Welcome to the Eau Claire Historic Preservation Foundation (www.eauclairehpf.com).

NEWSLETTERS

SAVE THESE DATES!
February 11 Saint Valentines Day Open House
March 11 Bus Trip to La Crosse
March/April House Hunt
April 11 Annual Meeting

Saint Valentine’s Day
Open House

In addition to Historic Preservation Foundation members, this newsletter has been sent to others who have expressed an interest in supporting activities sponsored by the foundation.

Both current and potential members are invited to a Saint Valentine’s Day Open house on Saturday, February 11.

HPF Board member Linda Grosz and her husband Greg will host the event at their exquisite Victorian home, 639 Wisconsin Street (pictured here),
from 3 to 6 p.m.

Amber St. Clair will sing lyric soprano selections at 4 p.m. Wine, cheese and other refreshments will be served.

Please RSVP to skm@sescpc.com or 839-9491

Annual Meeting Set for April 11
Please attend the Historic Preservation Foundation’s annual meeting on April 11 at the First Congregational Church, 310 Broadway. We will first review the foundation’s accomplishments, present commendation Awards and HPF Grants and talk about 2006 events – including a members only home decorating workshop in the fall. City planner Mike Schatz will then present “Blending Old & New: Revitalizing Downtown Eau Claire” about the exciting (and historically sensitive) developments in the heart of Eau Claire. Light snacks and lovely desserts will be served. The meeting begins at 7p.m.

March 11th Bus Tour to Visit La Crosse
The foundation’s annual spring bus tour will visit historic sites in La Crosse on Saturday, March 11. Upon arriving in La Crosse, we will start with the city’s River Town Tour. We will next visit the stunning Chateau La Crosse. Lunch will be at the Anderson House with a choice of pasta Alfredo or chicken croissant sandwich. After lunch, the group will visit the Chapels of St. Rose to appreciate mosaics of Venetian glass and mother of pearl, Italian marble, golden bronze altars and onyx pillars. The day will close with a special tour of the recently restored Hixon House given by preservation experts. Then travelers will settle into comfy chairs to arrive home by 7 p.m.

You can reserve seats beginning February 20. Call Angela Zeil, 831-6390. The cost including lunch is $50 for members, and $60 for nonmembers.
(Note that you can save money by becoming an HPF member. Memberships start at $10 a year and you can bring guests at the reduced member rate.)

2006 Tour to Feature Randall Park
The Randall Park Neighborhood will be the 2006 destination of the HPF’s ever-popular fall home tour. The tour will take place on a not-yet-announced date in September.
Visit www.eauclairehpf.org for updates. Volunteers are always needed to assist homeowners in opening their homes to the public.

Oleson’s Livery is Saved!
Oleson’s Livery, constructed at 316 Wisconsin Street in 1894, is a unique building. It was one of the first and one of the last livery stables in Eau Claire. After its life with horses, it housed motor transportation, serving as home to taxi companies and automobile repair shops. In this important way, Oleson’s is historically significant as a building that represents changes in transportation technology.
Utilitarian – but not “beautiful” – Oleson’s retains much of its original identity. HPF has been working with the Redevelopment Authority to save this building and incorporate it into the Phoenix Park redevelopment.
The authority has approved a proposal to restore Oleson’s and the Cray Chemical Building, the aqua painted building on Barstow. Stylish apartments and retail space with a bar/restaurant in Oleson’s are planned.

HPF Sponsors Interns
In September 2004, the HPF board decided to sponsor internships for UW-EC history students, moving away from the previous scholarship grants.
The first intern was Melissa Holmen, then a senior in the UW-EC studying public history, She is digitizing a collection of historic photographs, researching the history of the collection of historic photographs, researching the history of the buildings portrayed in them, and learning about the process of historic preservation in a local government environment. She is also creating web pages for locally land marked properties. The results of Lisa’s work will be available on the HPF and City of Eau Claire websites in July.

Melissa-now on the staff of the Chippewa Valley Museum – continues to assist the foundation with administrative support and special projects, including National Register nominations and completion of the text for historic markers in Phoenix Park.