Bass Island Brownstone Company Quarry
Encyclopedia
The Bass Island Brownstone Company Quarry, also known as the Basswood Island Quarry, on Basswood Island
in Lake Superior
was operational from 1868 to 1893. The brownstone
was first used for construction of the second Milwaukee County Courthouse
, now demolished. The quarry, now filled with water, is about 200 feet (61 m) long and about 25 feet (7.6 m) deep. Blocks of sandstone remain, together with the rusting remains of quarrying machinery. All company buildings and workers' cabins have disappeared.
Other buildings built with the quarry's product include the old Chicago Tribune building, the Landmark Chapel at the Forest Home Cemetery
and St. Paul's Episcopal Church, both in Milwaukee. The island and quarry are presently included in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
and are administered by the National Park Service
. The quarry was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
on March 29, 1978.
Basswood Island
Basswood Island is a Wisconsin island in Lake Superior. It is one of the Apostle Islands and a part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore....
in Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
was operational from 1868 to 1893. The brownstone
Brownstone
Brownstone is a brown Triassic or Jurassic sandstone which was once a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States to refer to a terraced house clad in this material.-Types:-Apostle Island brownstone:...
was first used for construction of the second Milwaukee County Courthouse
Milwaukee County Courthouse
The Milwaukee County Courthouse is a high-rise municipal building located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Completed in 1931, it is the third county courthouse built in the city and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
, now demolished. The quarry, now filled with water, is about 200 feet (61 m) long and about 25 feet (7.6 m) deep. Blocks of sandstone remain, together with the rusting remains of quarrying machinery. All company buildings and workers' cabins have disappeared.
Other buildings built with the quarry's product include the old Chicago Tribune building, the Landmark Chapel at the Forest Home Cemetery
Forest Home Cemetery
Forest Home Cemetery located in the Lincoln Village neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the final resting place of many of the city's famed beer barons, politicians and social elite...
and St. Paul's Episcopal Church, both in Milwaukee. The island and quarry are presently included in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a U.S. national lakeshore consisting of 21 islands and shoreline encompassing 69,372 acres on the northern tip of Wisconsin on the shore of Lake Superior....
and are administered by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. The quarry was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on March 29, 1978.