1201 Tower Avenue

F.W. Woolworth Co. – Tower Avenue

5811

1201 Tower Avenue

The F.W. Woolworth Company first opened one of its famous “five and ten cent stores” at 1201 Tower Avenue in 1909. Business was good and by 1928 the decision was made to tear down the store’s existing building and build a brand new one in its place. In January of 1928, local architect John O. Bach was hired to design the building and on June 8th of that year the store was opened for business. According to The Evening Telegram, the store was “modern in all details” and had all types of merchandise, none of which was priced at more than ten cents.

1201 Tower Avenue

In 1956, store manager Lavern Narveson announced that Superior’s Woolworth’s store would be completely remodeled. Improvements would include an all-glass, ground to ceiling store front, new lighting and a forty foot addition to the rear of the building. These changes to the store would make it among the most modern of its type in the United States. Customers would enjoy shopping in an air-conditioned building and would find that the store now included a hosiery bar, a shoe department and a new lamp and window shade section. When the remodeled building was opened in March of 1957, shoppers could visit the new stainless steel luncheonette and order a 1/4 pound jumbo hamburger platter (served with a toasted bun and cole slaw) for 50 cents. If they wanted dessert, a double dip ice cream soda or a fresh strawberry tulip sundae would cost them an additional 25 cents.

Vintage Italian PizzaBy the 1990s, shoppers had left the downtown for the mall and big box stores. In October of 1993, it was announced that both Duluth and Superior would be closing their Woolworth stores. The lunch counter served its last meal that October and by January of 1994 the store was closed. Throughout the following years, the building would become home to, among others, the VFW, Northern Lights Restaurant, Third Rock and then finally to its current owner, Vintage Italian Pizza.




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