabins for the first time and revisiting the Olson cabin and Lutsen Lodge, which Lundie also designed. Three non-Lundie cabins built in the 1920s and 1930s and a contemporary one known as "The Glass House" also are part of the tour.
From the 1940s to the 1960s, Lundie designed 17 cabins and summer homes along an 80-mile stretch of the North Shore. The structures combine a rustic look with craftsmanship and attention to detail. They are Scandinavian-style timber frames built with native white pine, stone and rough-sawn cedar. Extensive detailing includes carved posts, cutout detailing, mullion windows and hand-split cedar-shake shingles. Interiors have large stone fireplaces, plank floors, knotty pine walls, numerous built-ins and exposed post-and-beam framing.
Lundie designed in many styles during his 55-year career, but his specialty was picturesque country homes built with natural materials. During his lifetime, Lundie was largely overlooked by his peers. After his death in 1972 at age 85, he gained stature in architectural circles and a comprehensive book about his work was published.
The tour sets out at 1 p.m. from the Cross River Heritage Center on Minnesota Highway 61 in Schroeder. A panel of experts -- Minneapolis architect Scott Berry and local contractor Greg Tofte -- will be on hand to answer questions during the 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. registration. The Lundie Room, a permanent Lundie exhibit, also can be seen. The day ends with a picnic and social.
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The event costs $150, which benefits the Schroeder Area Historical Society. For tickets or more information, call the Cross River Heritage Center at (218) 663-7706.
