In the same week Eagle Tower reopened to the public, another state park-based observation tower learned it will get to have a similar fate.

Department of Natural Resources officials have confirmed they are committed to saving the 90-year-old Potawatomi Tower after initially saying it would be demolished according to E-Update from State Rep. Joel Kitchens. He was joined by State Senator Andre Jacque for a conference call where they were advised to speak with the state Department of Administration to determine the next steps to rehabilitate the structure and to make sure it is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The key to the DNR’s change of heart was securing an engineer last month that was licensed in the state of Wisconsin and could present plans to repair the tower.

It is good news for the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society, which has been fighting to keep the Potawatomi Tower standing ever since the DNR closed it in 2017 due to safety concerns. The organization hired timber experts and research firms to help study. SBHS President Christie Weber is happy it was money well spent.

With help from matching funds from the Tingley Foundation, the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society spent approximately $28,000 for the studies needed to see if saving the tower was feasible. Governor Tony Evers set aside $5 million for renovations at Potawatomi State Park during an event earlier this week. Potawatomi Tower was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in February after being added to Wisconsin’s registry in November 2020.