Oakenwald Terrace Bed and Breakfast

10/02/2026

Featuring an exquisite stained-glassed window in Mrs. Lovell’s room on the east side of Oakenwald Terrace. Isn’t it beautiful!

09/24/2026

The day after Mrs Lovell moved in to Oakenwald Terrace, on February 25th, 1897, Anna Lovell and Harry Jenkins were married. Decorators from “the Cities” took over and that evening at 9:30 the wedding commenced. Cut flowers filled every nook and cranny, and two rose-covered gates opened at the bottom of the exquisite staircase for the entrance of the bride. Rohweder’s orchestra from Winona played for the wedding, as well as for the wedding ball, held on the third floor or the mansion. The walls were draped in white canvas and cheesecloth. The small orchestra played from the top of the dome, amplifying the sound.

As was typical in this time period and social setting, each woman was given a dance card with attached pencil to list her gentlemen dance partners for the evening.

The bride retired after the wedding and soon reappeared in the exquisite gown which she was to wear at the presidential inaugural ball in Washington. It was a heavy brocaded white satin cut de Colette but not entraine. A fragrant bunch of English violets adorned the front of her gown, and a pom-pom of them was placed in her hair, while she carried a bouquet of delicately tinted orchids.

The next day, the bride and groom accompanied the guests on their train back to Minneapolis. They began their 2 1/2 month honeymoon by taking the train to Washington DC where they attended the 2nd inaugural ball for President McKinley, then traveling down the coast around the Peninsula of Florida, across to New Orleans and home by riverboat up the Mississippi River.
(this information was obtained from the book Chosen Valley by Margaret Snyder)

09/23/2026

Here are recent photos of Oakenwald Terrace, in Chatfield, Minnesota 130 years after it was built.

09/23/2026

In September of 1896 Oakenwald Terrace was being built in Chatfield, Mn by Ellen Hartman Lovell. This architectural beauty had 4 fireplaces, 4 bathrooms (before indoor plumbing had come to town) and the first sunporch seen in Chatfield. There were 4 bed chambers for family and 2 for servants. It’s rooms were finished with curly birch, Birds-eye maple, and the fabulous California redwood; the plan was to spend a full year in the completion of its elegant details. It cost in excess of $25,000 to complete, when the average working man might build a 5 bedroom home without indoor plumbing for about $800. Extra workmen were hired to complete the work within 6 months, so the daughter, Ellen Lovell could have her wedding there on Feb 27, 1897.

12/01/2025

12/01/2025

More open house photos

12/01/2025

The bench theme was The Night Before Christmas this year