A devastating fire struck the historic home at 251 Dayton Avenue on October 10, 2017. Fortunately, owners Maris and Norma Purmalietis and an adult son were uninjured in the blaze but two pet cats died, according to reports on TwinCities.com and StarTribune.com. The Permalietis’s and their Lasher-Newell House were featured in a Saint Paul By Bike blog post in June 2014 . Maris and Norma were very congenial and accommodating, spending a couple of hours with me when I rode up to their Civil War-era home in May 2014.
The castle-like Lasher-Newell House was built in 1860 on Crocus Hill, across the street from and 50 years before the Cathedral.
Maris and Norma bought the house and moved in in the mid-1970s. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Permalietis’s cover living expenses because the home is uninhabitable due to extensive fire and water damage. It is my hope that people can help Maris and Norma through the GoFundMe page and that insurance will cover the renovation of home.
Such sad news your last two blogs brought!
Keep up this important work
Indeed, Gene. I hope this is the last follow up post I write with such bad news.