COUNTDOWN TO TEAR DOWN. The David Drummond House at 1310 State St. (pictured center) was built in 1888 and remains one of the last structures in Eau Claire from that era. In September of 2025, a fire broke out at the property and resulted in extensive water damage throughout its four levels.

Following a summer-long wait for both area community members and Eau Claire-based EDJ Rentals company, demolition of the historic David Drummond House on State Street is set to begin next week.

EDJ Rentals co-owner, Joe Garlick, noted teardown operations on the historic residence are scheduled to begin Monday, Sept. 28 and will continue into the following week. The local company will be working with excavating contractor Westaby Trucking out of Stanley to complete the demolition.

Recent weeks saw EDJ Rentals crews working inside and around the building to salvage historic elements, including ornate fireplace fixtures, woodwork and stained glass, Garlick said. Among the salvaged items was an arched stained glass pane from the home’s north-facing facade – a focal point of the Queen Anne-style structure first built in the late 1800s.

In preparation for demolition, the building has been mitigated for interior asbestos and lead-based hazardous materials, alongside heavy contamination and mold caused by severe water damage from a structural fire last fall.

“Part of the reason we removed some of the material that we did (was so) that it could be potentially used on any new construction that (would be) put in, to give some element of history from what was there,” Garlick said. “It would need to be a property that would have some characteristics of the properties that are (surrounding) there.”

In April this year, the City of Eau Claire Landmark Commission voted to move forward with the demolition of the historic David Drummond House. Then, EDJ Rentals sought approval on the statewide level for both documentation of structural damages and a secondary approval for tear down.

A top-down view of the David Drummond House on State Street, with its collapsed roof and exposed damage from a September 2025 fire.

Peter Baumgartner, associate planner for the City of Eau Claire, confirmed that the Wisconsin State Historic Preservation Office officially signed off on the demolition of the David Drummond House on July 9 this summer.

In preparation for demolition, the building has been mitigated for interior asbestos and lead-based hazardous materials, alongside heavy contamination and mold caused by severe water damage from a structural fire last fall.

When Volume One last spoke with Garlick and Baumgartner, there were no set plans for what the site would look like come time for redevelopment.

In the immediate future, Garlick said the location will transition into a green space. Following the house's demolition, EDJ Rentals intends to grade the parcel and apply topsoil – leaving it as an open lawn for the foreseeable future.

Moving forward, ownership intends to assess various options alongside local contractors with a goal to redevelop the parcel. EDJ Rentals hopes some sort of development will have begun by 2030.

Eau Claire Landmark Commission members noted in April that they wanted any new build to emulate the “character” of the original Drummond House and would approve a future project if EDJ Rentals will reconstruct it themselves.