New roofs for outhouse, shed, and home

An Eden Prairie outhouse is getting a new roof.

(Now, there’s a sentence we never thought we would write.)

In truth, however, the roof work is slated for a trio of historic Eden Prairie structures, thanks to a state grant combined with funds from the City of Eden Prairie and Eden Prairie Historical Society.

The roof work is slated next summer or fall for the Cummins-Grill-Phipps House and its nearby shed and no-longer-in-use outhouse, all located at 13600 Pioneer Trail, about one block west of Flying Cloud Drive.

The house, which is owned by the city and used for private and public events, is a locally designated Heritage Preservation Site and the property is on the National Register of Historic Places. As a result, the project needed the city council approval provided March 17 to ensure that the project is consistent with standards for maintaining historic properties.

A Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant of $103,645 from the Minnesota Historical Society is paying for most of the work.

The home’s historical designation comes in part from its original owners, John and Mattie Cummins, who built the home in 1879 and ’80. John was also a widely respected Minnesota horticulturist.