Known as one of Minnesota's best examples of the Prairie School style, as well as one of the finest designed by its architects, William Purcell and George Elmslie, this modern home for the time was the talk of the town when construction was completed in 1913. Built for Elmore S. Hoyt, then President of the Red Wing Union Stoneware Company, the home was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1975. The house remained in the Hoyt family until 1976, and has only had two other owners in its long history. Well positioned on its lot, the home stands as a testament of the modern movement that still resonates today. Sections of the second floor cantilever over the main floor with many of the brackets featuring fret-sawn ornamental panels of botanical and geometric details designed by Elmslie. The exterior rose-colored stucco was specifically chosen by the architects to pair with the Oriental brick brought in from Brazil, Indiana. A decorative screen, befitting the architectural style, was added in 1915 by the architects to the passageway leading from the house to the garden shed and garage. One of the standout features of the Hoyt House is the 99 diamond-patterned art glass windows arranged in long bands around the home, and inside too. Designed by Elmslie, who had an artistic specialty for ornamental motifs, the windows consist of pale, opalescent colors and clear glass to allow as much natural sunlight into the home as possible. The living room, dominated by windows, features a massive art glass pocket door, as well as a built-in bench and wood burning fireplace. The decorative mosaic panel above the fireplace, designed by Edward L. Sharretts of Mosaic Arts Shops in Minneapolis, is made of ultramarine, green, and black opal glass and porcelain with antique dull gold leaf fired on, and depicts a moonlit scene with clouds and trees. In the dining room, two grand built-in buffets with art glass flank the entry into the pantry, where the original telephone room has been converted to a half bath. The kitchen is the only room that has had extensive updates over the years, and features a set of cabinets that were originally used in the living room as bookcases. The home's second owner stated it best, "The house is designed so that one does not feel confined to the room one is in at the moment. There is always a view into another room, always a feeling of communication with the adjacent space", especially on the main floor where the living room, dining room, sunroom and hallway all connect superbly thanks to the modified T plan. Upstairs, the tented hallway ceiling has regained its original lantern fixtures, found by the current owner in the basement, and opens up to four bedrooms. Many of the bedrooms have corner windows, providing a sense of additional space, as well as natural light. Off the hallway is a large linen closest with pull out folding table, skylight, and two additional rooms that once served as the maid's room and a sewing room. The basement provides a large laundry room, workshop, and plenty of storage space. The current owners had plans of converting one of the rooms into a home theater. Recent updates to the home include central air conditioning, refinished original hardwood floors, galvanized steel gutters designed after the originals, and new garden patio (totaling close to $100,000). The E. S. Hoyt House has been featured in the following books Minnesota's Own Preserving Our Grand Homes At Home on the Prairie the Houses of Purcell and Elmslie Historic Homes of Minnesota A Face of Red Wing
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