Denfeld High School

401 N. 44th Ave. W.

The current Denfeld High School was built in 1926 to house West Duluth’s burgeoning student population, which had outgrown the two previous high schools. The name of the school honored Robert E. Denfeld, the popular and visionary superintendent of Duluth schools from 1886 to 1916. Local architects Abraham Holstead and William J. Sullivan opted for the Collegiate Gothic style, combining English Tudor and Gothic elements like those found at Oxford and Cambridge. This imposing Duluth landmark features a unique 120-foot clock tower as well as distinctive arches and windows and carvings by master stone mason George Thrana. Indeed, the auditorium was built for public as well as school events and it has hosted many notable performers. The auditorium was renovated in 2006 and the school itself enlarged in 2011.