#Packard mansion series

Upon seeing that the old Dunwoody house sat right on the lakeshore, she came up with a solution for her husband’s quandary: to discuss the situation with his astute friend, Charles Bovey. Sensing his dilemma, Juty suggested they take out the Packard and see the property for themselves. That night, he tossed and turned he really didn’t want a farm, but he had made a gentlemen’s agreement. While playing golf, he heard from an investor that the Dunwoody property, a large farm with some lakeshore, was available on short notice. Knowing their home was too small for their brood, John began searching for lake property. Come summer, they’d migrate to a small rented farmhouse near the big lake. At the time, the family lived in an aging South Minneapolis mansion on Stevens Avenue. She gave birth to six children: John Jr., Edmund, Ella, Charles, Jane and George. Juty had opinions, good taste and unfailing determination to build the house of their dreams. They grew to know each other well and were wed in 1911. Although Juty was hesitant about marriage at first, she soon discovered they shared many interests. He was immediately dazzled by her intelligence, her reserved nature and of course her striking beauty. Among her many possible suitors was an attractive man nine years her elder, John Sargent Pillsbury. Paul, the 20-year-old entered the debutante scene. Accompanied by her grandmother, Juty traveled around Europe and acquired knowledge of art and architecture.

Louis to Rome, where her grandmother wintered. She insisted on the very best education for Juty and sent her to three different convents, from St.

Lawler met the president of the Soo Line railway, Edmund Pennington, and married again. Soon after, she and her mother moved to St. There was just something about the way she carried herself: elegant, gracious and beautiful.īorn in 1887 in Mitchell, South Dakota, Juty lost her beloved father in her early years. Photography provided by the Pillsbury family, Karen Melvin, Phil Melvin Eleanor Jerusha Lawler Pillsburyīy all standards, Eleanor Jerusha Lawler Pillsbury was the foremost grand dame of Lake Minnetonka. These grand dames of Lake Minnetonka will now take their rightful places in Minnesota history. They shared many interests in which they delighted: the arts, fashion, travel, sports, philanthropy, and of course decorating and tending to their equally fantastic mansions.

Lake Minnetonka has had its fair share of grand dames, among them Eleanor Jerusha Lawler Pillsbury, Grace Bliss Dayton and Louise Heffelfinger Bell.Īs the wives of successful men, these women wielded significant influence with wit, charm and intelligence.

#Packard mansion series

When, much to my dismay, the series ended, I started thinking about Minnesota’s history and realized that Downton Abbey was not the only estate with a matron presiding over it. Presiding over them all with a queenly presence was elegant matriarch Violet Crawley, as portrayed by Dame Maggie Smith. Downton Abbey was a cultural phenomenon, with huge numbers of fans like myself tuning in to soak up the glamorous atmosphere surrounding that very wealthy family, its staff and its various pursuits.