Lost Mansions of the Gilded Age: Fairoaks, Minneapolis, Minnesota. "Fair Oaks" at Minneapolis, Minnesota. Built in 1884 for prominent lawyer William Washburn, the home was the centerpiece of Minneapolis's Mansion district. In the 1920s the estate and mansion was donated to the city, to be used as park. In 1924, with no use for the house, it was demolished. The grounds remain today used as a park named after William Washburn. Click HERE for more about Fair Oaks and other mansions in the Minneapolis Mansion District. Recommended Book/s Buy it at Amazon Buy it at Amazon