Home inspection in Cannon Falls.

What we see in Cannon Falls homes.

Cannon Falls became a village in 1857 and a city in 1905. Water power from the Big and Little Cannon Rivers drew a flouring mill in 1857 and wool and grist mills afterward. Fires in 1884 and 1887 destroyed the business district, and the limestone Firemen's Hall on West Mill Street went up in 1888. The 2020 census counted 4,220 residents and 1,953 housing units across 4.59 square miles. The Cannon Valley Trail follows an old Chicago Great Western rail line to the city, and Lake Byllesby, a reservoir on the Cannon River, sits just west.

Older river-town houses call for careful attention to age: foundations of stone or block, original wiring and plumbing, older roofs and additions, and basements in a river valley where water tables and slope matter. Near the Cannon River and its tributaries, grading, sump operation, retaining walls and past moisture deserve attention. Newer homes on the edges get the usual attention to grading, attic ventilation, flashing and mechanical age. Goodhue County is EPA Radon Zone 1, and the Minnesota Department of Health recommends testing every Minnesota home.

Local facts checked September 2026 against: Wikipedia, Wikipedia, Wikipedia.