Allouez in Brown County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Roi-Porlier-Tank Cottage
Photographed By Devon Polzar, 2020
1. Roi-Porlier-Tank Cottage Marker
This house of wattled construction is the oldest standing house, in Wisconsin, built in 1776 by fur-trader Joseph Roi, one of the first seven settlers of La Baye (Green Bay).
It was sold in 1805 to Jacques Porlier, another French-Canadian fur-trader. Porlier was appointed Captain of the Militia by the British Government during the War of 1812 and his home became the center of military arrangements.
In 1850 Niels Otto Tank, wealthy Norwegian missionary, obtained the house when he purchased several hundred acres of land, hoping to establish a Moravian colony for Norwegian immigrants. Tank died in 1864 and his wife lived in the cottage until her death in 1891, devoting her life and fortune to missionary work.
In 1908 the house was moved from its original site on the Fox River to Tank Park, which Mme. Tank had presented to the city in 1880 in memory of her husband. The house is furnished mostly with authentic Tank pieces, many of them dating back centuries to Mme. Tank's famous Dutch ancestors.
Erected 1966 by The Tank Cottage Committee. (Marker Number 542.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers • War of 1812
this page online
Location. Marker has been permanently removed. It was located near 44° 28.393′ N, 88° 1.807′ W. Marker was in Allouez, Wisconsin, in Brown County. Marker was at the intersection of Webster Avenue and Greene Avenue, on the right when traveling south on Webster Avenue. This marker has been permanently removed and destroyed. I can send a picture as confirmation. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 2640 S Webster Ave, Green Bay WI 54301, United States of America.
We have been informed that this sign or monument is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies. Site of Camp Smith 1820 (within shouting distance of this marker); First Episcopal Mission in Wisconsin (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Catholic Bark Chapel (approx. 0.4 miles away); Menomineeville, Seat of Justice (approx. 0.4 miles away); First Redemptorist Church in America (approx. ¾ mile away); Curly Lambeau's Gravesite
Photographed By Devon Polzar, 2020
2. Roi-Porlier-Tank Cottage Marker
More about this marker. This marker has been permanently removed and destroyed. I can send a picture as confirmation.
Photographed By Devon Polzar, July 1, 2022
3. Roi-Porlier-Tank Cottage Marker Missing
The picnic table on the left is where the marker used to stand. The staff at Heritage Hill State Park did not know what happened to the marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 15, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 26, 2020, by Devon Polzar of Port Washington, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 563 times since then and 92 times this year. Last updated on February 9, 2024, by Fitzie Heimdahl of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 26, 2020, by Devon Polzar of Port Washington, Wisconsin. 3. submitted on June 18, 2023, by Devon Polzar of Port Washington, Wisconsin. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
