National Register of Historic Places

Burra Burra Mine Historic District

Ducktown, Polk County, Tennessee
Listed
March 17, 1983
Type
District
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
83003059

About this property

The Burra Burra Mine is a copper mine located in Ducktown, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. Named for the famous mine in Australia, the Burra Burra Mine is located in the Copper Basin geological region, and extracted over 15 million tons (14 million metric tons) of copper ore during its 60 years of operation between 1899 and 1959. The mine's remaining structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Burra Burra Mine Historic District. The site is also home to the Ducktown Basin Museum, and the museum and mine are a Tennessee State Historic Site operated in partnership with the Tennessee Historical Commission. The Burra Burra Mine was one of a number of mining operations in the Copper Basin from 1850 to 1987 that produced substantial amounts of copper ore that contained sulfur. Trees were cut to smelt the ore and burn off the sulfur. Both the tree-harvesting and the sulfuric acid pollution left more than 32,000 acres (50 sq mi)—(13,000 hectares (130 km2)— of the basin eroded and virtually devoid of life, though the area has begun to recover after decades of re-greening efforts.

Location

Ducktown, Polk County, Tennessee
35.03581, -84.37924

Categories

INDUSTRYCONSERVATIONARCHITECTURE
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
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Spotlight
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Nearby Historic Sites

Ducktown Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Buzzard's Roost Historic District
Early Republic
0.3 mi
Central Headframe
Industrial
1 mi
Isabella Managers' Row
Listed
1.3 mi
Newtown Historic District
Listed
2.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Burra Burra Mine Historic District listed on the National Register?

Burra Burra Mine Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 17, 1983.

What type of historic resource is Burra Burra Mine Historic District?

Burra Burra Mine Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Burra Burra Mine Historic District?

The period of significance for Burra Burra Mine Historic District is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Burra Burra Mine Historic District?

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