Patterson-Hernandez House

The Patterson-Hernandez House, also known as The Old Stone House, is a historic Queen Anne’s style mansion.[1] The home was built in 1898 and is considered a castle by local residents.[2] This is due to its structure including an element resembling a tower as well as the brick construction and impressive detail for the time.

The house was first owned and built by Dr. Robert Patterson during the first few years of the 1900s, using “locally gathered glacial boulders.”[3] According to local legend, instead of paying Dr. Patterson for his services, his patients instead paid him with stones that would later become the components for his home in Barnesville.[4] Because of this it makes it hard to place an exact date for it being built, due to many records claiming a different date. However, 1898 is when the house began construction, and by 1901 the house was finished and it became the Patterson's official residence. [5] In 1911, when Patterson died, many people came to his funeral because of how helpful he was to others around him as well as how much of an impact he had to the town and greater area.[6]

The Queen Anne style started in England after the Fire of London which prompted new designs for houses. The houses had many rooms with many hallways connecting the rooms, a construction style intended to convey a royal aesthetic.[7] This style was important for the Clay County area because most houses were very down-to-earth and not show-stopping in any way, so more sophisticated architecture really stood out. While many houses were simple ones for early settlers to the area, the Stone Castle had nine stained glass windows, two fireplaces, as well as chimneys, and a tower.[8]

The Patterson-Hernandez House is still in good condition and has housed a number of different families since its construction. At one point it even served as an apartment, with multiple families residing within it.[9] The Patterson-Hernandez House is so named because Patterson was the original owner, and John Hernandez owned the building in 1970 when it was accepted for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

[1] Tom Harvey, ““Minnesota Historic Properties Form,” National Parks Service, accessed March 24, 2021, https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/c8b3c341-204d-4aaa-a028-3f1f00461f16. 

[2] 2020 Street Light, “Patterson Castle Built On Barter System In 1898,” March 16th, 2020. n.d., Barnesville Record Review edition, sec. 11A, accessed March 24, 2021, https://media.iadsnetwork.com/edition/2020/2201/181659/6a63e6b3-148a-4869-8ad7-29a8d40d5d84.pdf.

[3] Thomas Harvey, “National Register of Historic Places Inventory Form-Nomination Form,” accessed April 18, 2021, https://npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/64000348.pdf.

[4] 2020 Street Light, Patterson Castle, 11A.

[5] Dorothy Garven, Historic Barnesville: Old Houses and the People Who Lived in Them (Los Angeles: Alder Tree Press, 1992), 5-7.

[6] Trevor Yorke, British Interior House Styles: An Easy Reference Guide, Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books, 2012: 13, https://search-ebscohost-com.cordproxy.mnpals.net/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=546815&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

[7] Yorke, British House Styles, 13.

[8] Garven, Historic Barnesville, 5-7.

[9] Harvey, Minnesota Properties.