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Property Location
Property Features
The pumphouse was built to serve as Washburn's waterworks system and was constructed of locally quarried brownstone. It originally housed two steam boilers with a total of 160 horsepower, which provided power for two Deane pumps that drew water from Lake Superior up to the reservoir and through four miles of pipe. The building's original large smokestack no longer exists.
Washburn granted a franchise to construct, operate, and maintain the waterworks to Weston Lewis and J.S. Maxcy. In turn, the gave the construction contract to Moffat, Hodgkins, and Clarke of Watertown, New York. J.L. "Jack" Smith worked as timekeeper on the construction, and over the next 50 years, he served as the superintendent. Several family members followed in his footsteps in subsequent years. In 1934, after several years of litigation, the City of Washburn took over the operation of the waterworks, but the Smith family stayed on.
After the great fire of 1889 leveled all the wooden buildings in Washburn, buildings made of stone, as well as the efficient delivery of water through a reliable water system in Washburn became increasingly important.
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
Architecture & History Inventory
The Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory (AHI) is a digital source of information on historic buildings, structures, and objects that have been surveyed by the State Historic Preservation Office in Wisconsin. Each property has a digital record providing basic information about the property and images.
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Washburn Historical Museum
Lake Superior
The 1890's Brownstone building that houses the Historical Museum is a beautiful museum piece in its own right. The historic venue also contains the city's Cultural Arts Center. The museum features ...
