Property Record
105 COMMERCE ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | William Lanyon, Sr. Foundry and Machine Shop |
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| Other Name: | THE FOUNDRY AND GALLERY |
| Contributing: | No |
| Reference Number: | 56151 |
| Location (Address): | 105 COMMERCE ST |
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| County: | Iowa |
| City: | Mineral Point |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
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| Year Built: | 1850 |
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| Additions: | 1865 |
| Survey Date: | 19821993 |
| Historic Use: | blacksmith shop |
| Architectural Style: | Astylistic Utilitarian Building |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Cut Stone |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Mineral Point Historic District |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 7/30/1971 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 1/1/1989 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | THIS TWO STORY BLACKSMITH SHOP FEATURES AN L-SHAPED PLAN CONFIGURAITON, A STONE FOUNDATION, A STONE EXTERIOR, A WOOD TRIM AND A FLAT METAL ROOF. ORIGINALLY, THE BUILDING WAS A TWO STORY STRUCTURE, COMPOSED OF HIGHLY IRREGULAR STONE BLOCKS. IT WAS ALTERED BY THE ADDITION OF A WOOD ATTIC STORY. A CONCRETE BLOCK ADDITION, WHICH APPEARS AT THE REAR AND SOUTH SIDES, WAS BUILT FROM 1908 TO 1915. (SEE BIB. REF. E) THE TWO STORY STONE SECTION WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1865. (SEE BIB. REF. F). AN EARLIER DATE OF CONSTRUCTION, 1850, IS ALSO INDICATED. (SEE BIB. REF. A). THE BUILDING WAS HISTORICALLY KNOWN AS THE LANYON'S FOUNDRY AND MACHINE SHOP, (SEE BIB. REF. B), AND AS THE MINERAL POINT STEAM LAUNDRY, (SEE BIB. REF. D). William Lanyon, Sr. was born in Cornwall in 1810, and arrived in Mineral Point in 1840. He worked as a blacksmith and machinist. His business in this building produced mill and machine castings, turnings in iron and brass, plows, and farming tools. Lanyon remained in business until 1875. [G] IT HISTORICALLY FUNCTIONED AS A FOUNDRY AND MACHINE SHOP FROM 1850 TO 1867, (SEE BIB. REF. B), AND AS AN AGRICULTURE IMPLEMENT STORE FROM 1867 TO AN UNKNOWN DATE, (SEE BIB. REF. C). THE FOUNDRY AND GALLERY, AS IT IS KNOWN TODAY, IS USED AS A MUSEUM AND GALLERY. THE BUILDING WAS DESIGNATED LOCALLY, BECOMING PART OF THE MINERAL POINT LANDMARK DISTRICT IN 1972. 2012- "William Lanyon, Sr., born in Cornwall, came to Mineral Point in 1840. A blacksmith and a machinist, his foundry produced mill and machine castings, turnings in iron and brass, plows, and farming tools. Businesses here included several versions of the foundry, a plow factory, a blacksmith and machine shop, an agricultural depot, a breeding stable and a livery; it was important in Mineral Point's artists renaissance of the 1960s and '70s as a studio and arts incubator. It has been a book store for several decades." -from "A Field Guide to Mineral Point" by Nancy Pfotenhauer of the Mineral Point Historical Society, 1st Edition, 2012, Little Creek Press. |
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| Bibliographic References: | “Architecture/History Survey: Reconstruct USH 151: Dodgeville To Belmont.” WHS project number 92-0510IA/LT. October 1993. Prepared by Great Lakes Archaeological Research Center (GLARC). A. MINERAL POINT TRIBUNE, 26 JULY 1850; 6 JANUARY 1869; MINERALPINT TAX RECORDS, 1850-1900. ** IT IS POSSIBLE THIS BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1865 -- THE TRIBUNE REPORTS A NEW STONE FOUNDRY BUILDING WAS BUILT IN 1865 (TRIBUNE, 1 NOVEMBER 1865). ALSO, THIS BUILDING IS REFERRED TO AS LANYON'S MACHINE SHOP IN LATER NEWSPAPER ARTICLES. (IOWA COUNTY DEMOCRAT, 26 JULY 1893). B. IBID, MINERAL POINT TRIBUNE, 26 JULY 1850, 7 MAY 1860, 20 MAY 1856, 15 JUNE 1861, 11 OCTOBER 1865, 25 OCTOBER 1865, 1 NOVEMBER 1865, 14 MARCH 1866, 3 OCTOBER 1866; NATIONAL DEMOCRAT, 6 MARCH 1972; HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY, 1881:702. C. TAYLRO AND WILLITS, MINERAL POINT, IOWA COUNTY [MAP] (CHICAGO: TAYLOR AND WILLITS, 1871); MINERAL POINT TRIBUNE, 6 JANUARY 1869; SANBORN INSURANCE MAP, CITY OF MINERAL POINT, WI (NEW YORK: SANBORN MAP CO., 1884). D. IOWA COUNTY DEMOCRAT, 1 SEPTEMBER 1893, 18 NOVEMBER 1892, 19 MAY 1893; SANBORN MAP, CITY OF MINERAL POINT, (NEW YORK; SANBORN MAP CO., 1894). E. SANBORN INSURANCE MAP, CITY OF MINERAL POINT, WI. (NEW YORK: SANBORN MAP CO., 1908, 1915). 6. SANBORN INSURANCE MAP, CITY OF MINERAL POINT, WI. (NEW YORK: SANOBRN MAP CO., 1884-1929); MINERAL POINT TRIBUNE, 1 NOVEMBER 1865, 26 JULY 1893. F. Historic Mineral Point Architectural Walking Tour brochure, 2000. G. Mineral Point Chamber/Main Street & The Mineral Point Historical Society, Historic Mineral Point Architectural Walking Tours, not dated. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |