Mineral Point has had a long and colorful history. The first settlers came to the rolling Hills of what was then the Michigan Territory around 1820, hoping to strike it rich in the lead mines. They built crude shelters over holes they had dug in the ground to live in. These early dwellings were called “Badger Holes”. As the town grew, more substantial structures were erected, many of stone. Many of these buildings built by Cornish masons stand today – the jewels in Mineral Point’s rich and varied architectural heritage.
In 1971 Mineral Point became the first city in Wisconsin to be listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1987 the city counsel adopted our Historic Preservation Ordinance to safeguard the city’s historic architecture. This ordinance requires property owners in the historic district to obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission for new building, remodeling, demolition, signs, and other forms of exterior construction. Over the years Mineral Point’s old historic buildings have been saved by citizens who have spent time and money to preserve this unique architecture. Lets continue this tradition.
City ordinance 151, The Historic Preservation Ordinance, and other information concerning historic structures can be found on the City of Mineral Point’s website
