Demolition of the historic David Drummond House, a Queen Anne-style residence in Eau Claire's Third Ward neighborhood, began on Sept. 23 and will continue through the next week.

Its teardown, after over a century of existence, is a result from a fire in September 2o25 at the 1310 State Street property. Severe water damage from firefighting efforts contributed to the approval of the Drummond House's demolition, with restoration deemed unfeasible due to expenses that would be required to bring the historic home up to current local building codes. 

Photos depict staff from Westaby Trucking of Stanley operating excavators to tear down the exterior walls and facades of the property. Ed Garlick, a co-owner of EDJ Rentals – which owns the property – noted the removal of thousands of the building's bricks.

From 2-5pm on Friday, Sept. 25, community members will be allowed to collect bricks from the landmark residence by appointment, Garlick said. Residents can reach out to Garlick by phone at (715) 797-2657 to schedule a pickup slot and specify how many bricks they wish to take.

Any decorative masonry – featuring period artwork from the home’s original construction – will not be available to the public. Garlick said EDJ Rentals intends to salvage these larger pieces to incorporate into an undetermined upcoming development project at the location.

David Drummond founded several major enterprises in Eau Claire – including the Drummond Packing Company – and had the house built in 1888, the Wisconsin State Historic Preservation Office states.

Members of the Drummond family lived at the property through 1932; in more recent years, it functioned as a multi-unit apartment for residents in downtown Eau Claire.

This is a developing photoset and story. Read Volume One's coverage on the David Drummond House (1310 State St., Eau Claire) demolition, online at VolumeOne.org.