The Sandstone Architecture of the Lake Superior Region

Great Lakes Books Series

by Kathryn Bishop Eckert

From 1870 to 1910 the prosperity of the copper and iron mining, lumbering, and shipping industries of the Lake Superior region created a demand for more substantial buildings. In satisfying this demand, architects, builders, and clients preferred local red sandstone. They found this stone beautiful, colorful, carvable, durable, and fireproof. Because it was extracted easily in large blocks and shipped cheaply by water, it was economical. The red sandstone city halls, county courthouses, churches, schools, libraries, banks, commercial blocks, and houses gave the Lake Superior region a distinct identity. Kathryn Bishop Eckert studies this region as a built environment and examines the efforts of architects and builders to use local red sandstone. Eckert stresses the importance of the building materials as she explores the architectural history of a region whose builders wanted to reflect the local landscape.

344 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2000

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am of two minds about this book. I was born in the Keweenaw Peninsula and have always admired the massive sandstone buildings that reflect the natural beauty of the area. Kathryn Bishop Eckert fills in the history behind these wonderful structures from the national trends in architectural design to local firms contracted to provide the finishing work on individual projects. The appendices are extra bonus. The book is extremely informative and for this I loved it. On the other hand, it was a bit of a slog to get through at times and I don’t know if I would have enjoyed it as much if I hadn’t already been familiar with many of the buildings being discussed. The author isn’t quite able to convey the beauty or the massive solidity of these buildings and the pictures she provides are a bit of a disappointment. Of course, that should just make you want to go out and see these structures for yourself!