Home inspection in St. Paul Park.

What we see in St. Paul Park homes.

St. Paul Park was platted in 1887 when William Fowler sold his farm to the St. Paul Park Improvement Company. Within a year the village had 1,200 residents, drawn by factory incentives, two railroads, and a steamboat landing. The 1893 financial panic closed factories, and thousands of lots were sold at public auction after owners defaulted, so the village rebuilt slowly. It now covers 3.59 square miles, 0.59 of them water, on the east bank of the Mississippi River, with U.S. 61 and U.S. 10 running through it and Cottage Grove and Newport on its borders. The 2020 census counted 5,544 residents.

A boom in the 1880s, a crash in 1893, and slow rebuilding tend to leave blocks that mix ages, so we establish each house's era first. On houses built before 1950, old wiring, including knob-and-tube, plaster walls, older windows, galvanized plumbing, and worn chimneys and porches are the common concerns. Later mid-century houses get the usual checks of panel, sewer lateral, and roof. The city sits on the river's east bank, so we pay attention to grading, foundation walls, and the sump in lower areas. Washington County is EPA Radon Zone 1, and MDH recommends every home be tested.

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