Potawatomi Tower

Site

Potawatomi State Park

built

1931

State Register of Historic Places

2019

National Register of Historic Places

2020

 
 

The 75-foot tall Potawatomi Tower was completed in 1931. It was financed by an organization known as the Sawyer Commercial Club, which promoted economic development in the Village of Sawyer, the original name for Sturgeon Bay's west side before it was annexed in the late 1800s.

In December of 2017, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources closed the tower based on findings by the Forestry Department of significant wood decay, creating unsafe conditions.

The Sturgeon Bay Historical Society Foundation, Inc. felt that the DNR's study was limited to damage and deterioration and it did not provide restoration alternatives to determine the feasibility of saving it. In 2018, SBHSF retained Wood Research Development (WRD) out of Oregon to perform a new study which included alternatives for restoration.

In January 2019 the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society Foundation, Inc. was thrilled to be working with the DNR and the renowned firm of Wood Research and Development lead by Dr. Tingley and were excited to give this iconic structure the in-depth approach it deserves toward preservation.

Currently the DNR is providing a third party engineering review of WRD’s report, which outlines a preferred in-place restoration of the tower. Results from the third-party review are expected within the next few months.

With your help, we can continue to try and save this iconic, timber-framed, historic structure.

Historic Name:Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower Reference Number:100006108

PROPERTY LOCATION Location (Address):3740 County PD County:Door City/Village: Township:Nasewaupee

SUMMARY Potwatomi State Park Observation Tower
3740 County PD, Town of Nasewaupee, Door County
Architect: W.F. Stevens

The Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower, built in 1931, is significant for its association with outdoor recreation in Door County, including the development of Wisconsin State Parks in Door County and the county’s tourism industry. The wooden tower stands approximately 75 feet tall and has a square footprint, measuring roughly 24 feet from corner to corner along each side. The tower tapers inwards from the base, with the top platform measuring roughly 16 feet by 16 feet. The Potawatomi tower was intended to be a copy of Eagle Tower, a fire lookout tower built in 1914 at Peninsula State Park in Door County, but its design proved to be distinct from its fire tower antecedents.

As the first purpose-built recreational tower in a Wisconsin State Park, the Potawatomi Observation Tower, designed by prominent architect W. F. Stevens, was built with features not present on the fire lookout towers upon which its design was based. These design features include an easy-to-climb switchback staircase and wide viewing platforms. The distinctive design and form of this tower was then copied by subsequent recreational observation towers built in State Parks, Forests, and Recreational Areas throughout the rest of the state as late as 1988. Today the Potawatomi observation tower is closed and in need of repairs. Plans for a future Eagle Tower, to be its third incarnation, mark the beginning of a new era of observation tower design in Wisconsin.

 

What we are in process of accomplishing:

 

Experts from Wood Research and Development completed three days of testing on the Potawatomi Tower in early Spring 2019 to determine whether restoration is a viable option for the structure.

The Sturgeon Bay Historical Society Foundation, Inc. hired the firm with cooperation from the Department of Natural Resources. The experts from Oregon used an 80-foot skylift to study the tower from top to bottom.

Read Peninsula Pulse article about the testing:
Independent Firm Studying Potawatomi Tower Wood
https://doorcountypulse.com/independent-firm-studying-potawatomi-tower-wood/

 

Wood Research and Development examined the data collected during the inspection and produced a report for review by the DNR and historical society. WRD experts provided a public presentation of the full report in May 2019.

 

2018
Historic "Potawatomi Tower Restoration Effort" is officially underway with phase one completed.

The SBHSF have been working with the DNR to bring in timber restoration expert engineers into the park to do a onsite inspection of the tower with an emphasis on restoration for the last two months and that has just been completed.

2019
The firm of Wood Research and Development, Inc (WRD) (https://woodrandd.com/timber-experts) arrived and started testing last Monday morning and have just completed the 3 day critical testing of the historic Potawatomi tower to see if it is "a feasible candidate for a total restoration". A 80' skylift was used to study the entire structure top to bottom which was quite a feat since the road to it is closed and snow covered.

This independent firm flew in from Oregon last Sunday night and stayed at the Fox Glove Inn in donated suites (thank you Kelly) while multiple donors helped cover this phase of the study with matching funds, and the Tingley Foundation is covering the other half. Thank you, Shawn, for being their driver and equipment supervisor all week.

February 2020
The Sturgeon Bay Historical Society Foundation met with the DNR to hear their findings which led to their decision to remove the tower.

President Christie Weber said the organization is not giving up on saving the structure yet and is looking forward to reviewing the report. She said the DNR’s legal department recommendation would mean anything with a scratch on it would need to be replaced.

“The SBHS is relieved that the DNR experts confirmed that Dr. Tingley’s report was accurate, but we disagree with the DNR’s interpretation of historic preservation codes,” Weber said. “Using DNR’s definition of repair versus replacement, nothing in our state parks that’s historical could ever be saved. They place such a low bar on historic preservation.”

April 2020
SBHS, along with WRD and National Trust, had a meeting with the Governors office and DNR asking them to reconsider tear down and save the historic tower by repairing it in place.

With the generous help of Dr. Tingley/WRD, we will review the Dr's most recent assessment of the DNRs teardown report (which was done prior to the determination that it is eligible for the National Register) who will present options, which are feasible for repair.

We will also be offering to the state to gift the formal application for the National Register and submit it for the state, with a special thanks to Bill/Betty Parsons and John Hippensteel/Beth Stracka who have generously offered to split the cost of the new listing.

We are hopeful that the state will also see the need to saving this treasured historic attraction by choosing to repair it, over tear down, yet this summer, while the park is closed, over spending millions more to replace it. It is irreplaceable.

July 2020
Historic Listing Sought for Potawatomi Tower
Application for Registration

Article from the Peninsula Pulse:
Historical Listing Sought for Potawatomi Tower

November 2020
Listed with the Wisconsin State Registry
February 2021
Listed with the National Registry.

Letter of notice of entry in the National Register and/or State Register of Historic Places

Wisconsin Historical Society Listing

April 2021
Potawatomi Tower repair plans have been stamped as issued for construction.
Engineering Repair Plans from Wood Research and Development

May 2021
Potawatomi Tower repair plans have been accepted by the Wisconsin state Department of Natural resources!
Potawatomi Tower repairs get state's okay

DNR Shifts from Demolition to Repair of Potawatomi Tower


September 2023

State Hires Wood Expert to Stabilize Potawatomi Tower


The Potawatomi State Park observation tower is being stabilized.
The state hired the same company to do the job that assessed the tower four years ago for the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society Foundation (SBHSF): Dan Tingley with Timber Restoration Services (TRS) in Oregon, also known as Wood Research and Development.
From there, it took years of additional assessments, surveys, political posturing and grass-roots local support to get to the contract that was issued last week to stabilize the historical structure.

https://doorcountypulse.com/state-hires-wood-expert-to-stabilize-potawatomi-tower/

October 2023

The tower is being repaired!

The experts are working daily. The road to the tower is closed to the public.
No update from the DNR but we are hopeful that they will see the importance and inspiration these unique historic sites offer to inspire our future artists, engineers, nature lovers.
We hope to celebrate early next month that it will be safe another 50 years.

May 2024

Final repairs and planned reopening

The Potawatomi Tower will be receiving final repairs this summer and is expected to reopen to the public in the spring of 2025. Thanks to the advocacy work on the part of SBHSF and to the collaboration with elected officials and other Tower supporters, the historic tower has been saved from planning demolition.


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Funding
The study and alternative restoration plan in total cost 28k, is being funded by the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society Foundation, Inc. with matching funds from the Tingley Foundation. We are asking for public support to complete this preservation effort.

Thank you all for giving your heart and soul to saving our community treasures!

This restoration study will be comprised of three parts:
1. Non-invasive testing - check SBHSF -5k
2. Laboratory and data examination
3. Results of exam with alternatives for restoration study and report.

The completed study will cost SBHSF about 14k total after the generous cost share from the Tingley Foundation. SBHSF has the first phase covered by two very generous Door County locals, but we will have to raise the next two phases right away.

Please help save this Door County icon donating to the SBHSF Potawatomi Tower project today.

 

How can you help?

We invite you to be part of Sturgeon Bay’s exciting future!

or send your tax-deductible contribution to:

Sturgeon Bay Historical Society Foundation, Inc.
P. O. Box 827
Sturgeon Bay, WI  54235

The Sturgeon Bay Historical Society Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.