See You in Spring 2024!

Thanks for another great season! We reopen for general admission in May 2024. Our online shop is always open—find unique merchandise for the history lover, from made in Wisconsin items to beer and brewing, home goods, apparel and more.

See You in Spring 2024!

Thanks for another great season! We reopen for general admission in May 2024. Our online shop is always open—find unique merchandise for the history lover, from made in Wisconsin items to beer and brewing, home goods, apparel and more.

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Wisconsin Historical Society members receive unlimited free admission to our 11 historic sites and museums, a complimentary annual subscription to the Wisconsin Magazine of History, merchandise discounts and more. Join at the Family level and above for added benefits and discounts at over 1,200 organizations nationwide! 

Discover Wisconsin’s Cornish
History and the Couple
Who Helped Preserve It

Every building tells a story, and at Pendarvis, there are plenty, each with a unique narrative to tell. Your journey through this picturesque cluster of stone structures will take you not only through the stories of the people who originally created and inhabited them, but also the story of Bob Neal and Edgar Hellum, the couple who  salvaged, restored, and made these buildings shine again. 


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Pendarvis

Pendarvis

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Tucked away in historic Mineral Point, Pendarvis celebrates the 20th century preservation efforts of

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Polperro, our three story stone and log home on Shake Rag Street, was built in 1843 by George Kislingbury.

George Kislingbury was an English immigrant to Mineral Point, departing from Liverpool and arriving in the United States in 1836. In 1839, Kislingbury purchased the lot where our buildings Polperro, Pendarvis, and Trelawny sit today on Shake Rag Street. In November of 1843, Kislingbury married a Cornish woman, Ann Whitford, and they moved into their new log and stone home. Polperro was named after a Cornish fishing village by Bob Neal and Edgar Hellum, who became the third ever owners of the property in 1936. They restored the building to what they imagined was the original 1843 look of the home.

William “Bill” Kislingbury worked many years for Bob and Edgar as a carpenter at Pendarvis. Bill is shown here inside Polperro probably in 1938, restoring the home that his grandfather, George, built in 1843.

Image: Mineral Point Library Archives 03922
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2 days ago
Polperro, our three story stone and log home on Shake Rag Street, was built in 1843 by George Kislingbury. 

George Kislingbury was an English immigrant to Mineral Point, departing from Liverpool and arriving in the United States in 1836. In 1839, Kislingbury purchased the lot where our buildings Polperro, Pendarvis, and Trelawny sit today on Shake Rag Street. In November of 1843, Kislingbury married a Cornish woman, Ann Whitford, and they moved into their new log and stone home. Polperro was named after a Cornish fishing village by Bob Neal and Edgar Hellum, who became the third ever owners of the property in 1936. They restored the building to what they imagined was the original 1843 look of the home. 

William “Bill” Kislingbury worked many years for Bob and Edgar as a carpenter at Pendarvis. Bill is shown here inside Polperro probably in 1938, restoring the home that his grandfather, George, built in 1843. 

Image: Mineral Point Library Archives 03922Image attachment

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It amazes me how the beautiful building was built with what tools they had back then. Thanks for sharing!

Bill Kislingbury was a WW I veteran. He never married. His niece Frances and her husband Barry Telfair visited Mineral Point from their home in St. Louis every year for 50 years to visit Bill and see Pendarvis. Bob and Edgar allowed Barry to photograph the interiors of the buildings over the years and he donated his entire collection to the Archives.

Join us at our sister site Villa Louis Historic Site the next two weekends for Victorian Home for the Holidays! Get into the holiday spirit and see the home decorated for the season. Tickets available here: wihist.org/3sgMsaG ... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago
Join us at our sister site Villa Louis Historic Site the next two weekends for Victorian Home for the Holidays! Get into the holiday spirit and see the home decorated for the season. Tickets available here: https://wihist.org/3sgMsaGImage attachmentImage attachment