The Camilla Hall book has brought about all sorts of connections. I’ve heard from a lot of people since the book was published who have some connection to Camilla and the Halls. Today I went to St. Peter to visit the house that Camilla grew up in.

Prior to today I had only driven past the house. The owner contacted me a few months ago and he gave me some information on the phone, and today I got an in-person visit.

The house was built in 1941 and it sits across from the Gustavus campus. George Hall walked to work each day. I’d love that kind of commute!

It’s an unusual home laid out in a way I’d never seen. It’s two floors set in a hillside. So the lower level is like a walk-out. The top floor has three bedrooms and a bathroom, along with some additional space the current owners had added on.

The lower floor is the main living quarters — the kitchen, dining room, and living room. Since the one side of the lower level is dark (set in the hill–no windows) it has a basement feel. But the dining room and living room have big windows that overlook the trees in the ravine — very pretty. You don’t even know you’re in a town.

I can just imagine the house full of the noises and laughter of four little kids. Sadly, the Halls only had their four children together for a short period of time. Nan was born in 1947, and in 1948 Terry died. Peter died in 1951, so then it was just George and Lorena, and Camilla and Nan. The Halls moved away from the house permanently in 1960, though they had been away in the previous few years due to mission work and other assignments George had.

I was pleased to be in that same space that Camilla had once spent so much time in. That would have been the place she lived the longest. I think people leave their imprints on spaces. After my visit, I stopped by Resurrection Cemetery to pay my respects to the Halls.

On a totally different note, the owner showed me a photo spread in Look magazine from March 1947. In the pictures, the owner is the baby. Bob is a Carleton college football player — the premise of the photo shoot was that Bob was going to do what a baby does all day, and he was exhausted! I thought that was cute. Anyway, look at the bottom corner of this photo and check out the photographer.