Pill Hill is a historic neighborhood in Rochester, Minnesota that was developed on the hill behind Mayo Clinic’s Saint Mary’s Hospital. This 13 block neighborhood is bordered by 2nd Street to the north, Historic Southwest neighborhood to the east and south and Saint Mary’s Hospital and Folwell neighborhood to the west. This centenarian old neighborhood, full of local historic charm and grand homes, was inducted into the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as the Pill Hill Residential Historic District in 1990.
Namesake: Local legend suggests that the neighborhood’s name, Pill Hill, was coined as a result of the number of Mayo Clinic physicians that owned homes in this 13 block historic district and also due to its close proximity to Saint Mary’s Hospital.
Best Real Estate Review of Rochester, Minnesota’s Pill Hill Neighborhood
The Pill Hill neighborhood is a residential neighborhood that is densely populated and well established. Many of the single family homes were built in the early 1900’s, and are grand, colonial revival, renaissance revival and tudor revival. Typically, Pill Hill homes are 2-stories, sizes range from 3,000 sq. ft. to 6,500 sq. ft. in size, have 5-6+ bedrooms, 4+ bathrooms, 2-3+ car garages. In general, homes were built with luxurious features for the era they were built and later modernized. More specifically, on the interior, most of the homes have arched doorways, hardwood floors, wood trim, unique built-ins and crown molding at the ceiling. Stained glass windows and wood-burning fireplaces are also common. Modern finishes include state of the art kitchens, updated electrical, HVAC systems and smart home features. On the exterior, homes have expansive, multi-pitched roofs, swooping overhangs and beautiful brick, vinyl or metal siding. Homes are on generous city lots and are nestled next to their neighbors. Neighborhood side-walks are laced with brick retaining walls, mature perennials and perfectly manicured yards. For a grand entrance, properties have brick walkways and driveways to the home. Overall, Pill Hill’s quiet side-streets and the mature trees offer privacy and seclusion from the hustle and bustle of city life. In general, Pill Hill is considered safe and desirable to buyers.
Overall, due to its close proximity to Mayo Clinic and Saint Mary’s Hospital, Pill Hill tends to attract well-established medical professionals and those that appreciate the historic features of the district. Current (2022) single-family home prices for Pill Hill vary from $750,000 to over $2 million and are appreciating with current market trends.
Best Amenities, Businesses & Parks in Rochester, Minnesota’s Pill Hill Neighborhood
Businesses
Pill Hill is primarily a residential neighborhood; however, two historic homes have become business venues. Both of these venues have been inducted in the US National Register of Historic Places: Plummer House & Mayo Foundation House (a.k.a. Dr. William J. Mayo House).
Plummer House (South Pill Hill) – The former home of Dr. Plummer (Mayo Clinic doctor) is now a historical site and wedding venue. The beautiful gardens, landscaping and charming home design make this an ideal location for family photos and engagement pictures, too.
Mayo Foundation House (Northeast Pill Hill) – This expansive venue is 24,000 sq. ft. with over 47 rooms, 6 bathrooms and is the former home of Dr. William J. Mayo. Today, it is being utilized by Mayo Clinic for premier banquets and celebrations within the corporation.
Click on the link for more information about Rochester’s (Olmsted County, Minnesota) historical sites: US National Register of Historic Places.
Parks
Within Pill Hill, there are no community parks; however, Mayo Clinic’s St. Mary’s Park is located on the northwestern portion of Pill Hill and is open to the public. This park is located just outside of Mayo Clinic’s Saint Mary’s Hospital and has outdoor seating, manicured greenspace and landscape. It offers a tranquil place within the busy city.
Nearby Park: Soldiers Field Park is to the east and southeast of Pill Hill and is only a ½ mile walk/drive. The park contains the Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial, tennis courts, running/walking track, ice skating rink, “wooden” playpark, paved bike trails, Soldiers Field Pool, Soldiers Field Golf Course, open greenspace, softball fields and more. Additionally, this park has many community events and programs like Rochesterfest (food vendors and music).
For more information on Rochester area parks, check out this link Rochester Parks & Facilities: City Park Amenities.
Best Restaurants, Bars and Things to Do Near Rochester, Minnesota’s Pill Hill Neighborhood
Just outside of the Pill Hill neighborhood are a wealth of businesses. In fact, to the west and northwest of Pill Hill is the world renowned Mayo Clinic’s Saint Mary’s Hospital. Saint Mary’s is located at the northeastern part of Folwell neighborhood and consists of 1,200+ patient beds, 10 intensive care units, 1 children’s hospital and neonatal intensive care unit, a gamma knife surgical center, a level 1 trauma center, and so much more.
Across 2nd Street from Saint Mary’s Hospital (northwest and north of Pill Hill) is Sweet House Bakery, Canadian Honker Restaurant, Caribou Coffee, Salad Brothers Cafe & Deli, AP’s Griddle and Saints on 2nd. For overnight accommodations, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, EVEN Hotel, Staybridge Suites, Courtyard by Marriott and TownPlace Suites By Marriottare also across 2nd Street. Directly north, a number of nonprofits border Pill Hill. These include apartment style buildings for families with a child being cared for at Mayo Clinic and/or another building for transplant patients: Ronald McDonald House and Gift of Life Transplant House.
To the northeast, east and southeast of Pill Hill is downtown Rochester. This area has numerous original restaurants, eateries and bars that include: Twigs Tavern & Grille, Pasquale’s Neighborhood Pizzeria, Bleu Duck Kitchen, Half Barrel Bar, Newt’s (downtown location), The Tap House (downtown location), and Thai Pop. Additionally, this area has the People’s Food Coop (local organic grocery store and eatery). Lastly, the downtown area is where many Downtown Mayo Clinicbuildings are located like Mayo Clinic’s Rochester Methodist Hospital, the Mayo Building, the Gonda Building, the Mayo Clinic Alex School of Medicine and the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center.
Then, to the south of Pill Hill are more residences, but also Rochester’s Apache Mall can be found. The Apache Mall is made up of anchor stores like Scheels (Outdoors Store), JCPenney, Macy’s and Barnes & Noble and is a bikeable distance from the Pill Hill.
Best Schools in Rochester, Minnesota’s Pill Hill Neighborhood
Pill Hill children are assigned to Rochester Public School District’s historic Folwell Elementary School (K-5th Grades with 340 students), Willow Creek Middle School (6th-8th Grades with 1,100 students) and Mayo High School (9th-12th Grades with 1,750 students).