| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office.
The Buffington house, situated on a broad lawn at the southern end of the historic district, is one of Eau Claire's finest Queen Anne residences. Resting on a rock-faced stone foundation, the two and a half story dwelling is clapboard sided except for the numerous gables which are shingled covered. Balconies, cantilevered gables, and a two story bay which "hints" at a tower provide the picturesque effect associated with the nineteenth century style. A wrap-around veranda supported by paired columns completes the composition. Interior is in pristine condition.
The residence, now home for older citizens, is intact except for the loss of some latticework on the balconies. Also the veranda has been screened (see photo at Chippewa Valley Museum).
Born in Dodge County, Wisconsin, in 1852, Byron A. Buffington came to Eau Claire in 1856. He was the son of George Buffington, a prominent Eau Claire lumberman and former mayor of the city (see site at 113 Ann Street, 32/15).
Buffington was initially engaged in the general merchandise business with his father but later turned to logging and was eventually involved with a number of local enterprises. These ventures included the Chippewa Valley Bank which merged into the Union National Bank (see site at 17-21 S. Barstow Street, 1P/20), the Eau Claire Grocery Company, and the Chippewa Valley Light and Power Company, which later became part of the Northern States Power Company and then Xcel Energy (see site on E. Madison Street, 4L/6). In the political arena, Buffington, a Republican, was elected to two terms in the Wisconsin general assembly. He also served for two years as a University of Wisconsin regent.
Toward the end of his life (he died in 1929) Buffington donated fifteen acres of land overlooking Half Moon Lake in memory of his parents. This land provided an entrance and parkway for Lakeview Cemetery. In addition, following his death, his wife, Fannie Hoover Buffington, donated the family home to the Episcopal Diocese of Eau Claire and the residence served as a home for the aged until 3/2001.
2016- "Except for the simplified upper porches, this house appears much as it did in the 1890s. A prominent feature is the cut-stone foundation, characteristic of Victorian houses.
Buffington arrived in Eau Claire in 1856, when he was five years old. The family lived in a log house. His father, George, operated a steamboat and a sawmill that later became the Valley Lumber Company.
Byron Buffington engaged in logging for several years and involved himself in a number of local enterprises, including the Eau Claire Grocery Company, the Chippewa Valley Bank, and the Chippewa Valley Light and Power Company, which later became Northern States Power Company and then Xcel Energy. He donated land overlooking Half Moon Lake for Lakeview Cemetery. His widow, Fanny Hoover Buffington, left the house to the Episcopal Diocese of Eau Claire as a home for the aged. It served this function until March 2001 and was converted into four apartments in 2010."
-"Eau Claire Landmarks: Designated Historic Properties in Eau Claire, Wisconsin", Eau Claire Landmarks Commission, P.O. Box 5148, 2016. |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) Tax Assessment Records, Area Research Center - UW-Eau Claire.
(B) History of Eau Claire County, 1914, pp. 660-661.
(C) Barland, L. 1965. The Rivers Flow On, p. 409.
(D) 1914 City Directory.
(E) Self-Guided Tour of the Sawdust City, 1977.
EAU CLAIRE LEADER TELEGRAM 9/9/1995.
"Then and Now" Eau Claire Landmarks Commission 2000 calendar.
Eau Claire Leader Telegram 6/23/2002.
Eau Claire Landmarks booklet published by the Landmarks Commission in 2002. |
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