Fairlawn + SS Meteor In Superior Added To Local Historic Register

Two popular museums in Superior are about to get their historic due.  The Superior Historic Preservation Commission has recommended the placement of Fairlawn Mansion and the SS Meteor to the Local Registry of Historic Places.

Both of the museums are already listed on both state and national historic registries.  This local effort will need the final approval of the Superior City Council.

The Local Registry of Historic Places is a relatively new listing and a variety of other sites have already been added; the inclusion of Fairlawn Mansion and the SS Meteor seem to be a forgone conclusion to organizers, at least according to Superior Housing Coordinator Jeff Skrenes; however, details shared in an article in the Superior Telegram [paywall] suggest that this move would make it official:

"When work to submit the applications [for the Local Registry of Historic Places], Skrenes said it was thought Superior's public museums would be the first properties included on the local register.  However...individuals came forward to have their properties listed sooner."

Those early applications slowed the listing for two of Superior's three public museums.  So did committee work to determine "how to spend $3.5 million allocated for historic preservation".

The third public museum in Superior - the fire hall - will have to wait for a while.  Crews still need to address some issues that make it harder to the building to get listed; as an example, "some of the window repair has not been done to historic standards".

Fairlawn Mansion is a well-known landmark in Superior along Highway 2.  The building itself was built and was the home for Martin Pattison - a figure that represents a lot of different, historically-important things to Superior. Pattison was "a lumber and mining baron, banker, politician, and philanthropist".  He was also Mayor of Superior at two different times - the earliest was when he served as the second Mayor of Superior.

The SS Meteor is also a well-known landmark in Superior, and is equally as visible to traffic along Highway 2.  It's official, christened name is the Frank Rockefeller. The vessel is the "last of 44 whaleback ships built by American Steel Barge Company" and is recognized as "historically significant as an invention that contributed to commerce, industry, and transportation".