Near Ellison Bay in Door County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

The Hotz Estate

Photographed by K. Linzmeier, June 8, 2014

1. The Hotz Estate Marker

Inscription. In 1917, Ferdinand Hotz of Chicago purchased 1,015 acres of land which later became Newport State Park. He thought this was the finest place on earth, and in 1919 he began building an estate that would include the log cabin, carriage house, and outhouse that you see here. The estate overlooked Europe Lake.

Under the careful stewardship of the Hotz family, the land recovered from the logging era. In 1967, the family began selling their land to the state of Wisconsin for Newport State Park. Hotz's stewardship ethic is carried on today in the wilderness management philosophy of the park.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places. A significant historical year for this entry is 1917.

Location. 45° 14.07′ N, 86° 59.856′ W. Marker is near Ellison Bay, Wisconsin, in Door County. It can be reached from County Highway NP 3.4 miles south of State Highway 42, on the right when traveling east. Marker is at Lot 1 in Newport State Park Wilderness Area. Fee area; a vehicle admission sticker is required. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 475 County Highway NP, Ellison Bay WI 54210,

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United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in 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 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Preserving Our Dark Sky Heritage (approx. half a mile away); Welcome to Newport (approx. half a mile away); The Village of Newport (approx. 0.6 miles away); Newport Historic Waterfront (approx. 0.6 miles away); Remnants of Ancient Forests (approx. 0.7 miles away); This Forest / Out of Wilderness Into Wilderness (approx. 0.7 miles away); Pilot Island Site (approx. 4 miles away); The Clearing (approx. 4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ellison Bay.

More about this marker. photo captions:
• Carriage House
• Outhouse The outhouse as it looked before renovation. The outhouse

The Hotz Estate Marker and Outhouse image. Click for full size.

Photographed by K. Linzmeier, June 8, 2014

2. The Hotz Estate Marker and Outhouse

was restored and moved to this site in 1995 with the help of the Newport Wilderness Society.
• Hotz Cabin The cabin was completed in 1920. In 1978, the State of Wisconsin purchased the final parcel of the Hotz property, which included the cabin and outhouse.
A private party purchased the cabin in 1985. He dismantled the cabin log by log and reconstructed it on Cliff Top Road, south of Sturgeon Bay.

Also see . . . The Hotz Legacy in Real Estate and Art. Door County Pulse, 2011 (Submitted on July 4, 2026, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Photographed by K. Linzmeier, June 8, 2014

3. The Hotz Estate Marker and Outhouse

Newport State Park Wilderness Area image. Click for full size.

Photographed by K. Linzmeier, June 8, 2014

4. Newport State Park Wilderness Area

Newport Bay and Lake Michigan are in the distance.

Newport State Park Wilderness Area Sign image. Click for full size.

Photographed by K. Linzmeier, June 8, 2014

5. Newport State Park Wilderness Area Sign

Credits. This page was last revised on July 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 17, 2014, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,158 times since then and 52 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on June 17, 2014, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.