Home inspection in Stillwater.

What we see in Stillwater homes.

Stillwater was settled in 1843 when four partners formed the Stillwater Lumber Company, and it incorporated in 1854. It sits on the west bank of the St. Croix River, covers about 9.07 square miles and had 19,394 residents at the 2020 census. A territorial convention in 1848 gave it the name birthplace of Minnesota, the state's first prison opened there in 1853, and the Lift Bridge was completed in 1931. Lumber built the town, and sawmills processed log rafts from the river. That history left a downtown of old brick and frame buildings and hillside houses stepping up from the water.

Old houses on steep sites need three things from an inspector. First, the foundation and structure: stone and old block walls, movement from slopes, and porches and additions. Second, water: grading, retaining walls, stairs, drainage and basement moisture, since hillside lots send water down toward the house. Third, the old systems: original wiring, older plumbing, older roofs and chimneys. Some of the oldest houses date well before 1950, so knob-and-tube remnants are worth looking for. We describe condition, not historic value.

Local facts checked September 2026 against: Wikipedia.