The city of Shullsburg was founded in 1827. The commercial development of downtown Shullsburg occurred in two stages: lead mining in the 1840s and 1850s, and the coming of the railroad in 1881. Visit this 19th-century downtown with 44 buildings, listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1990 (No. 90000998). The buildings are primarily of Greek Revival, Italianate, or Romanesque architecture.