Burra Burra Mine

The Burra Burra Mine was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and consists of 10 buildings on 17 acres of land in Ducktown, TN, just east of the Ocoee River. The Mine served as headquarters for the Tennessee Copper Company’s mining operations from 1899 to 1975 and is now owned by the Tennessee Historical Commission. Its restoration has allowed the local staff and management team to continue to preserve and interpret the cultural and industrial heritage of this copper-mining region of southern Appalachia through educational tours of the grounds and access to the Museum’s collection of artifacts, displays and photographs.

The challenge of this project was to restore and recreate the original integrity and historic character of the exteriors of seven of the 10 buildings, as well as the historic crane and ore bin foundations on site. These buildings include the Museum, Hoist House, Time Office, Machine Shop, Boiler Room, Change House, and Bit House. Specifically, repair to these historic buildings consisted of window and door repair and replacement, masonry and mortar repair, overall new paint, asbestos abatement, new siding and corrugated metal shells, some new electrical work, foundation stability, structural stability as well as several other repairs.

As with any historic preservation and restoration project, the extent of the design team’s involvement during the construction phase was significant. Our team was on site often to work alongside the craftsmen to recreate historically correct detailing in full compliance with SOI and NPS standards.