This park was originally the site of the Carpenter's Hotel, a towering wooden structure of the late 1850s, that sat on the east corner of the triangular lot defined by Summit Avenue, Ramsey Hill and the river bluff. The Victorian building featured a two story basement with windows cut into the stone retaining wall along Ramsey Hill. Projecting three stories above grade, the hotel was crowned with an open observation deck. It is believed that the hotel burned, and by the mid-1880s the Summit Avenue landmark had been demolished.
The Saint Paul Board of Park Commissioners took possession of the hotel site in 1887, and the property had been a public park since that date. Other than the rebuilding of the stone retaining wall and the ornamental rail above, for over a century the park remained unadorned, an expansive open lawn with informal and random plantings.
Parallel with the relocation of the New York Life Eagle to its permanent perch in 2004, Public Art Saint Paul and the Ramsey Hill Association conducted a charrette to develop a conceptual design for the park. The Lookout Park Partnership, a dedicated cadre of volunteers, raised the funds and coordinated the park's construction. Along with the Partnership, the City, generous individuals, foundations, organizations and corporations demonstrated an extraordinary model of collaboration and commitment to the community the true meaning of public-private partnership.
The renovation of Summit Lookout Park, gateway to the Ramsey and Crocus Hill neighborhoods, celebrates a remarkable 35-year transformation. Once thought blighted and outdated, the charming homes and mansions have now been carefully restored and the district has become a showplace of urban heritage and architectural preservation.
Newly renovated Summit Lookout Park dedicated August 13, 2008
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