THERESA, Wis. - The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the Solomon and Josette Juneau House in the National Register of Historic Places on August 29, 2024. The building was constructed in 1847 in Theresa, Dodge County.

The Solomon and Josette Juneau House is significant as the only remaining building associated with the people who founded the village of Theresa and city of Milwaukee. The property is significant at the state level for its association with important figures in trading and early settlement history of Wisconsin. Solomon Juneau is recognized for his exploration and his commodities and fur trading in eastern Wisconsin between Milwaukee and Green Bay. His influence in establishing thriving trade networks and his pioneering exploration of the region was a direct stimulus for the growth and establishment of Wisconsin as a state in 1848.

Josette Juneau spoke three languages including Menominee, Potawatomi and French. Her familial connections to both the Menominee and Potawatomi tribes provided the critical link for Euro-American explorers and fur traders—like her husband Solomon—to travel the Great Lakes region, establish relationships with tribal communities and conduct the exploration of the area that eventually led to greater settlement and statehood. The Juneaus constructed houses in Milwaukee and Green Bay along with their summer house in Theresa. The nearby town Juneau was named for them.

Additionally, this house has local significance as a good example of a pre-statehood-era residence designed in the Greek Revival style. Constructed in 1847, it is sited atop a bluff overlooking the main thoroughfare through the village. The residence displays stylistic features that include a rectangular form, side-gabled roof, gable-end returns, wood-frame construction and clapboard siding. It is also highlighted by a two-part frieze band, double-hung wood windows, wood frieze-band windows and original interior wood-paneled doors. The Solomon and Josette Juneau House is owned and operated by the village of Theresa.

Additional information for the Johnson House is available at:

https://wisconsinhistory.org/Records/NationalRegister/NR2653 

To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: https://wisconsinhistory.org/hp/register/

About the Wisconsin Historical Society

The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.