Fort Winnebago Surgeons Quarters
- Home
- Fort Winnebago Surgeons Quarters
| Fort Winnebago Surgeons Quarters - Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| HSP Category | Building/Fort |
| Period | 1816 |
| Architect | Francois LeRoi |
| HSP Style | Cabin |
| Builder | Francois LeRoi |
| Construction | Wood |
| No. Stories | 1 |
| Original Use | Personal residence of Francois LeRoi and later as the Fort Winnebago surgeon's quarters after being acquired by the US Army |
| Present Use | Museum |
Historical Significance:
Fort Winnebago Surgeons Quarters (FWSQ), listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, overlooks the site where Louis Joliet and Father Marquette left the Fox River to portage to the Wisconsin River in 1673. The area of land connecting the waterway was called "wauona" by American Indians in the area, and "le portage" by the French.
The Surgeons Quarters was originally the home of Francois LeRoi, a Metai (half French and half American Indian), and was built between 1816 and 1819. The building is a French post and log construction made from tamarack logs. LeRoi operated a portaging and fur trading business between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers along the same waterway where US Army soldiers would later build Fort Winnebago in 1828.
In 1938 the Wisconsin Society Daughters of the American Revolution purchased the cabin (that would formally be called the "Surgeons Quarters"), as it was the only surviving building of Fort Winnebago. They worked with many groups to restore it to its original form using plans found in the National Archives in Washington, DC. Thus, Fort Winnebago Surgeons Quarters opened its doors as a historic tourist site in 1954. The cottage that houses the Heritage Gift Shop was later built in 1958.
Today visitors can enjoy touring the Surgeons Quarters which is stocked with many interesting period documents and artifacts, including: medical equipment, books, blacksmith items, clocks, corckery, whale oil lamps, glassware, early children's toys, and more. (Source: http://www.fortwinnebagosurgeonsquarters.org)
Form submitted by Wisconsin Society Daughters of the American Revolution orginally 2012 - updated Feb 27, 2018
Designations:
- National Register of Historical Places
- State Historical Commission
- City Landmark
Funded By:
This museum is funded entirely through the efforts of the Wisconsin Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
Information for the Visitors:
What you need to know if interested in visiting this destination:
- Condition of Property: Preserved and staged with historical artifacts from the 1800's
- Open to the Public? Yes
- Public Hours: May to October, Wednesdays to Sundays, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Is it Family Friendly? Yes
- Brochure available? Yes
- Catalog available? No
- DVD available? No
Explore Wisconsin
Select a State to Explore our Historic Properties
Directions and application forms can be found on this page or in the Forms section of the DAR members' website.