2221 E 2nd St
Duluth, MN 55812, USA

Julia Duncan Residence

Julia Duncan’s house is a fine example of the “Picturesque” approach to Tudor revival style, featuring a variety of high-quality materials (brick, stone, stucco, timbers, and wood shingles) and excellent craftsmanship. She built the house after the death of her husband David, who with their son Charles was a partner of Frank Brewer (the Duncan’s son-in-law) in the Duncan and Brewer Lumber Company, which set up a mill at the foot of Thirty-Ninth Avenue West in 1880.

HISTORY

Patty Duke stayed in this house during the filming of "You'll Like my Mother", a thriller which also starred Richard Thomas (The Waltons).

Ownership

My parents, Dr. Patrick Marrone (St. Mary's Hospital) and Barbara Franta Marrone owned this home from 1954-1959. I spent my early years there, along with four other siblings. The cool basement, where we spent many summer days, had a tile inset shuffleboard game and huge pinewood frames window seats, perfect for reading. Most every room was covered in small print wallpaper. The stairs at the back of the house ("servant's stairs".......of course we had no servants) were very dark, narrow and steep. The main bathroom included a large clawfoot tub. The living room had a marble fireplace with a large mirror over it. And finally, there was a wonderful screened-in summer porch on the side of the house where we spent most of the summer.