Duluth Armory The Duluth Armory , also known as the Duluth National Guard Armory , is a historic building in Duluth , Minnesota , listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The armory was built in 1915 to replace the previous one , built in 1896 , which had become inadequate . In 1978 , it was purchased by the city and its use as an armory was discontinued . Since 2000 , the armory has been threatened with demolition , though efforts are ongoing to renovate the building . History . Planning and construction . A prior armory was built in Duluth in 1896 for the Minnesota National Guard . In 1899 , Minnesota created a naval reserve , introducing a two - division unit in Duluth . The addition strained the available space in the armory . Attempts were made to use some of the first floor , but this conflicted with existing commercial activity . In September 1913 , the city of Duluth announced that it would deed property for a new armory , to be located at the end East Thirteenth Avenue along the waterfront . The proposed location was opposed by some residents ; the property was in Lake Shore Park , which had been donated to the city by the Saint Paul and Duluth Railroad under the condition than it remain parkland in perpetuity . The city argued that it was the optimal location and the building would not negatively impact the park . An article in the " Duluth News Tribune " , published a few days later , showed a site plan and argued that the new armory would " only occupy a corner of the park . " Planning proceeded slowly , despite the urgent need for more spacious facilities . By November 1914 , the planned building site had moved across London Road , apparently heeding earlier protests ; the new location had previously been purchased by the city for $ 16 , 000 . The state of Minnesota allocated $ 112 , 500 for the armory , and after some delay , bidding began in February 1915 . The contract was earned by George H . Lounsberry of Duluth . The building , estimated to cost $ 107 , 410 , was designed by architects Clyde W . Kelly and Owen J . Williams . The project came in over budget at $ 150 , 000 ; $ 103 , 000 was paid by the state , $ 18 , 500 by the city , and the remainder by " public - spirited " citizens . The new armory held its grand opening on November 22 , 1915 . The celebration was attended by Governor Winfield S . Hammond , former governor Adolph Eberhart , and other officials . Later history . In September 1940 , an expansion of the armory was announced by Sidney L . Stolte of the Work Projects Administration . Plans drafted by architect Phillip C . Bettenburg in November 1940 featured an expanded stage , classrooms , a kitchen , and restrooms . The addition was a brick , multi - story structure along the northern side of the armory , designed with a flat roof to accommodate a fly loft for the stage . Work on the addition , which cost $ 95 , 896 , began mid - April 1941 and continued into winter . On January 31 , 1959 , Buddy Holly performed at the armory ; he died in a plane crash days later on February 3 . Bob Dylan attended the performance , which he cited as an inspiration at the 1998 Grammy Awards when he received Album of the Year for " Time out of Mind " . He said , I just want to say that when I was 16 or 17 years old , I went to see Buddy Holly play at Duluth National Guard Armory and I was three feet away from him … and he looked at me . And I just have some kind of feeling that he was – I don ’ t know how or why – but I know he was with us all the time we were making this record in some kind of way . The value of the armory as an public venue greatly decreased with the construction of the Duluth Arena - Auditorium in 1966 , which had more seating and modern amenities . In 1977 , the National Guard announced plans to build a new armory in Duluth and in 1978 , the city purchased the historic armory from the state for $ 160 , 000 . The Head House was used for offices and the Drill Hall served as a garage for maintenance vehicles . The Drill Hall also stored some raw materials , and its original wood floor no longer exists . In 2000 , the armory was first threatened with demolition , but the city made efforts to study the cost of repairing the building for reuse . A Duluth Planning Department report from April 2002 estimated it would cost $ 235 , 00 to abate asbestos and $ 1 . 3 million to abate lead from its time as a shooting range . On May 24 , 2004 , the building was purchased by the Armory Arts and Music Center for $ 1 . The armory was nominated for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A for statewide military significance and local significance in entertainment and recreation . The building was listed on the National Register on June 1 , 2011 . The armory was damaged by flooding in June 2012 from Chester Creek , which runs beneath the building . The creek breached its culvert , creating a " significant sized hole " in the basement allowing water to enter , which damaged electrical systems , disturbed asbestos , and led to an accumulation of debris and sediment within the building . Because the city owns the culvert , it paid for repairing the flood damage . A six - month stay from demolition was granted by the city in August 2012 because restoration was progressing . In April 2013 , heavy snow damaged a parapet on the Drill Hall , causing a number of bricks to fall to the ground . Architecture and use . The armory is located in the East Hillside neighborhood . It fronts London Road , and across the street is Leif Erickson Park . The building consists of three main parts — the Head House , the Drill Hall , and an addition built in 1941 . The exterior walls are variegated dark brown brick . The Drill Hall is long and wide . Within Minnesota , at the time of construction , the size of the armory ' s Drill Hall was second only to the 1907 armory in Minneapolis , and the Duluth Armory as a whole was larger than the one in Minneapolis . The Drill Hall served as a venue for expositions , trade shows , musical groups , and recreational and sporting events . The Head House contained administrative offices , classrooms , and service areas . It is long by wide and is tall . The 1941 addition is long and wide , extending beyond the rear wall of the Drill Hall .