Historic Mineral Point Architectural Driving Tour

The William A. Jones House

215 Ridge Street

Colonial Revival Style - Brick - 1906, 1907

This impressive colonial revival mansion was built in the later years of Jones' life. Echoing elements of English Georgian Architecture, the elegant entrance features a balconied portico supported by Corinthian columns. Other architectural details include the ornate Palladian window above the entrance and white stone quoins on the corners of the building. Born in Wales, Jones came to Wisconsin in 1851 with his family when he was seven years old. Educated in Platteville, he served as Superintendent of Iowa County Schools. In 1883 he and his brothers, David and Thomas, purchased the Mineral Point Zinc Company. In 1897 President McKinley appointed him U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs, a post he held for eight years before returning to Mineral Point.

The John Gray House

615 Maiden Street

Italianate Style - Frame - 1855

This two-story home features may Italianate details which include overhanging eaves and decorative window cornices. Mr. Gray came to Mineral Point from Cornwall in 1844 for mining interests. In 1848 he opened a general store and in 1850 partnered with Joseph Gundry in this business. Caught by the enthusiasm of the California gold rush, he left but returned again to work with Gundry developing their successful Gundry and Gray store, which was located at 215 High Street. In 1876, he was elected to the state legislature.

St. Charles' Mission Church

414 Ridge Street

Vernacular Style - Limestone - 1842

Now known as St. Paul's, the congregation was organized in 1838 and built this single-story limestone church in 1842. This well-preserved mission church is linked to Reverend Samuel Mazzuchelli, the Dominican, pioneer missionary who preached in Mineral Point during the late 1830s and early 1840s. Another of his foundations, the Dominican Mother house at Sinsanawa, sent sisters to help establish a parish school here in 1868.

The Moses M. Strong House

535 Fountain Street

Greek Revival Style - Limestone - 1839, 1866

This 16-room structure of local buff and grey limestone was built in two sections. The early part facing the street was built in 1839, and the large rear structure creating an L-shaped building was added in 1866. Heavy molding, cornice returns and six-over-six windows suggest the Greek Revival architectural influence. Moses Strong as born in Vermont and came to Mineral Point in 1931. Educated as a lawyer, Strong opened a law and land agency office and assisted in the survey and platting of the present city of Madison in 1837. In 1838 he was appointed U.S. District Attorney for the Territory of Wisconsin. In 1846 he was elected delegate to the First Constitutional Convention. He was elected Speaker of the Assembly in 1850 and served as President of the State Bar Association. His History of Wisconsin(1855) is one of the authoritative books on the early territory and state.

The James Brewer House

526 Fountain Street

Italianate and French Second Empire - Clapboard - 1850s, 1866

The Brewer House is a marriage of two 19th Century architectural styles. The main house is Italianate with overhanging bracketed eaves, arched windows, and keystones. The mansard roofed addition with dormer windows is French Second Empire. The house was built on land purchased from Moses Strong. Brewer was born in Cornwall and came to Southwestern Wisconsin in 1850 to be a farmer. He farmed until 1865, except for a trip to California during the gold rush. In 1865 he came to Mineral Point as a commission merchant until he retired in 1878. He also served on the Board of County Supervisors and the City Council.

The Montgomery A. Cothren House

320 Tower Street

Federal Style - Limestone - 1854

The front of this house faces east and is reminiscent of an eastern U.S. town-house with stairs leading to the first floor. Many of the window panes in the house are original, and members of the Cothren family etched their names in several of them. Descendants of the family lived in the house until 1945. The log cabin in the back of the house is not original to the site. The stone building to the right was the summer kitchen. A native of New York State, Cothren came to New Diggings, Wisconsin, in 1839. In 1843, when he was 24 years old, he established a law practice in Mineral Point. He served as Delegate in the lower house of the Territorial Legislature in 1847-1848. In 1852 he was a member of the State Senate and was elected judge of the Fifth Circuit Court from 1853 to 1865 and from 1876 to 1833.

The Davey/Trerorah House

310 Front Street

Gothic Revival Style - Brick - 1851, 1859

Thomas Davy built the original part of this house, the small story and one-half. Today it appears as a wing to the major portion of the house, which was added in 1859 by Thomas Trerorah. Architectural details of the Gothic Revival style include the semi-circular arches above the doors and segmented arched windows and stone corner quoins. Over the years many prominent Mineral Point families have lived here. In recent years, this home has been known as the Flockhart House.

The Lanyon House

309 Front Street

Italianate Style - Brick - 1854

William Lanyon came to Mineral Point from Cornwall, England in 1840 and began working as a blacksmith and machinist. He then moved into the hardware, stove, and tinware business, and in 1848 established an iron foundry. He had this Italianate villa style house constructed in 1854. It is T-shaped with a wrap-around porch (partially removed), a tall square tower in a corner of the T, bracketed overhanging eaves, flat stone lintels over long windows, and a bay window. By 1890 the iron forging industry in Mineral Point had languished, and the iron fence along Front Street, which was installed at that time, was made inn LaFayette, Indiana.

The Odd Fellows Hall

112 Front Street

Greek Revival Style - Frame - 1838

In 1835 some miners from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, who had been members of the Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F) order there conceived the idea of establishing a lodge among the miners in the area then called Shake Rag. This two-story, yellow, frame building was built in 1838 and is the oldest Odd Fellows lodge west of the Alleghenies. It is built in the style of a Greek temple with classical features including a low pitched gable roof. The front elevation features four pilasters. It is the oldest building in Mineral Point devoted to serving the needs of a social organization and is now the Wisconsin Odd Fellows Museum.

Mineral Point Railroad Station

11 Commerce Street

Vernacular - Limestone - 1856

This building with three round-arched doorways on the platform side and two on the street side was built in 1856 and is the oldest stone railroad station in Wisconsin. Careful examination will reveal the old rails on the platform side. The Mineral Point Railroad was incorporated in 1852 and funded by local citizens when it became apparent that other railroad projects would all bypass the city. The railroad was planned to run south through the Pecatonica Valley to Warren, Illinois connecting there with the Illinois Central. Financing and construction difficulties caused delays and the first train finally arrived at this station in 1857. In 1880 the Mineral Point Railroad was deeded to the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul (Milwaukee Road), passenger service ended in the 1940s, and the line was abandoned in the 1980s. The 45-mile roadbed from Mineral Point to Monroe is now a multiple-use recreational trail.

The Mineral Point Hotel

1 Water Street

Vernacular - Galena Limestone - 1850s

Anticipation of the arrival of the railroad in Mineral Point was the driving force for the construction of this hotel, now referred to as the Walker House. An addition was construction in 1861 for William Walker who had immigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1841, and another addition was completed in 1866. This building is a good example of the simple, early stone construction in this mining district. In addition to Galena limestone, you will also see stones cut from Trenton limestone and St. Peter's sandstone.

Jail Alley

105 - 117 Jail Alley

Wood, Stone, Brick

Jail Alley was so named because it ran in back of the County Courthouse with its log fail at the rear. The courthouse was demolished in 1913 for the construction of the current Neo-Classic brick structure which houses municipal offices, a public library, and a vaudeville theater, now called The Mineral Point Opera House. In both directions on Jail Alley are old buildings of wood, stone, and brick that have been beautifully restored.

The S. F. Rodolph House

215 Clowney Street

Greek Revival Influence - Limestone - 1840s

This structure with three dormers was constructed in the 1840s. A significant feature is the perfect symmetry of the front elevation with the central entrance. Notice the framing around each dormer, a pediment supported by pilasters, suggesting the form of a miniature Greek temple. The house later became the home of Associate Justice Samuel Crawford of the Wisconsin Supreme Court (1853-55). Judge Crawford was also treasurer of the first agricultural society in Iowa County and was a leader in the movement in 1856 to have Mineral Point chartered as a city rather than a village as it had been. S. F. Rodolph left Mineral Point for the California gold rush of 1849.

The Ansley House

301 Church Street

Mixed Styles - Frame - c. 1840

It is believed that Thomas S. Ansley constructed the original two-story section of this home in the early 1840s and added several other additions over the years, including the wing on the left which was the servants' quarters. The Greek Revival pediment supported by four Doric capitals, reminiscent of those found on southern plantations, was also added to the original portion of the house. Ansley was a chief promoter of local copper mines, and he convinced other individuals to invest in the business thanks to extravagant accounts of rich deposits, which he helped circulate. He built the first smelting furnace for copper, but it soon closed since new reports found that the deposits were worthless. As a result, Ansley was thrown in jail, but after his release he continued to develop his business, but was forced to close the furnace permanently in 1855.

The Joseph Gundry House

234 Madison Street

Italianate - St. Peter's Sandstone - 1868

The Gundry House was the home of Joseph Gundry and his family from 1868 to 1936. Built in the Italianate style with locally quarried sandstone, this stately home was designed by S.V. Shipman, one of the state's first architects. The house features an expansive front porch, tall arched windows and a bracketed hip roof topped with a square cupola. Gundry, a native of Cornwall, England, moved to Mineral Point in 1845 and engaged in the mercantile business. Later business interests included land speculation, banking, and mining, but he is best remembered as a partner with John Gray in ownership of the Gundry and Gray Dry Goods store on High Street, which operated from 1850 to the late 1930s. The Gundry House was saved from demolition in 1939 when local citizens rallied together and formed the Mineral Point Historical Society. The property was deeded to the society by the Gundry heirs, and since that time it has served as a focal point for activities of the society. A museum has been established in the house.

The Jacka House

412 Pine Street

Vernacular - Limestone - c. 1850

David Jacka, an Englishman, is believed to be the original owner of this two-story house, which was built about 1850. The centrally located entrance and front elevation constructed of rough faced stone characterize this vernacular house. This side-gabled house has plain six-over-six windows, end chimneys, and flat stone lintels and quoins in common with other vernacular stone houses found in the Mineral Point Historic District. Starting in 1939, this was the home and studio of artisans Max and Ava Ferneke.

The John Bracken House

235 Davis Street

Greek Revival - Limestone - 1846

The Bracken House is among the best preserved examples of the Greek Revival style in the city. This one and one-half-story stone house was reportedly constructed in 1846 by a German stonemason. Typical of the Greek Revival style, it features a classical entablature, a symmetrical design with six-over-six windows and a projecting cornice accented by a row of dentils along the top of the front elevation and cornice returns. The building is further characterized by a centrally located, sidelighted door with transom window and flat stone lintels. John Bracken, a tanner by trade, lived in the house from 1846 to about 1870.

Pendarvis State Historic Site

114 Shakerag Street

Built 1840s, Restored 1930s

Pendarivs is one of the premier attractions of southwestern Wisconsin. It consists of a group of Cornish miners' cottages built over 150 years ago and restored to their appearance during the lead mining era in Mineral Point. The three-story stone and log house on Shakerag Street was built during 1842-3 by English miner George Kislingury. English features of this house include the exterior stone chimney and the use of logs on the upper storys. The one-story stone cottage, Pendarvis, was named by Bob Neal and Edgar Hellum after their rehabilitation in the mid1930s. It was built ty Cornish stonemasons around 1845 for Henry Williams and features a symmetrical front elevation with a central entrance and six-over-six windows. The walls are 18 inches thick and constructed of locally quarried limestone. Just to the right of Pendarvis house is a two-story side0gable house constructed around 1843 also by Cornish stonemasons. The site was acquired in 1971 by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. Adjacent to the Pendarvis parking lot is the Merry Christmas Prairie where there are trails to lead and zinc mining remnants, a restored prairie, and the miners' "badger holes." Further information on this site is available at the gatehouse building.

Mineral Point Brewery

276 Shakerag Street

Vernacular - Limestone - 1850

The first brewery in the state was a short-lived one established in 1835 by John Phillips on the east end of High Street. This was considered to be one of the first industries in the community other than mining. The Mineral Point Brewery, later known as the Wisconsin Brewery, Tornado Brewery, Gillmann Brewery, and Mineral Spring Brewery, was established in 1850 by William Terrill. The limestone building was erected on this site to obtain the spring water, which still flows within its massive walls. In 1878 a tornado demolished most of the brewery complex which then consisted of five structures, but it was immediately rebuilt and mechanized equipment was added tripling capacity to 6,000 barrels per year. At the turn of the century, the brewery was damaged again, this time by fire. And once again it was rebuilt by then owners Otto Lieder and Frank Unterholzner. The brewery closed its doors in 1961, sitting idle until 1968 when it was converted into a weaving studio, and currently it is the home and pottery studio of artisans Tom and Diana Johnston.

Shake Rag Alley

18 Shakerag Street

Vernacular/Greek Revival Style - Frame - 1830s-1850s

This area was close to the center of the early miners' badger holes being dug on the nearby hillsides and to the later miners' stone cottages. Local tradition explains that the name of the street, Shakerag, comes from the fact that the early miners' wives would wave a rag to signal them when it was time to come home. Federal Spring runs through this site, which includes extensively landscaped grounds with several buildings visible from the road. The Klais Pottery was established here in 1858 which was one of the important manufacturers of earthenware along with the Belmont and Galena pottery firms. The wooden frame structure on your right as you face the valley was reportedly built between 1838 and 1842, and is usually referred to as the Coach House. It likely served as an inn or boarding house, because it did not have interior stairs and its double root cellar was too large for a single family. Characterized as vernacular architecture, this home does have Greek Revival elements as seen in the short cornice returns on the gable ends, which rest on full-length corner pilasters. In a recent renovation, a door was discovered on the second floor suggesting an earlier two-story verandah.

The Masonic Temple

306 High Street

Vernacular Style with Greek Revival Influence - Brick - 1897, 1920

Lodge No. 1, F. & A. M. of Mineral Point, founded in 1841, is the first in the state of Wisconsin. The Lodge continues to use this building as its home and highlights the importance of social and fraternal organizations in Mineral Point. The present building was constructed in 1897 after a fire destroyed the Mason's lodge rooms on High Street, and a brick addition, similar to the original building, was constructed on the west side in 1920 for use as a club room. The structure is an eclectic mixture of vernacular and Greek Revival influence.

The Washburn and Woodman Bank

324 High Street

Commercial Vernacular Style - Brick - c. 1849

C.C. Washburn and Cyrus Woodman reportedly established their private bank in this structure. Their short-lived bank closed in 1855 but with a notable contrast to earlier banks - all bills against their institution were paid in full! Both men came from Maine, and their careers flourished in the Midwest, where they practiced law, ran a land agency and a bank, owned the shot tower at Helena, and engaged in successful land speculations. Caedwallader C. Washburn served as a general in the Civil War, was elected to Congress, and in 1871 became Governor of Wisconsin. Returning to business life, he was one of the founders of the Washburn-Crosby Flour Milling Co. of Minnesota, now known as General Mills. Also known for his philanthropy, he was involved in the establishment of Edgewood College and the Washburn Observatory in Madison.

The Methodist Episcopal Church

400 Doty Street

Gothic Revival - St. Peter's Sandstone - 1871

The present First Methodist Church was organized in 1834, and is one of the oldest Protestant congregations in Wisconsin. The original church building was of logs and sited on Commerce Street. Soon after they built another structure to serve as their church and a day school. It was dedicated in 1838, expanded in 1845, and stood on the site for the 1883 Gothic Revival home on the corner across the street (402 Doty St.) where the church's limestone foundations are still visible. The present Gothic Revival church was consecrated in 1871. Built of St. Peter's sandstone from a local quarry, it features asymmetrical towers and pointed arched windows. Its strong vertical lines are offset by its massive form and substantial corner buttressing.

The Trinity Episcopal Church

409 High Street

Gothic Revival - Brick - 1845

Having been organized in 1836, Trinity parish predates this building and is one of the earliest in the Wisconsin Episcopal Dioceses. Early vestry members include Governor Henry Dodge, Moses M. Strong, and Henry Hamilton, son of Alexander Hamilton. Gothic Revival elements are visible as you look at the symmetrical facade with its three pointed, arched windows. The current church was constructed of local red brick with limestone foundations, begun in 1845, completed in 1847, and consecrated in 1855 by Bishop Jackson Kepmer. The interior continues the Gothic emphasis on verticality, and among its stained glass windows is one by the workshop of William Comfort Tiffany. In 1868 the parish added a school and a rectory. The latter stands immediately to the west of the church. Constructed in stone, it echoes the Gothic Revival style of the church.

The George Priestly House

504 Church Street

Federal Influence - Brick - c. 1850

This exceptionally well-preserved home looks back to the Federal architectural style popular from c. 1780-1820. The Federal influence can be seen in its symmetrical from with rectangular windows with six-over-six lights or panes topped by flat stone lintels, its double chimneys and parapets at both gable ends rising above the roof line. The Priestly family emigrated from England to Mineral Point in 1838, including their two-year-old son Thomas. Because of Thomas' later prominence in the community, the house is still locally known as Thomas Priestly house. During the Civil War, he served in Company E. 11th Wisconsin Volunteers and Company B, 30th Wisconsin Infantry, and was subsequently known as Captain Priestly. He was a manufacturer, dealer in harness and belonged to the Masonic Fraternity. He held many local public offices, including Superintendent of Schools, and ran for the State Legislature. His own son, also named Thomas, graduated from the University of Wisconsin, was admitted to the bar in 1904, returned to Mineral Point to practice law and also held many local offices.

The Alexander Wilson House

110 Dodge Street

Italianate and French Second Empire Influence - Brick - 1868

The original two-story red brick building was constructed in 1868 for Alexander Wilson who came to Mineral Point in 1855 from New York State. He served as Attorney General of Wisconsin, City Superintendent of Mineral Point Schools and District Attorney as well as being a lawyer, banker, and editor. Italianate elements include the cube-shape of the original structure, the low-pitched roof, and wide over-hanging eaves ornamented with paired brackets. A one and one-half story addition on the north side is characterized by a mansard roof with a wooden bay window and accentuated round arched windows. When combined with the open front porch, the Wilson House provides a well-preserved example of the eclectic mixture of styles often found in buildings constructed or remodeled in several phases.