Forbes House

Melvin & Ida Forbes House. (Image: Duluth Public Library)

530 East 2nd Street | Architect: Oliver G. Traphagen | Built: 1886 | Lost: 1966

The Queen Anne house of Melvin Forbes, the Duluth Board of Trade’s first president, and his wife Ida stood among others in Ashtabula Heights and sported a round corner tower, textured wall surfaces, Palladian and fan windows, dormers, and porches. Forbes died in 1907, but Ida continued to live there until her death in 1934. By 1936 the house was subdivided into apartments. It was demolished in 1966 to make room for the Nat G. Polinsky Rehabilitation Center (now the Polinsky Medical Rehabilitation Center) next to Miller Dwan Hospital.

Modern photo by Jim Davis.

From Lost Duluth: Landmarks, Industries, Buildings, Homes and the Neighborhoods in Which They Stood by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton (Zenith City Press, 2012), featuring over 400 historic photos, illustrations, and lithographs. Click on the cover to preview the book.