Sand Island

Summary

Shaw Point Historic District
Sand Island, Bayfield, Bayfield County

The Shaw Point Historic District is a collection of three neighboring properties along the southeastern shoreline of Sand Island, one of twenty-two islands that form the Apostle Islands archipelago off of the Bayfield Peninsula in northern Wisconsin. The district has buildings, structures, and landscape features that reflect the interconnected commercial, agricultural, recreational, and seasonal residential development of the islands.

The oldest property is the Shaw-Hill Farm, which was established in 1870 as a commercial fishing camp and farm. Camp Stella, a summer resort founded in 1886, came next in the district’s evolution. Nearly two decades passed before the district saw its next transition with the 1909 addition of the Campbell-Jensch Property, which was the first site along Sand Island’s southern shore to be used solely as a second home. Eventually, however, the Shaw-Hill Farm and Camp Stella became private seasonal getaways as commercial fishing and summer resorts dwindled in economic importance in the twentieth century.

By mid-century, recreational tourism had become a primary economic driver throughout northern Wisconsin, but development on the islands was generally halted with the establishment of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in 1970. The federal government acquired much of the land to preserve the islands for their geographic, scenic, and scientific values, but several longtime residents—including those at Shaw Point—established life estates for their properties that allow them to continue residing on the island for the lifetime of those listed on the deed.

Property Details

Criteria	Event,Architecture/Engineering
Area Of Significance	Commerce,Agriculture,Entertainment/Recreation,Maritime History,Exploration/Settlement,Industry,Architecture
Period of Significance	1870-1970
Architectural Style	Late 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements,Other
Architect
Resource Type	District
Historic Use	Fishing Facility Or Site,Agricultural Outbuildings,Storage,Post Office,Department Store,Specialty Store,Outdoor Recreation,Single Dwelling,Camp,Secondary Structure

Resources Within The Property

Contributing Buildings	22
Contributing Sites	1
Contributing Structures	2
Contributing Objects	1
Non-Contributing Buildings	7
Non-Contributing Sites	0
Non-Contributing Structures	5
Non-Contributing Objects	0

Designations

Historic Status	Listed in the State Register
National Historic Landmark Listing Date	Nov 22, 2019
Historic Status	Listed in the National Register
National Historic Landmark Listing Date	Jul 27, 2020