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
Tucked away in historic Mineral Point, Pendarvis celebrates the 20th century preservation efforts of
We're in the final days before Christmas and we hope you have your Christmas shopping done!
"It was always exciting to watch each Bob and Edgar open the (Christmas) package from each other; (especially the Christmas when we [Ruth and Cleve Grant] both knew that Bob had purchased an antique Russian doll tea cozy to give to Edgar, which they both had admired and felt they could not afford. When Edgar learned the antique Russian doll tea cozy had been sold from Sharratt's shop in Madison, he and Betty Cass worked together and made a similar one to give to Bob. What a moment that was when they opened their packages and found they each had a Russian doll tea cozy."
-Ruth Grant, letter dated October 7, 1983
📸: Bob and Edgar's Russian doll tea cozies ... See MoreSee Less
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What a great story!
Have you been baking this Christmas season!
Christmas was a busy time at Pendarvis House even though the restaurant would close annually in the fall. To make income in the off season, Pendarvis founders Bob Neal and Edgar Hellum started a mail order service of homemade Christmas treats shortly after they opened in the mid 1930s, and running it through the closure of the restaurant in 1970. Saffron and fruit cake, along with potted preserves, were shipped out all over the country and became a holiday tradition for many families.
Several letters in our archives display the regret many felt about the end of this Christmas tradition. "I am sorry to learn you may not be making cakes in the future. Over the years they have been something we looked forward to eating at Christmas time in our family." (letter from K.A. Bennett, dated 1/16/1971)
📸 Pendarvis Archives: 1) Cornish plum preserves tag that was tied to stoneware jars; 2) small box used to ship saffron cake; 3) advertisement for cake and preserve mail ordering ... See MoreSee Less
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Did you get your Christmas cards sent out yet? These Christmas cards sent to Bob and Edgar were made by Mineral Point artists Max and Ava Fernekes between 1941 and 1969. The handmade cards feature the family and their home.
📸 Christmas cards, Pendarvis Archives ... See MoreSee Less
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Barbara Hughes