In August 1884, Athenais von Hoffman, mother-in-law of the Marquis de Mores, commissioned Peter Book to erect a brick cottage for use by her and her husband, Louis. The new home was completed in 1884 but was probably not occupied until the following summer when the Baron von Hoffman returned for several weeks.The Von Hoffman House, a rare surviving example of the craftsmanship of brickmason Peter Book, is listed on the National register of Historic Places.It is difficult to say if the house was used again before 1890, when James Foley, Sr. moved in with his family following a fire that destroyed their home. Foley managed all the de Mores properties from St. Paul to the west coast. In 1914, Madame de Mores transferred ownership of the brick cottage to the Foley family. Three generations of the Foley family lived in the home and served the de Mores family.After serving for more than forty years as the Medora Doll House, the Von Hoffman House was converted into a museum owned and operated by the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation. It includes original furnishings from the Foley family. (Marker Number 30.)
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