Last updated: May 20, 2021
Place
Drill Shop
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Location:
Calumet, MI
Significance:
Contributing Structure to the Calumet National Historic Landmark District
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
MANAGED BY:
Private Property
Amenities
1 listed
Cellular Signal
The Calumet and Hecla drill shop is an L shaped building. The east/west wing stands two stories tall with the second floor only covering the middle half of the building. The north/south wing stands one story tall and has a flat roof. The entire building is made from poor-rock, a leftover from mining. The windows and doors are toped with red brick, a common theme in the Copper Country. Here, skilled workers manufactured and repaired mining drill steels. These steels were rods with tips, often in the shape of a star, sharpened on their ends. They were used to drill cylindrical holes in the rock wall where an explosive charge would be placed.