Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture Presentation

Based on his new book, Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870-1940, Tony Dierckins will highlight the architecture, architects and some of the preservation efforts surrounding these historic places. Gain an appreciation for the Romanesque masterpiece Old Central High School; Daniel Burnham’s St. Louis County Courthouse, the centerpiece of Duluth’s Neoclassical Civic Center; plus works by local architects such as Oliver Traphagen and John Wangenstein.

Books will be available to purchase. A tour of the church will follow the presentation.

The book, by Dierckins and co-author Maryanne C. Norton, explores the first 70 years of Duluth’s rich tradition of creating architectural statements. From the first brick buildings of the early 1870s through the Romanesque monuments of the 1890s and on to the Art Deco delights of the 1930s, readers can discover many of the remarkable structures — some lost, most still standing — where early Duluthians worked, shopped, prayed, played, learned and lived. Meet the architects behind the buildings, learn about the people and companies who built them, get to know the families that lived in the city’s opulent homes, and trace each edifice’s history while uncovering the city’s storied past.

The hardcover book includes more than 425 historic photographs and sketches while telling the stories of more than 300 existing and lost structures.