The Hormel Historic Home, also known the Cook-Hormel House or simply The Hormel Home, is a historic
Italianate
The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...
style home with
Classical Revival
Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...
facade located in
Austin, Minnesota
Austin is a city in, and the county seat of, Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 26,174 at the 2020 census. The town was originally settled along the Cedar River and has two artificial lakes, East Side Lake and Mill Po ...
. The home was built in 1871 and was added to the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1982.
History
Completed in 1871 by local businessman and politician John Cook, the red brick house was originally built in Italianate style. The home was purchased by
George A. Hormel
George Albert Hormel (December 4, 1860 – June 5, 1946) was an American entrepreneur, he was the founder of Hormel Foods Corporation (then known as George A. Hormel & Co.) in 1891. His ownership stake in the company made him one of the wealthies ...
in 1901 and an extensive remodeling project began in 1902. As part of the renovation, the brick was covered with stucco and Classical Revival details were added to the home's interior and exterior. Many of the home's interior furnishings were imported from Europe and Quezal and
Tiffany artglass are used on fixtures throughout the home.
Following his retirement in 1927, Hormel and his wife Lillian moved to California, donating the home to the local
YWCA
The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries.
The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...
chapter.
Current use
![2017HormelHouseAustinMNmain](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/2017HormelHouseAustinMNmain.jpg)
In the early 1990s the home was made into a museum dedicated to the history and preservation of the Hormel family. The home is open to the public for tours. The HHH also offers a variety of educational and arts-related programming including the History Happy Hour, Hearth & Home series, the Harris Piano Contest, and the Peace Garden concerts.
Carriage House Event Center
In 2009, the Carriage House Event Center was added onto the original mansion. This addition is connected to the HHH and includes a large lobby, 200-seat banquet room, and kitchen. The facility is also available for group rentals, and a popular venue for weddings and receptions.
See also
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List of Registered Historic Places in Minnesota
This is a list of sites in Minnesota which are included in the National Register of Historic Places. There are more than 1,700 properties and historic districts listed on the NRHP; each of Minnesota's 87 counties has at least 2 listings. Twent ...
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George A. Hormel
George Albert Hormel (December 4, 1860 – June 5, 1946) was an American entrepreneur, he was the founder of Hormel Foods Corporation (then known as George A. Hormel & Co.) in 1891. His ownership stake in the company made him one of the wealthies ...
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List of museums in Minnesota
This list of museums in Minnesota encompasses museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scie ...
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Spam Museum
The Spam Museum is an admission-free museum in Austin, Minnesota dedicated to Spam, a brand of canned precooked meat products made by Hormel Foods Corporation. The museum tells the history of the Hormel company, the origin of Spam, and its pla ...
References
External links
Historic Hormel Home website
{{Austin, Minnesota
Museums in Mower County, Minnesota
Buildings and structures in Austin, Minnesota
Biographical museums in Minnesota
Historic house museums in Minnesota
Houses completed in 1871
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
Italianate architecture in Minnesota
National Register of Historic Places in Austin, Minnesota
Hormel Foods
1871 establishments in Minnesota