DO YOU KNOW THESE DOORS? E.C. Historic Hunt Tests Your...

DO YOU KNOW THESE DOORS? E.C. Historic Hunt Tests Your Architectural Acumen

E.C. Historical Preservation Foundation’s ‘Door Hunt’ invites you to find these extraordinary entryways

Thursday May. 2nd, 2024

At first glance, doors wouldn’t seem to have a lot of architectural significance. They’re certainly necessary – how else would you get inside a building? – but they don’t grab attention in the way the fancy facades, towers, and porches on many of Eau Claire’s historical homes and businesses do.

And yet, like these more high-profile architectural elements, doors and doorways can add beauty and charm to a building. From the cozy, curved doors of cottages to sturdy double-doors framed by columns, Eau Claire offers many doors that are worth a second look. And that’s exactly what the Eau Claire Historic Preservation Foundation wants residents to do this spring as part of its “Door Hunt” contest.

Janice Wnukowski, president of the Historic Preservation Foundation, notes that the details of a doorway can tell you about the history of a building. For example, she said, some older Eau Claire homes were built with double-entry doors to accommodate caskets because funeral services were often held at home. And older commercial establishments on Water Street and Grand Avenue were built with distinctive cast-iron entryways. According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, cast iron was popular because it was both decorative and strong.

Interested in taking part in the Door Hunt? Below (and in our May 2 print edition), you’ll see photos of 15 doors from around multiple Eau Claire neighborhoods. The Historic Preservation Foundation invites you to explore the city to try to identify as many of these doors as you can (while staying on the street or sidewalk and not straying onto private property).

There are two ways to enter: First, you can write the picture number followed by the property address or name on a postcard, and mail it to the Eau Claire Historic Preservation Foundation, P.O. Box 1635, Eau Claire, WI 54702. Second, you can email your answers in the same format to jamesrabbit1949@gmail.com. Either way, please include your name and phone number and get your postcard postmarked or your email sent by Monday, May 20.

Entries will be judged on the number of doors they identified correctly. The first-prize winner will receive a $70 gift certificate to the Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild, while the second-prize winner will get a $70 gift card to Grand Avenue Café. The correct answers will be published in the May 30 issue of Volume One. Happy door hunting!