Mansion on the Souris - The Dakotah Rose

by Linda Aksomitis

Dakatoh Rose has a ring of dignity to the name, even elegance. I anticipated a quiet bed and breakfast on a back street, small and cozy, a haven from North Dakota's winter winds. While I'd driven through Minot at least a hundred times or more on my way to somewhere else, my stops had all been along the main highway for a few hours of sleep on a demanding drive. So, this time, I'd decided to stop awhile and smell the roses, even if it was November.

After fighting icy highways for two hundred miles, it was a relief to arrive in Minot. While it would have been nice just to pull into my usual economy hotel and skip driving through the city, the Dakotah Rose was near the airport where I had a flight scheduled at eleven the next morning, so what I drove that night I'd save the next morning.

Even in the shadows of street lights, the Dakotah Rose was an impressive sight. In fact, it was far from small! Instead it towered over the immense yard, its 8,000 square feet spread out through three stories and a lower level. Stomping through the snow up to the front veranda, my excitement at the opportunity to explore the mansion grew.

Shelly Pederson, who along with her husband, Pete, owns and operates the Dakotah Rose, met me at the door with a smile. Sensing my exhaustion she quickly led me to my room, saving our visit for morning. Following her up the stairs, my first impressions were of fine golden wood and elegant décor.

The Dakotah Rose is the former home of Dr. Andrew Carr, Sr. A pioneer in North Dakota, Andrew Carr graduated from medical school in 1888 and established a general practice in the Northwood area. He was one of about two hundred physicians in the state at that time, and organized the Inter-County Medical Society in 1899. In 1903, he completed training as a specialist in Otolaryngology (head and neck surgery) and took up residency in Minot as one of the State's earliest specialists.

That same year Dr. Carr contracted with architect William Zimmerman to build his home. While Dr. Carr waited for the completion of the structure in 1906, he and his wife Addie lived in what later became the coach house. Both Dr. and Mrs. Carr made important and lasting contributions to the city of Minot during their 45 years of residency.

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