BlockFrom the record
One of 20 National Register listings published here for Douglas County · listed in 1985 · category: Building · built in 1891.
Sources: the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Washington Block
Built in 1891. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
The listing
- What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
- Address. 1517--1523 Tower Ave., Superior, 54880
- When was it listed? June 1985
- Category. building
- Also known as. Speculative Commercial Blocks of Superior's Boom Period 1888-1892 TR
- City. Superior city
- When was it built? 1891
- National Register reference number. 85001473 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.
Fires near this property
47 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 47 fires within 5 miles of Washington Block between 1995 and 2020, burning about 70 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 5 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 10 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 9 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 8 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 6 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 5 |
| Fireworks | 3 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Other causes | 1 |
| Natural | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 August 2019 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 17 August 2019 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 11 August 2019 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 4 July 2017 | Fireworks | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 3 July 2020 | Fireworks | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 23 July 2019 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 5 June 2017 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 26 June 2020 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Mines and quarries near this property
9 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 9 workings within 5 miles of Washington Block: 4 plants, 4 producers, 1 unknown. 8 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sulfur. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Facility) Superior Refinery--Murphy Oil Co | Sulfur | Plant | ||
| Albany Crushing Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Albany Crushing Plant Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Plant | ||
| Arrowhead Blacktop Co | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Mailing Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Mclean Dredge | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Smith Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Superior Grinding Plant | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Plant | ||
| Superior Lime Plant | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Plant |
Storms near this property
51 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Superior, the town this property stands in, in 51 storm reports between 1994 and 2024: 29 thunderstorm wind, 17 hail, 4 lightning, 1 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2005 | Lightning | Superior | $60,000 | Lightning struck a wood pile at Johnson Timber Corporation woodyard, causing the wood to catch fire. Four hundred cords of wood were destroyed. |
| March 2000 | Lightning | Superior | $15,000 | Lightning struck a home and started a fire on the second floor. No one was injured. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | $5,000 | Trees 50-60 feet high were blown down on a house. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | $3,000 | A half dozen 6-inch diameter trees were blown down on County Road A near the Nemadji Golf Course. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Superior | $2,000 | Trees and fence panels were blown down. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Superior | $1,000 | Fence panels were broken by winds and then blown into a window during the storm. |
| September 1999 | Lightning | Superior | $500 | no account filed |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | An 18 to 24 inch diameter silver maple tree was snapped about 8 feet up in front of the old library. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Superior | - | A photo was received showing an uprooted tree about 2 feet in diameter on the ground in the Village of Superior near highways 105 and 35. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | A gust of 62 mph was recorded by the MnDOT RWIS station MN081 just south of the main span of the Blatnik Bridge over the St. Louis River. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | Multiple reports of trees down were received from around Superior. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | A large tree was downed by the storm in Superior. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | A large tree was uprooted near Superior City Hall. Several other reports of downed trees and branches were received from the central part of Superior as well. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | The roof of a large industrial building on the far north end of Superior on the waterfront was severely damaged and partially blown off. |
| September 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | A 12 inch diameter 40 foot tall pine tree was blown down onto a deck. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | A large tree was knocked down and damaged a house and fence. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | There was a large tree down along Belknap Street. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | Two docks on Barker Island were damaged. |
| June 2015 | Hail | Superior | - | The hail fell in the Billings Park neighborhood of Superior, WI. |
| August 2012 | Tornado (EF0) | Superior | - | A weak waterspout made landfall as a brief tornado at Bakers Island. There was no damage. |
| May 2009 | Hail | Superior | - | The hail fell near the Mariner Mall. |
| August 2008 | Hail | Superior | - | The hail was reported near the mouth of the Nemadji River. |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | Large trees were blown down and windows of a house were shattered by strong thunderstorm winds. |
| September 2007 | Hail | Superior | - | Penny sized hail. |
| May 2007 | Hail | Superior | - | The hail fell at the UW Superior campus. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | Power was lost when trees fell on power lines. |
| August 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | Trees were blown down on Wisconsin Point. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | Trees were blown down in the Billings Park area. |
| August 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | Strong winds ripped the roof off a house trailer. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | Trees from 8 to 10 inches in diameter were blown down. Wind speed is estimated. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | Many trees were blown down. |
| July 1994 | Hail | Superior | - | A powerful tornado cut a short but devasting path in northern Manitowoc County from two and one-half miles northwest of Maribel to near Cooperstown. A second smaller tornado also developed two miles southwest of Cooperstown and carved out a minor damage path leveling a shed and tossing a grain box about 300 yards. Much of the $2.1 million damage inflicted by the first tornado included 26 homes, $906,000; 19 vehicles and one mobile home, $300,000; household contents, $245,000; three barns, $160,000; Wisconsin Public Service property, $50,000; crops, $304,800; and four heifers and two sheep killed, $3,600. One man was injured when he was struck by a 55 gallon drum, and a woman suffered minor injuries when pieces of a stone foundation fell on her. A severe thunderstorm dropped one inch diameter hail in Superior (Douglas County). |
| July 2023 | Hail | Superior | - | no account filed |
| June 2021 | Hail | Superior | - | no account filed |
| July 2021 | Hail | Superior | - | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Hail | Superior | - | no account filed |
| September 2011 | Hail | Superior | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Hail | Superior | - | no account filed |
| August 2008 | Hail | Superior | - | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Hail | Superior | - | no account filed |
| April 2004 | Hail | Superior | - | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Hail | Superior | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | no account filed |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | no account filed |
| August 1998 | Hail | Superior | - | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Lightning | Superior | - | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Superior | - | no account filed |
Map coverage status
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Listed places nearby
6 within 8 milesOther National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Block-Board of Trade Bldg. | under 500 feet | 1985 | |
 | New Jersey Building | under 500 feet | 1983 |
 | New York Block | 0.1 miles | 1985 |
| Wemyss Building | 0.2 miles | 1985 | |
| Maryland Block | 0.2 miles | 1985 | |
| Empire Block | 0.3 miles | 1985 |
Sources for this property
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 85001473 in Record Group 79. |
| Douglas County | All 20 listed properties in this county. |
Provenance
- Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
- Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
- How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
- Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
- Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
- Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.