Bayfield Historic District [†] encompasses most of a well-preserved Lake Superior village. Bayfield's spectacular physical setting, long economic decline and relative isolation has allowed the village to retain much of the flavor of its heyday years, 1883 (with the coming of the railroad) to 1924 (when the lumber mill shut down). Its rich architectural and historical resources are significant as a record of cultural patterns of ordinary people living in a northern Wisconsin lumbering-fishing community.
The Bayfield Historic District contains fine examples of vernacular building of the 1880-1924 period. Similar size, scale and materials attest to the local building skills and to the modest economic means. Early residences differ little from later ones although some influences of the shingle and bungalow styles can be seen. As prosperity began to be realized by a few of Bayfield's entrepreneurs, their success was reflected in a few large homes ( 5 S. Sixth, 229 S. Sixth, 621 Old Military Rd) and several even larger homes (108 N. Third and 7 Rice). Commercial structures remained less important, although the Bell Block ( 2 N. Second) and the First National Bank (201 Rittenhouse) are good examples of turn-of-the-century building on a modest scale. The district has suffered few major intrusions and these are primarily in the commercial area and at the outer district edges. Bayfield's architecture merits recognition as a record of a north country village during its most active period.
Chequamegon Bay area had a long and colorful history well before the settlement of Bayfield. Before the time of written records, Ojibway (Chippewa) legends have placed this group and others, including the Huron, Ottawa and Sioux, here sometime prior to European discovery.
Recorded history of this area began when the first French, explorers and missionaries paddled into Chequamegon Bay. One such explorer, Etienne Brule, may have visited Madeline Island, one of the twenty-two Apostle Islands, about the same time as the Pilgrims were landing at Plymouth Rock. Brule was searching for the elusive passage to the Orient. About 1660 two explorer-fur traders, the Sieur des Groseillers and his brother-in-law, the Sieur Radisson, made their way to Madeline Island and on to Lake Owen and the Namekagon River. Five years later, Jesuit Father Claude Allouez appeared, followed by Father Marquette. A mission was soon established at La Pointe, Madeline Island.
Bayfield's early economy was based on its sawmills located on the south shore. Within months of the town's 1856 platting, construction of the first sawmill had begun. John T. Caho of Virginia had been induced by the Bayfield Land Company to begin construction of a mill at the foot of Fourth Street. The mill burned soon after, was rebuilt and later moved to Ashland, Wisconsin.
Commercial fishing provided Bayfield with a second and generally more stable economic base. Commercial fishing in the region actually began with the 1836 activities of the American Fur Company's shipment of salted fish in barrels to eastern markets. Hedging against the failing fur trade, it sustained the company for some years.
Quarrying native sandstone around the Bayfield area had a relatively short life. Early efforts began on Basswood Island, one of the Apostle Islands in 1868. The use of brownstone reached its peak during the 1880-1890s when six quarries in the area were supplying eastern markets with the stone. Regional quarries had a much easier time transporting their product with the arrival of the railroad in Bayfield. One of the quarries was located about four miles south of Bayfield, owned by R.D. Pike. The popularity of brownstone peaked in the 1890s and by 1900 changes in architectural styles and building materials spelled the demise of the industry. The quarries had little long-term impact on Bayfield's economy but the native stone left a lasting heritage to its architecture.
From the early days, Bayfield*s fresh air and spectacular setting attracted tourists, particularly those seeking relief from the pollen-laden humid air of the midwest. The hotels were generally located in proximity to the passenger dock on the east pier. The Island View Hotel built by the Omaha Railroad, was located on N. First and Washington Avenue on a bluff overlooking the lake. It later expanded across Washington Avenue and the two buildings were connected by a bridge. Other hotels flourished, such as the LaBonte Hotel (119 N. First) and the Bayfield Inn, (Rittenhouse and First).
† Adapted from: Marilyn McMillan, Preservation Assistant, Northwest Regional Planning Commission, Spooner, WI, Bayfield Historic District, nomination document, 1979, National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C., accessed June, 2024.
