UNION DEPOT PLANNING
History
In 1890 the Northern Pacific and St. Paul & Duluth railroads began construction on the Duluth Union Depot. Designed by the noted Boston firm of Peabody & Stearns and built in the French Norman style, the Depot was an instant architectural landmark when it opened in 1892 and remains so today. It is characteristic of many terminals constructed in the period, displaying the financial and civic clout of the railroads. It also reflects the growing affluence and prosperity of Duluth in the late 1800s. The building was constructed with a high proportion of local materials including Hinckley sandstone, Chaska brick and Ortonville granite. It was immediately recognized as a significant local building and in the early 1900s was connected by a landscaped boulevard to the civic center complex (City Hall, County Courthouse, and Federal Building) designed by Daniel H. Burnham.
By 1910 the Depot was handling 50 trains a day from as many as seven railroads. Alterations to the building began soon after it opened. In the early 1900s a cast iron portico was added over the entrance (still in place today); in 1924 the original train shed was replaced; in 1945 the waiting room saw the installation of a drop ceiling (later removed); and the original chimneys were removed in 1953. In 2001 the Depot received new roof shingles and windows that greatly enhanced the building's historic appearance and engergy efficiency.
In 1971 the building was purchased by the Area Cultural Corporation. After St. Louis County assumed ownership, an addition was completed to the west of the original building and the complex became the Duluth Depot/St. Louis County Heritage & Arts Center. In 2009, the center houses a number of civic, cultural and heritage groups, including the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, the St. Louis County Historical Society, and the Duluth Playhouse.