09.12.25 Pendarvis

 We went wandering and ended up at Pendarvis in Mineral Point. Here is a little history...

In the early 19th century, lead mining was more promising and attractive than either the fur trade or farming to potential settlers of the southwestern corner of the state. The presence of lead was no secret. Members of the Ho-Chunk, Mesquaki (Fox), Sauk and other tribes had mined lead for hundreds of years before French fur traders arrived in the 1600s. Despite the land that would become Mineral Point in 1827 not being open for white settlement, hundreds of miners and settlers illegally poured into the region, violating the treaty rights of native nations settled there.

The lead mining boom was on, and Mineral Point became a thriving commercial center that housed one of Michigan Territory’s first land offices and served as a territorial county seat. The boom continued into early Wisconsin statehood, when lead and zinc mining and processing became the dominant economic activity in the region.

 A series of treaties eventually ceded all Indian lands south of the Wisconsin River to the U.S. by the early 1830s, and experienced miners began arriving from Cornwall in southwestern England. These Cornish immigrants settled in Mineral Point and throughout the Upper Mississippi lead region and constructed small, limestone homes similar to those they left behind in England.

Neal had returned from London and came to the area to find many of the stone cottages, built by the early 19th-century Cornish immigrants, had vanished. In 1934 he struck up a friendship and eventual relationship with Hellum, who shared his interest in the old rock dwellings. Now partners in both business and in life, Neal and Hellum set out to preserve at least one of these tangible symbols of Mineral Point’s past, buying the first cottage for just $10.

Neal and Hellum established the Pendarvis House restaurant in 1935. They specialized in serving tea, saffron cake, scones, preserves, and simple Cornish pasties, utilizing recipes passed on from Neal’s own grandmother, a Cornish immigrant in the mid-1800s. They ended up earning a national reputation for authentic Cornish fare and welcomed diners from every state in the Union and many foreign countries. They operated the restaurant for 35 years before retiring in 1970.

 

Pendarvis House

Constructed in 1845, Pendarvis was purchased in 1935 by Bob and Edgar.

The kitchen had very low ceilings and was an add on lean to log structure out the back of the building..

The dining room was small and at street level. It would have been a tight fit!

Pendarrvis House Restaurant was named as a top seven restaurant I the country by the Saturday Evening Post and appeared in publications such as National Geographic and Life Magazines. The restaurant was a favorite of Duncan Hines, who visited twice and listed the restaurant in the early editions of his guidebook, Adventures in Good Eating.

All in all, Bob Neal and Edgar Hellum restored six historic stone and stone-and-log cottages at Pendarvis. They began their preservation work in 1935 by saving the first Cornish miner's cottage from demolition. They later bought and restored additional structures to create what is now the Pendarvis Historic Site.

This is an outdoor stone root cellar/pantry. The guide said that it stays cool all the time because of the stream that runs under it. You could feel the cool breeze coming out of the opening. The front part had caved in and it was gated off.

Polperro

Bob and Edgar bought their second Shake Rag house in 1937 all because of a birch tree. Built in 1842, Polperro was used as their residence while they restored Trelawny.

The Root Cellar- This stone lined room dug into the hillside was a root cellar, used for food storage. Because it was in the earth, it maintained a relatively constant temperature, keeping food from freezing in the winter and somewhat cool in summer.

Trelawny on the left

Pendarvis House Restaurant on the right.

TRELAWNY was the third building bought and restored by Bob and Edgar in the late 1930s and was the home they shared for 37 years. Richard Thomas and James Carbis, Cornish stonemasons, built this house in late 1842/early 1843. The original four room structure housed nine people. The kitchen, located in the back of the house, was added during the 1930s restoration and serviced the adjacent restaurant. Bob and Edgar entertained guests and friends here. The first-floor rooms still appear much as they did while they lived here in the 1940s.

The buildings that make up the site include:

Pendarvis: The first cottage they restored, built around 1845, was where they opened a restaurant to fund further preservation.

Polperro: A two-and-a-half-story house built around 1842.

Trelawny: The third building they bought and restored, which served as their home for 37 years.

Tamblyn's Row: A row of three adjacent stone structures, which includes the Martin Cabin, the oldest building on the site.

They gave the buildings Cornish names to honor the immigrant miners who originally built them. In 1971, Neal and Hellum sold the restored buildings to the Wisconsin Historical Society, and they were opened to the public as the Pendarvis Historic Site.

The site is fairly large and you could walk over a mile on trails if you want to explore it all!

This whole building was called Tamblyn's Row and all the buildings are connected. Part of it is used for Historical Society offices. The Pub is on the far right on the exposed lower level that you can't see in the photo.

MARTIN CABIN

The oldest structure on site, this cabin was built in 1841 and home to John and Christiana Martin and their five children. Both were immigrants to Mineral Point, with John being one of the earliest Cornish settlers in the early 1830s and Christiana arriving from Nova Scotia. Bob and Edgar bought the entire Tamblyn’s Row structure and removed clapboard siding as well as an addition from the cabin.

KIDDLEYWINK PUB

This Cornish pub in the basement of Tamblyn’s Row was created in the 1960s by Edgar and never existed before that time. After visiting Cornwall several times, Edgar was inspired to recreate a pub for Pendarvis. The leather trim comes from his uncle’s shoe factory in Stoughton. This room was most likely originally used as a cellar or kitchen

Must have been a very thin barkeep! The space on the right to get behind the bar was very small!

Al waiting for his pint!

Ahhh...after that we are hungry for a pasty for lunch. The Red Rooster was recommended for their pasties.

Beef and potato pasty...very good!

Figgy Hobbin or "Figgy Obbin"

A "figgy hobbin" is a traditional Cornish pastry that is similar to a mince pie. The name comes from the Cornish dialect, where "figgy" refers to raisins or currants and "hobbin" is believed to be a diminutive of "oven". Historically, it was a humble and rustic baked dish, but today it is often served as a dessert.

We had quite an adventure this day! Mineral Point looked like a nice clean town and the people were all friendly....and we even learned a little something along the way.

Until the next adventure...stay safe, keep exploring and do something that makes you smile everyday!