There’s nearly a 100-year difference between Tim and Michele Pronley’s recently constructed English Tudor-style home and many of its neighboring historic revivals in the Edina Country Club District. But in this neighborhood—a 14-block area designated as a national historic landmark encompassing 555 homes—you’d never suspect it. That is, until you walk through the front door and past the foyer.
The new home on Arden Avenue—five doors down from the Pronleys’ previous home—replaced a 1926 Tudor that was considered by some an eyesore. “My kids and I would walk by it on the way to the bus stop and see how run-down it was, and I’d think, what a shame,” says Michele Pronley.
“It had been neglected for decades,” says Scott Busyn, president and co-owner of Great Neighborhood Homes (GNH), the local construction firm that built and managed this project from start to finish.
The Pronleys, who have three daughters ages 5, 10, and 12, moved into the Country Club District—one of the first planned communities in the United States, platted in 1924—from Milwaukee eight years ago. “We chose this neighborhood because it felt familiar to us,” says Michele. “We lived in a couple other older homes before and that’s what we were seeking. But there were not many homes on the market at the time, and the home we bought down the road was not what we fully wanted. We continued to keep our eyes open,” she says.
Since the Pronleys gravitate to older homes, they have an appreciation for preserving existing structures. Tearing one down wasn’t originally on their radar. “But we heard about a teardown on Wooddale Avenue [also managed by GNH], and although we weren’t used to that idea, we started thinking, oh, that’s intriguing,” Michele says.
In 2010, the Pronleys made an offer on the property contingent on permission to tear it down. But because of restrictions on demolition of homes in that neighborhood, their request was initially denied by the Edina Heritage Preservation Board (HPB), which protects historical properties in the city.
So, working with GNH, they moved forward with plans for a whole-house, board-by-board remodel. During the excavation process, however, the foundation was deemed unsound and unsafe by architects and the city inspector. After five years, the Pronleys and Busyn finally received the green light to tear down and rebuild.
“At the end of the day, the Preservation Board realized that tearing down a home is an option in the Country Club District if you do it correctly,” says Busyn. “We have the technology now to rebuild homes that reflect the character of the neighborhood rather than preserve a structure that’s deficient. With technology and lasers and computer-generation architecture, we’re able to match the size and scale of the neighboring homes within 1/8 of an inch.”
From the outside, although not an exact replica of the previous home, the new Tudor’s steeply pitched gable roof, dormer windows, embellished and arched doorway, and dark-brown half-timber filled in with stucco and stone looks like a cottage built in the 1920s. It blends right in with the area’s long-standing array of English Tudor, French provincial and American colonial revivals.
But inside, it’s a magical mix of old-time feel and modern appeal. History is preserved all around with a warmly lit foyer, beamed coffered ceilings, dark hardwood floors, built-ins, and three-panel doors with octagon crystal doorknobs. Patterned-glass French doors open to the office. The dining room is adorned with two old-world, globe-shaped chandeliers and vintage medallion tile around the fireplace.
Take a few strides beyond the foyer—passing a staircase with exposed wood and wrought iron spindles—and it’s like time travel. A bright and open layout filled with today’s sought-after amenities for modern-day living pulls you right into the 21st century.
Vaulted ceilings, an office nook, a mudroom with built-in lockers and a gourmet kitchen make this space stand apart from other nostalgic abodes. Timeless charm is not forgotten in the details, though, with low-lit sconces in the powder room, continued dark woodwork and cabinetry typical of Tudor style, and an embellished tin panel above the island with charming pendant lights.
Vintage glimpses are also upstairs, with crystal chandeliers, window seats in the bedrooms and a claw-foot tub in the master bathroom.
Starting from scratch offers opportunities a remodel would not have, such as raised ceilings. What a difference a little height can make, especially to a basement. Now, instead of a dark, cramped space, it’s a spacious and finished oasis.
“We’re so happy to have a home that feels historic, but at the same time everything works and is up to code,” says Michele.
The Preservation Board is also pleased with the project, according to Joyce Repya, senior planner for the city and staff liaison to the HPB. “The design is sensitive to the previous 1926 Tudor-style home, and the new home complements the district very well,” says Repya.
