Blog

From Lost Landmarks to Local Legends

The DPA Blog explores the people, places, and stories that shaped Duluth — from historic landmarks to forgotten spaces and community memories. Through local insight, photographs, and preservation stories, we celebrate the Northland’s rich heritage and the importance of keeping it alive for future generations.

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The DPA Blog is a space for community members, historians, preservation advocates, and local storytellers to share interesting and historic content that keeps Duluth’s history fresh. Interested in contributing a story? We’d love to hear from you.

A nighttime scene shows snow-covered houses with lights glowing from the windows. Two people walk along a sidewalk lined with bare trees. The sky is dark, and the ground and rooftops are blanketed in snow.

May 1, 2026

Duluth’s Best Housing Opportunity May Be in the Historic Neighborhoods We Already Have

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Mansions of Duluth

Originally published by Lakehead Pipe Line Company with historical research and photography by Lawrence J. Sommer of the St. Louis County Historical Society, and contributions from writer Bob Paddon, The Mansions of Duluth offers a glimpse inside the grand estates and architectural legacy of Duluth’s boom years. Historic photographs and stories explore the influential families, architects, and industries that shaped some of the city’s most iconic homes.

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This Week in Duluth

Every Wednesday, Zenith City Press publishes a This Week in Duluth history story by publisher Tony Dierckins, featuring content from books published by Zenith City Press, the Zenith City Online Archive, and more than 1,000 This Day in Duluth stories. Subscribers also receive occasional updates about new books, author events, speaking appearances, and other Zenith City Press news. Follow Zenith City Press on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to stay connected.

A black and white photo of a two-story house with shutters and a chimney, next to a smaller building, both behind a tall wooden fence with plants in the foreground.

Duluth Canal & Lightkeepers’ Residences

Built to house the lighthouse keepers who managed the Duluth Shipping Canal lights, these two homes are among Park Point’s most historically significant yet overlooked properties. The recent loss of historic buildings during Kathy Cargill’s Park Point demolition spree highlights how vulnerable sites like these can be.

Head Lighthouse Keeper Residence
724 South Lake Avenue
Constructed in 1873 for the head keeper of the South Pier Light Station, this home housed generations of lighthouse keepers and their families until the station was automated in 1970. It is believed to be the second-oldest surviving house in Duluth.

A black and white photo of a two-story brick duplex with covered porches and chimneys, labeled “KEEPERS DOUBLE DWELLING.” The house sits on a grassy lot with a sidewalk and nearby buildings in the background.

Assistant Lighthouse Keepers Duplex
725 South Lake Avenue
Built in 1913, this duplex housed two assistant keepers who operated the canal’s lights and fog signal. Before its construction, assistants received small housing stipends and rented nearby. Congress approved funding for the duplex in 1908, and it was completed across the street from the head keeper’s residence at a cost of $7,178.

Endangered Places