Many know James J. Hill as a railroad baron, but he was also an avid art collector.

When Hill’s St. Paul mansion was completed in 1891, Hill built a spacious, two-story, skylighted art gallery to hold his impressive collection.

“This is what the richest of the rich were doing at the time, so he’s building something to reflect what other millionaires like Rockefeller and Morgan are doing in their houses,” site supervisor Michael Campbell said. “We think one of the reasons he probably decided to build this big mansion here on Summit Avenue was he could have a big, gorgeous art gallery.”

Grooves along the walls allowed paintings to be hung frame to frame several feet high. The skylight flooded the room with natural light, and 133 carbon filament light bulbs were used for evening viewing. Paintings by several of the 19th-century French masters lined the walls.

“Our understanding is this is the first house to be completely wired for electricity in St. Paul,” Campbell said. “He purchased about 285 pieces of art that we have documentation for. The total cost for that was somewhere around $1.7 million by the time he died. Obviously, those pieces are far more valuable today.”