Always keen to honor their homeland, the Turnblads donated the mansion to the American Swedish Institute in 1929; it is unclear whether they were also the institute’s founders. The American Swedish Institute still operates in the Turnblad Mansion and other buildings today, with a mission “to share experiences around themes of culture, migration, the environment and the arts, informed by enduring links to Sweden”.
The Turnblad Mansion is home to several true gargoyles (as opposed to non-functional grotesques). It appears that the creature shown above was pressed into service as the ring bearer at a wedding held in the mansion. In the exterior view of this Swedish-American answer to Cinderella’s castle, you can see the profiles of several other gargoyles projecting from the corners of the front and side porticos.
Sources: “Swan Turnblad”, Wikipedia.org, accessed 5/29/16. “American Swedish Institute”, Wikipedia.org, accessed 5/29/16. “Turnblad Mansion”, American Swedish Institute, accessed 5/29/16.
So many thanks to Mansions of the Gilded Age TJ Bren for introducing me to this beautiful house and gargoyles!


As a native of Minnesota, I’ve seen this house, but never the gargoyles before! I love the ring bearer story! Thank you!
I’m glad you liked it. I’m not exactly sure what the deal is with the rings, to be honest, but the photo was on the ASI’s Flickr account alongside a bunch of wedding photos, so it was an educated guess.
I’ll trust your judgment and education, and keep that in mind should the occasion ever arise to quote you!