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 and log 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 business and life partners Robert Neal and Edgar Hellum, and the Cornish immigration and mining stories they saved.
On this day in 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sunk in a Lake Superior storm. The entire crew was lost and it remains today the largest vessel to have sunk in the Great Lakes. Northwest Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee owned the ship and named it after their president and chairman of the board, Edmund Fitzgerald.
Edmund Fitzgerald and his wife Elizabeth visited Pendarvis in 1963, five years after the launch of the ship. It was common for UW professors in both Madison and Milwaukee to bring special guests for dinner or overnight stays to see Pendarvis and Mineral Point.
📸 Pendarvis Archives ... See MoreSee Less
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We are officially closed for the 2026 season! Thank you to everyone who visited us for a tour, Mine Hill hike, or special program this year. Keep a look out for exciting updates to come for Mineral Point's bicentennial celebrations in 2027.
Last week our staff closed the buildings to prepare the objects and homes for winter. ... See MoreSee Less
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What a great season!
Everyone did a great job! We’ll see you next year!
Autumn at Pendarvis 🍂 ... See MoreSee Less
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Beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing and take this tour with Cathy. She does an excellent job!