Pendarvis State Historic Site

The picturesque cluster of stone buildings that make up Pendarvis Historic Site today was originally constructed by Cornish immigrants who immigrated to the area in the early 1800s. They were preserved through the efforts of life and business partners Bob Neal and Edgar Hellum. Bob and Edgar met in 1934 and began to rescue these buildings one at a time from demolition. Assigning Cornish-language names to each, they opened a restaurant to sustain their preservation efforts and lived on the grounds. Their remarkable success – at the height of the Great Depression – launched the 20th-century transformation of Mineral Point into the vibrant hub for arts, preservation, and tourism it is today.

Tucked away in a valley in historic Mineral Point, Pendarvis celebrates the groundbreaking community of the first Wisconsin “badgers.” As you approach this quaint neighborhood, the 19th century will instantly come alive through the quintessential limestone buildings and cozy nooks. Unearth the significant lead and zinc mining history of Wisconsin and develop a true sense of mining life in the young Badger state. Explore the industry that brought miners from Cornwall, England to Mineral Point, Wisconsin. Pendarvis will give visitors a new understanding of what it means to be a Wisconsin badger, and how one amazing couple helped save this piece of Wisconsin’s history.

Location: Mineral Point, Wisconsin, United States
Website: https://pendarvis.wisconsinhistory.org/
Distance from Madison: 51 miles
Travel Time: 55 minutes
Tel: 608-987-2122
Fee: Free
Hour: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
TripAdvisor Rating: ‎4.5/5