Old Tigerton Village Hall
In 1905, the Tigerton Village Board purchased land from H.R. Swanke to construct a Village Hall and Engine House for nearly $3,400. Swanke loaned the Village $4,000 to fund the project.
In 1906, two jail cells were purchased; one remains in the building. The ground floor was used as an engine house for horse drawn fire-fighting apparatus. Horses were provided by a local lumber company. Fire apparatus was housed there until 1983. The original tower's bell is on display inside. Village offices and the public library were housed in the building's upper level until 1980.
Tigerton Main Street, Inc., purchased the deteriorating building in April 2003, replacing the roof and bell tower. In 2006, Main Street, Inc. completed the restoration of the building as office and community space. The project was funded by USDA Rural Development, The Jeffris Family Foundation, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, and by donations from area residents, businesses, and organizations.
From the Pineries to the Present Heritage Tourism Area, July 4, 2007
Erected 2007.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these
this page online
Location. 44° 44.421′ N, 89° 3.754′ W. Marker is in Tigerton, Wisconsin, in Shawano County. It is on Cedar Street (County Road M) just east of South Beach Street, on the right when traveling east. The marker is beside the sidewalk on the right/west side of the Old Village Hall. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 215 Cedar Street, Tigerton WI 54486, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Wisconsin. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Great North Woods, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Tigerton Lumber Company
Village of Tigerton
Historic Building
1905
National Register of Historic Places
by the United States Department of the Interior
Other markers no longer nearby. Bethany Indian Mission & School (was approx. 8.2 miles away but has been confirmed missing); Chief Waupaca (was approx. 11.7 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Regarding Old Tigerton Village Hall. National Register of Historic Places № 08001036.
From the National Register Nomination prepared by Patricia Lacey, 12/15/2007:
The Tigerton Village Hall and Engine House is two stories in height and is capped by a low-pitched hipped roof. The building is rectangular, having the dimensions thirty-one feet wide by sixty-one feet long. The main north-facing facade is two stories. The east one-half of the facade projects two feet from the main mass of the building. This projection identifies the entrance of the buildingand forms the front base of the bell tower. The projecting bay anchors the bell tower, giving the appearance of strength and weight. The projecting nature of the bay gives the impression that the bell tower and projecting facade are one unit. The bell tower, which is inset into the northeast corner of the hipped roof, rests upon a flat platform. Twelve posts, which sit atop square bases, support the hip roof of the bell tower. The posts support an arcade. The edges of the floor of the bell tower are finished with a balustrade with turned spindles. The peak of the roof of the bell tower supports an eight-foot pole (lightning rod) that is topped with a 6" diameter ball. During the duration of the occupancy of the fire department, a large bell rested on the floor of the bell tower.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 19, 20183. Old Tigerton Village Hall (north/front elevation)The historical marker is beside the sidewalk on the right/west side of the Old Village Hall.The structure is an adaptation of the Commercial Italianate style of architecture. These structures often have accentuated cornice, decorative window hoods and ornamental stringcourses that delineate each floor. Each of the building's window and door openings are topped with a brick segmental arch with decorative brickwork. Abundant natural light enters the building through the many windows, which are located on the four facades of both floors of the building.
The Tigerton Village Hall and Engine House is the most significant historic building related to the development of the Village of Tigerton's local government. The Tigerton Village Hall and Engine House was the center of government services for seventy-five years. Historically, the Tigerton Village Hall and Engine House was a tremendous step forward for Tigerton's city government. It provided an administrative center from which it could orchestrate the services the community desired. The building was a multifunctional community space housing the town clerk, the Tigerton Library, the volunteer fire department's equipment and engine, two incarceration cells, council chambers, and a polling location. The large room on the second floor was also used for dances and other social events.
Also see . . . Tigerton Village Hall and Engine House (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: The village of Tigerton was incorporated in 1896. In 1904, the village board decided to construct a town hall and engine house. Charles Wojahn, a member of the site selection committee, offered to sell the town one lot. H.R. Swanke offered to sell a different lot near his mill for $675. He would also clean the lot, and he would lend the village money for the project at 5% interest. Controversy ensued, with several votes before Swanke's offer was accepted. The building was placed close to Swankes lumber mill to protect it from fire. Charles Miller designed the structure for $25. Swanke won the bids for construction: $485 for the foundation, and $2,870 for the building if green joists were selected, or $2,920 if dry joists used.(Submitted on April 17, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)In 1913 the village created the Tigerton Library, and it was initially located in an unheated room in the Village Hall and Engine House. By 1922, interest had waned and the library was deteriorating, so its books were merged into the library at Tigerton High School. In 1929, with renewed interest, the separate village library was revived in the Village Hall, and books were moved back from the high school. The library and village offices remained in the old Village Hall until 1969, when the safety and accessibility of the second floor became an issue. Then the library and some offices moved to an adjacent building. In 1980, the remaining functions moved to a new Village Hall. After that, the old Village Hall was used for storage for years, until the village sold it in 1994.
In 2003 Tigerton Main Street bought the building, put a new roof on it, rebuilt the bell tower, and restored the arch above the truck door. The building now houses offices of Tigerton Main Street and is rented out for social functions. In 2008 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 17, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 15, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 18 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 17, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
