4349 BROOKSIDE AVENUE

This grand old Edwardian house by the creek goes back to 1910, according to City records. It was built by Suburban Homes Co., the company that platted Brookside in 1907. The earliest resident may have been Anders Anderson – we know he was there in 1930. Malvin and Merle Scoville lived there in 1935, and Calista A. Richardson in 1936-37.

Oliver Ben and Anne Spencer called this house home from about 1938 until they sold in 1973. The house had no indoor plumbing until about 1946. In 1963, the City built a 1.5 million gallon reservoir right next to the property. The City had to use some of the Spencer’s land, but when they offered her a check, she tore it up and requested more. As this 1960 photo from the City Tax Assessor shows, the house was getting kind of run down.

From 1973 to 1975, the house was home to Leroy and Sally Burke.

In 1975, Edina native Scott C. Crosbie and his wife, Winnie Yuen Yee Crosbie bought the house. Besides collecting fabulous antiques, Scott and Winnie have many pursuits. Scott designs toys and games, and conducts the First John Phillip Sousa Memorial Band in Edina.  He is also a member of the Medicine Show Music Company, singing, playing the tuba and banjo (among other things), performing feats of magic, and tap dancing. Winnie takes care of all the costumes for these endeavors, and is also in Real Estate.

In 1986, the Crosbies acquired an old carriage house that had been part of the T.B. Walker mansion, near Loring Park. The huge garage originally had a turntable in the middle stall to turn the carriages around. During the 1960’s and 70’s, the structure was used by the neighboring Hennepin Ave. United Methodist Church. Finally it was slated to be torn down, and they bought it for $1 with the proviso that they move it post haste. Moving the 31 ton structure was quite an ordeal, but the garage can now hold 4-5 cars, including some antiques. Above the garage is a small studio where Scott can practice his tap dancing and tuba playing.

The couple had a lot of work to do when they first moved in – the floors were covered with green shag carpeting – and in 1993 they decided to build an addition. They ended up adding over 1,400 square feet to the house, including a turret. The work was done by Lake Country Builders, and Scott and Winnie also did a lot of the work themselves. Parts of the house were assembled from all over the country – and the world – including the kitchen maple flooring, which came out of a church built in 1903. There are stained glass windows from England, furniture from Holland, and a mantel that dates to 1905. The Crosbies decorated the house with period antiques, and the house was a part of the Remodeler’s Showcase in September 1993.

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.