Editing Birchwood Village, Minnesota (section)

==History==
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Birchwood first developed as a community of summer recreation cottages built by residents of the Saint Paul area in early 20th-century.  Initial subdivisions were along the lakeshore, and this area is now characterized by a potpourri of old homes that have been extensively remodeled, and new homes where the original structure has been demolished.  The newer subdivisions away from the lake have larger lots and are more homogeneous in appearance but have retained the flavor of the village by preserving the natural features of the area.

The community was at one time served by the Twin City Lines street car which passed through the village on its way from Saint Paul to White Bear Lake and Mahtomedi. The significant difference in lot sizes between the older and newer areas of the community reflect the influence of changes in transportation modes.

First incorporated as a village in the year 1921, a subsequent act of the State Legislature converted the "village" to a "City of the Fourth Class."  Residents felt, however, that the term "village" was so much a part of the community that it was amended to "Birchwood Village, a City of the Fourth Class."