Commercial quarrying of Waukesha County's high grade limestone — actually dolomite — was well under way by the 1850's and became an important industry. By the early 1890's some 14 quarries were producing stone for paving and curbing, building, flagging, and other uses. As time progressed, the uniform grade, hardness and color of the stone in the Lannon area attracted the attention of builders, and quarries advertised and received orders for "Lannon Stone." By mid-century, architects and builders had begun to use the Lannon area's colorful, thin surface stone as veneer rather than load-bearing structural material. This use spread quickly and widely. The Village of Lannon became the center of the state's building stone industry and the name of the special stone from this area became synonymous with that of the village.
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