The Coffee Pot became a symbol of Washington Island hospitality and ingenuity through a Girl Scout fundraising idea developed by Martha Stelter and Mary Richter for the Washington Island Girl Scout Troop. The Scouts used it to raise money to pay the mortgage on their cabin. Built in 1941 by Thorvald Johnson and Ervin Gunnlaugson, it stood on a steel chassis filled with wheels so it could be moved for fundraising and special events, and its heavy galvanized steel body included a door for staff and two functioning windows to greet the public. First located at the corner of Main and Detroit Harbor Roads, it was used to sell treats. Its rosemalling decoration, a Norwegian folk art form, and the word Velkommen, meaning Welcome in Norwegian, celebrated the heritage of early pioneers who came to Washington Island from Norway, and although it was repainted over the years, both features were continually retained. The original artwork also included the phrase Kaffetaren den besta av ar alla jordiska drikka, meaning Coffee is the best of all worldly drinks. In later years, before the current Washington Island Welcome Center was built in 1996, it served as a tourist information booth where staff welcomed visitors, distributed island information, and dispensed free coffee. In 2005 it was moved to its present resting place and lovingly restored through the labor and funds of Washington Island residents, and it continues the island tradition of welcoming visitors and greeting residents returning home.