Bulldozers are a common sight as they demolish old homes in Brooklyn Park for new suburban growth. It has been going on for years. As far back as 1972, residents saw the changes and determined the importance of preserving a small piece of history.
In 1976, just the right home became available. The city, using a federal grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, purchased the house and its 10 acres of land for $40,000. The homestead had been in the John Eidem family since 1894 and was in amazingly good condition considering its age. Although run down, it had been kept painted and was in sound structural shape.
The house's early history is shrouded in mystery. No records can be found detailing exactly when the structure was built. It is located at 4345 101st Av. N., near the intersection of Noble Parkway.
A feature which sets the home apart as a historic building was the fact that little had been altered inside. That's unusual given the penchant in the 1950's for modernizing old houses. All original woodwork remained intact, and paneling had been done in a manner that made for rather easy removal. One room had been converted into a bathroom, which had to be taken out. Upstairs were three bedrooms, which were unchanged from the time they were built. The house did need a new roof immediately, however.
Restoration work was painstakingly done by employees of the City of Brooklyn Park Recreation and Parks Department, and took three years. Besides restoring the house, a barn, windmill, well house, chicken coop and out house were also restored.
Grand opening ceremonies for the Eidem Homestead were held on Sunday, September 23, 1979. Participants marveled at the restoration work, while they made cornhusk dolls, used the butter churn and cooked sauerkraut on the old wood stove. At the time, it was the largest single day city-sponsored event in the history of Brooklyn Park, with more than 1,500 in attendance.
Since it's opening as an historical site, the John Eidem Farm has recreated life as it was 100 years ago in a way no textbook could hope to do. Visitors feel warmth from the wood stove, smell kerosene burning in lamps, visit animals in the barn, stroll through the vegetable garden and potato patch, and really feel what it was like to live and farm in Brooklyn Park in 1900.
For the Eidem Family History, click here
For recent Eidem Farm Restoration projects, click here
Return to Eidem Homestead Home Page - click here
“To preserve our past is to know our future”
