Video Archive: Meierhoff Building Circa 1967

This late-1960s film offers an inside look at the Meierhoff Building at 325 S. Lake Ave. in Duluth’s Canal Park. The building is presently known as the Waterfront Plaza and houses the Suites Hotel and numerous condos. It was constructed in 1889 for the Marshall-Wells Hardware Company, one of the world’s largest hardware wholesalers. Marshall-Wells was sold and closed in 1958. The building sat vacant until Marvin W. Meierhoff acquired it in 1966.

The film was commissioned by Meierhoff, who appears at the end, and was produced by KDAL-TV. The audio for the first three minutes is apparently lost, so there is instead an annoying buzz. At 3:05 the sound comes in and remains throughout the rest of the film, though at times the volume drops.