In search of a clever way to seal up fireplaces during warm weather, early homeowners came up with a delightful form of decoration that’s still with us today.
Against the spare beauty of Grand Marais harbor in northern Minnesota nestles a cluster of brilliantly colored buildings. The historic timber-frame structures hum with activity—boat building or woodcarving, basket weaving or fiber arts. In the central courtyard, noise rings out from a blacksmith’s shop, while an outdoor masonry oven scents the air with the yield of an artisanal bread-baking class. This is the North House Folk School.