The Site Of The Lost City of Newport. (Photo Essay)

For a while now I had been seeing these cool gargoyles outside of Wisconsin Dells flanking a sign. Well, last summer we finally got to stop there to take a closer look at what they were all about.


The sign reads:

Dawn Manor Site of the Lost City Of Newport. Here on the Wisconsin River the villiage of Newport was begun in 1853, planned for a population of 10,000. Assuming that the Milwaukee and LaCrosse Railroad would cross the river here, over 2000 settlers quickly came to Newport causing a lively land boom. When the bridge and dam were ultimately located a mile upstream after an alledged secret moonlit survey, Newport was almost completely deserted in favor of Kilbourn City (today Wisconsin Dells.) Only Dawn Manor with it's servant quarters remains. Dawn Manor was completed in 1855 by Capt. Abraham Vanderpoel, friend of Lincoln and a signer of the US Constitution. The home is built of Potsdam snadstone, white mahoghany and white pine, put together with brass screws and wooden pegs. Dawn Manor houses the art collection of Geroge Raab, one of Wisconsin's famous artists.

Here's some closer shots of the gargoyles.



I found this site which says a bit more about the lost city and includes a photo of the Old Newport Hotel which was torn down in 1908.

The site of the lost city is viewable on the Wisconsin Ducks tours. We drove there and parked by the gargoyles. If you do that please park on the GRASS. We did not and we found ourselves faced with a duck, lol. We did not see the site of the lost city, though.

Perhaps we will return to visit Dawn Manor soon.