The Bass Island Brownstone Company Quarry, also known as the Basswood Island Quarry, on Basswood Island in

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

was operational from 1868 to 1893. The brownstone was first used for construction of the second

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. The two ...

, now demolished. The quarry, now filled with water, is about long and about 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 is a historic rural cemetery located in the Lincoln Village neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is the final resting place of many of the city's famed beer barons, politicians and social elite. Both the cemetery and ...

and St. Paul's Episcopal Church, both in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

. The island and quarry are presently included in

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a U.S. national lakeshore consisting of 21 islands (Apostle Islands) and shoreline encompassing on the northern tip of Wisconsin on the shore of Lake Superior. It is known for its collection of historic ...

and are administered by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

. The quarry was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on March 29, 1978.

References

{{authority control Buildings and structures in Ashland County, Wisconsin Quarries in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Wisconsin National Register of Historic Places in Ashland County, Wisconsin 1868 establishments in Wisconsin 1893 disestablishments in Wisconsin