Tank Cottage, National Historic house in Green Bay, United States
Tank Cottage is a historic house in Green Bay built with vertical logs and wooden siding that extends from a central structure with wings on both sides. The building displays traditional French-Canadian architectural features throughout.
The building was constructed between 1776 and 1803 by fur trader Joseph Roi and is considered one of the oldest structures still standing in Wisconsin. Ownership changed hands many times, and at one point it served as a military outpost during conflicts around 1812.
The cottage shows how French-Canadian builders stacked logs together using a technique called pièce-sur-pièce, which was common among early settlers in the area. Visitors can see this method in the way the walls are constructed with vertical logs.
The house is located within Heritage Hill State Historical Park, where visitors can explore both the interior and exterior of the building. The setting provides easy access to this significant example of early construction methods in the region.
The building became home to Norwegian missionary Nils Otto Tank, who purchased it in 1850 and transformed it into a gathering place for the local Scandinavian community. This connection reveals how the house witnessed shifts in the cultural makeup of the area over time.
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