Inside The Abandoned Building In Lake Superior Near Duluth’s Lakewalk
Duluth has numerous landmarks throughout the city, from the Aerial Lift Bridge to Enger Tower. Perhaps the most mysterious landmark is the building that lies on the shores of Lake Superior near Duluth's Lakewalk.
The building goes by many names. Some call it Uncle Harvey's Mausoleum, some call it the Cribs, others call it the Ice House, and some even call it "the old building in the water".
Tourists are constantly taking pictures of it and many don't know the history behind it. The sunken building that sticks out from Lake Superior near the Lakewalk is called Uncle Harvey's Mausoleum. The building belonged to Harvey Whitney and was built in the winter of 1919.
According to Zenith City's archives, the building was used as a sand and gravel hopper before being abandoned in 1922. There were plans for what was called Lakeshore Park, known today as Leif Erickson Park. The park was designed to stretch from where the Rose Garden currently is all the way to the corner of the Lake. There were also planned tennis courts, and baseball and football field planned in the park, but plans fell through and changed.
I grew up on Park Point and always called it the Ice House, because that's what my mom called it when she was growing up. Many people swim out to the abandoned building and jump off of it during the summer. It has a different look in the winter than it does in the summer.
Duluth Urbex checked out the abandoned building this past winter that you check out here. It has a different look during the summertime. Looks like a group swam out there and gave it a look for themselves. The video is a little on the long side, but they get to the building around the 4:50 mark. Check it out below: