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Property Location
| Location (Address) | 7631 STATE HIGHWAY 21 |
|---|---|
| County | Winnebago |
| City/Village | |
| Township | Omro |
| Unincorporated community | |
| Town | 18 |
| Range | 14 |
| Direction | E |
| Section | 12 |
| Quarter Section | SW |
| Quarter Quarter Section | NW |
Property Features
| Year Built | 1870 |
|---|---|
| Additions | 1935 |
| Survey Date | 1977 |
| Historic Use | house |
| Architectural Style | Italianate |
| Structural System | |
| Wall Material | |
| Architect | Auler, Jensen And Brown |
| Other Buildings On Site | |
| Demolished | No |
| Demolished Date | |
| Additional Comments | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. This tower was built during the heyday of Wisconsin’s fox-ranching industry, which lasted from 1920 until 1945. In those years, Wisconsin supplied more than half of the fox pelts for the U.S. fur industry. Breeders built watchtowers like this one, following the recommendations of the American National Fox Breeders Association, so that breeders could observe the naturally shy animals without disturbing them. Most farmers demolished their towers after the fox industry declined in the mid-1940s. This substantial tower stands as a rare surviving example of a once-common structure. Designed by Auler, Jensen, and Brown of Oskosh, the seven-story steel-frame structure rises in steps above the rear wing of a farmhouse built around 1870. The streamlined industrial look of the tower, with its stepped-back massing and its unadorned banded walls, seems incongruous with the farmhouse. Tan brick and tile cover the tower's exterior curtain walls, and concrete belt courses delineate each floor. The second and third stories functioned as living quarters, with the next three floors providing storage. At the top, an observation room overlooked rows of fox pens that sloped away from the house. |
| Bibliographic References | STROLLING THROUGH OMRO'S PAST, CITY OF OMRO, 1995. OSHKOSH NORTHWESTERN 6/19/1995. Buildings of Wisconsin manuscript. |
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
| National/State Register Listing Name | Cole Watch Tower |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date | Jun 09, 1978 |
| State Register Listing Date | Jan 01, 1989 |
| Contributing |
Architecture & History Inventory
The Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory (AHI) is a digital source of information on historic buildings, structures, and objects that have been surveyed by the State Historic Preservation Office in Wisconsin. Each property has a digital record providing basic information about the property and images.
Questions?
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Email UsAttribution
For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.
For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.
Access Property Records
Some properties have more materials (correspondence, clippings, historical information, etc.) not in the digital record. If a 'Site File' exists, it's noted in the 'Additional Comments' field. Contact us for an appointment to view these materials.
W of Omro on WI 21
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