New life for historic building Redstone Lofts Duluth unveiled in Traphagen House

By Kathleen Murphy

One could be forgiven for having doubts as to the future of the Traphagen House.

The stately redstone mansion has been a fixture at 1509-11 E. Superior St. since 1892, but it has seen some difficult years lately, boarded up, damaged and vacant.

Those difficult days appear to be over. In 2016, the house was purchased by Dean Jablonsky, a developer from Minneapolis. “I love to take historical properties and reconstruct them for the modern era,” he said. After a long and detailed renovation process, the house is once again ready for new tenants. Renamed the Redstone Lofts Duluth, the house has 11 modern luxury residential lofts, as well as one main floor commercial suite.

The house was originally built by Oliver G. Traphagen, one of early Duluth’s most well-known architects. When Traphagen moved his family to Hawaii, the house was purchased by Chester and Clara Congdon. They resided in the Traphagen House for over a decade while the Congdon mansion was under construction. The Congdons converted the Traphagen House — which had originally been built as a duplex — into a nine-unit apartment building.

The Congdon estate retained ownership of the house for many years, but it eventually traded hands. Often. The house spent several decades flipping between owners, eventually falling into disrepair.

“It was a tremendously charming house,” said Kim Hileman, a lifelong Duluthian who lived in a second floor apartment of the Traphagen House in 1984. “It smacked of history and a more genteel time.” She loved the unique round windows and the ornate woodwork found all over the house, but when her bedroom ceiling fell in one day, she decided it was time to move.

Conditions might have deteriorated even further, were it not for local businessman Howard Klatsky, who purchased the building in 1986. He moved his marketing firm into the main floor and spent the next few decades renovating the house. Klatsky retired in 2012 and the business, which he sold to a colleague, relocated to Canal Park. “I was thrilled when Klatsky reclaimed the building,” Hileman said. “He did so much work

Continued on page 16 to it. Which made all the terrible events that happened over the past few years all the more disappointing.”

In August of 2014, a fire started on the first floor and quickly spread throughout the house, causing extensive damage. The cause was determined as arson. Later that year, Klatsky experienced another setback when the vacant house was burglarized. The fate of the Traphagen House was in serious question. The word “demolition” was even used, albeit reluctantly.

“The house turned out to be structurally sound,” said Jablonsky, who has restored other properties in Duluth and Minneapolis. “It was definitely worth saving.” In February of 2019, the house was ready to show the public.

Though most of the original woodwork was destroyed in the fire, the house still boasts plenty of original materials, all presented in a modern style. Brick walls grace every unit, with the original redstone and bluestone walls displayed like artwork in the ground floor units.

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All of the windows in the house are framed using brick taken from other areas of the house. “Most of these bricks haven’t seen the light of day in over 125 years,” Jablonsky said. A mason worked on the brickwork throughout the house for over 18 months.

Reclaimed wood from other areas of the house also features prominently. The most obvious use of this is in the central staircase and railings. “It took over two months to get this staircase built,” Jablonsky said. “But it looks outstanding, and I love that we were able to build it from reclaimed materials from the house.” Wooden shelves are a centerpiece of every kitchen. Jablonsky was proud that they were able to salvage and use almost every material the house had to offer.

While retaining the character of the house was of main importance, a close runner-up was creating a modern, luxury feel. “We could have just sheetrocked everything,” Jablonsky said. “It would have been cheaper, frankly.” But he knew this house was important in Duluth history, and he wanted the beauty to last.

Functionality was important as well. The basement units have heated floors to beat back the Minnesota cold, and pains were taken to ensure the ground floor units remain dry. Soundproofing was taken into consideration. “The number one complaint about apartment living is the noise,” Jablonsky said. To that end, several layers of soundproofing exist between floors, including acoustical channels between the ceiling and rafters. “No one should be able to hear a thing between apartments.”

All of the front-of-house units boast that famous Duluth view, with several units also having access to a private patio. “We’re hoping to still install a rooftop patio off one of the back units,” said Jablonsky. “I’m really excited to see if we can make that happen.”

Contact Heirloom Property Management to inquire as to availability. They can be reached at (218) 390-4317 or www.

RentWithHeirloom.com. The commercial space is leasing for $595 per month, the lofts ranging from $895 to $1,995 per month. Most of the lofts are one bedroom apartments, but three have two bedrooms. D