Hermit Island Brownstone Quarry Dock
Gallery
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Hermit Island Brownstone Quarry Dock Site Plan
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Historic Image of Cedar Bark Lodge on Hermit Island
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Archaeologists conduct shoreline surveys on Hermit Island
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Corner of the North Crib
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Derrick fly wheel and cable
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An archaeologist investigates the remains of a turnbuckle on shore
 
Details
Attraction
Location
Body of Water: Lake Superior
Trail Name: Lake Superior
Year Built: 1891
Nearest City: Bayfield
County: Ashland
Zip Code: 54814
Latitude: N 46°52.96900'
Longitude: W -090°40.57400'
Attraction
Features
Open to public?: Yes
Mooring buoy?: No
Mooring buoy in place?: No
Snorkelable?: No
Dive guide?: No
Trails sign?: No
National Register?: No
Attraction
Description
In the 1850’s, a trader named John Wilson moved to Hermit Island. A known recluse, Wilson built four log buildings on the uninhabited island and monitored visitors very closely. Following Wilson’s death in 1865, investors began to look at the island for development of a brownstone quarry due to the increased popularity of Lake Superior brownstone as a building material. The Excelsior Brownstone Quarry, owned by Fredrick Prentice of the Prentice Brownstone Company, operated on Hermit Island from 1891 to 1897. The remains of the quarry are located on the northeast side of the island. In the spring of 1892, the Excelsior Quarry was chosen to provide stone for the massive brownstone monolith that was to be featured at the 1893 World’s Colombian Exposition in Chicago. Work began on the monolith in mid-June. The monolith was over 110 feet tall, 9.2 feet wide at the base, and 4.2 feet wide at the top. Unfortunately, the monolith was never completed. After two different attempts to remove the stone from its bed the work was abandoned, and the monolith was cut at Prentice’s mainland quarry on Houghton Point. By 1893 the Prentice Brownstone Company had fallen into bankruptcy. Prentice sold his holdings on the Apostle Islands and the mainland to Excelsior Brownstone Company investors. The Excelsior Brownstone Company remained in operation on Hermit Island for another two years, continuing to produce 220,000 cubic feet of stone each year, but by 1897 the company was no longer able to remain in business with low demands for brownstone. In the fall of 1897 operations on the island ceased and the land was sold to the estate of Elias Drake for $10,000. Quarrying on the island concluded permanently.

Site Description:
The remains of the Hermit Island quarry dock extend nearly 156.6 feet into Lake Superior from the southern side of Hermit Island and is located in 1 to 21 feet of water, consisting of a main crib, a finger pier crib, and a north crib. The main crib connects to the island with a cribbing gangway. Northeast of the main crib are the remains of a finger pier crib, now completely submerged, extending 147.5 feet from shore. Although the finger pier seems to be constructed mostly of stones, evidence of cribbing remains near the end of the structure. The pier functioned as a working pier, indicated by numerous artifacts found along its length, including three narrow-gauge rails and a derrick flywheel. Scattered throughout the breakwater are fasteners, rods, and stone splitting wedges, along with numerous cut stones. Located further northeast are the remains of the north crib, lying in 2 to 5 feet of water. The inshore side of the crib is 91.1 feet from shore. This crib is constructed of three timbers on all sides. It is likely that this crib was associated with the Cedar Bark Lodge that was built nearby as a summer home for Fredrick Prentice and his family.
 
Map
 
Nearby
Attractions (9)
Apostle Islands Cruise Service
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Basswood Island Quarry Dock
Bayfield Commercial Fishermens' Memorial
Bayfield Heritage Center
Bayfield Historic Waterfront Maritime Trails Maker
Bayfield Maritime Museum
Hermit Island Brownstone Quarry Dock
Stockton Island Brownstone Quarry Dock
Shipwrecks (12)
Charlotte (1912)
Finn McCool (1926)
Francis R. Anderson (1885)
Idlewild (?)
Josephine Addison (1919)
Lua (1905)
Marquette (1881)
Moonlight (1874)
Mystic (?)
Ontario (1891)
View 2 more
Shipwrecks (12)
Charlotte (1912)
Finn McCool (1926)
Francis R. Anderson (1885)
Idlewild (?)
Josephine Addison (1919)
Lua (1905)
Marquette (1881)
Moonlight (1874)
Mystic (?)
Ontario (1891)
Phantom (?)
Tourist (1888)
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