Capturing History at Home

building on one of the last open lots in Eau Claire's Third Ward, company honors the neighborhood's historical style

Haley Wright, photos by Andrea Paulseth

A beautiful new home created with the inspiration of paying homage to the past has been built in Eau Claire’s historic Third Ward neighborhood and will be featured in the upcoming 2016 Parade of Homes taking place around the Chippewa Valley June 11-18.

“For our home this year, we had a really special opportunity to build on one of the last remaining lots in the Third Ward neighborhood. Since the area really celebrates the history of Eau Claire we wanted this home to stay true to the historical significance of the neighborhood. Our Parade Home will reflect local architectural styles of the 1880s or 1890s in its construction and design features,” said Brittney Erdle of MyNextHome, the company behind the build. “Since the location deserved a home that would respect its origins, we are putting a lot of thought into making sure that we continue with the appropriate character and charm of the area.”

“ ... we are putting a lot of thought into making sure that we continue with the appropriate character and charm of the area.” – Brittney Erdle, MyNextHome

The home has many special features that were inspired directly by similar attributes and traditions of neighboring homes in the Third Ward neighborhood, as the intention in building and designing the home was to create a new home that would fit in a historic neighborhood.

Glen Mills, the owner of MyNextHome said that in preparing for construction, the team discussed several styles that would be a good fit for the neighborhood, driving through the Third Ward looking for design features they liked, like large front porches and tall ceilings with glass transoms over the doors for more natural light.

“We kept the steep pitch to the roofline and included vintage shaker shingles in the peak. The detached garage calls to a simpler time. The small yard will be planted with a selection of plants and flowers collected from family and friends and transplanted just as it used to be done back in the day,” Mills said.

The historically inspired 1,600 square foot home will have three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. The exterior will feature James Hardie siding complimented by shake shingle-accented gables, maple hardwood floors and custom trim throughout, a gas fireplace in the great room, and a walk-in tile shower in the master bathroom.

MyNextHome offers realty and contracting services to clients throughout the Chippewa Valley, including helping clients buy or sell a home, find land to build, and of course designing and building services. And the team is always looking for new ideas in all kinds of places. In fact, Mills took his entire team on a cruise last fall called “Sailing with the Scotts” (Jonathan and Drew Scott from the TV show Property Brothers acted as hosts for the cruise) that traveled from Florida to Mexico. During the cruise, the team had the opportunity to attend multiple sessions daily taught by experts in the interior design and construction industry.

With this home and more, the Chippewa Valley can no doubt anticipate more great things to come from MyNextHome.

Chippewa Valley Home & Garden is sponsored by:

Klinger Farm Market
2756 132nd St
Chippewa Falls

Klinger Farm Market

Chippewa Valley Home & Garden is sponsored by:

Klinger Farm Market
2756 132nd St
Chippewa Falls

Klinger Farm Market