| 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.
1981 SURVEY INFO:
The former St. Edward's Chapel is a small building constructed of Eau Claire sandstone and Chippewa Falls granite (B). The steeply pitched roof and use of pointed arch openings reflect a Gothic influence.
The side entrance area may be the lower portion of a tower that is referred to in the Daily Free Press article. It was to be forty feet high and also constructed of stone.
St. Edward's Chapel, a mission church of Christ Church Cathedral (510 S. Farwell Street, 1P/30), was erected in 1889 and dedicated in 1896. According to a newspaper article, a Sunday school, organized under the auspices of the Cathedral, operated in the northern section of the city for some years. The decision to build the Chapel resulted from an increase in population and a scarcity of churches in the area.
The construction of the chapel was directed by Rev. B.F. Cooley, the rector of Christ Cathedral from November, 1888 to August, 1889. The church was named for Edward the Confessor, a saint from the twelfth century and for Bishop Edward Wells of Milwaukee. The chapel was closed in 1917 and its cornerstone is now located at the northeast corner of Christ Cathedral. (A,B,C) Sometime between 1923-1926 the building was converted to a single-family dwelling. The interior was remodeled around 1982 to its current appearance.
1987 SURVEY UPDATE: The stone and double pane window in the circular stone pattern (located in pitch of roof) has been removed and replaced with a single pane circular window. Wooden shingles have been added on wood above arch entrance.
2016- "Rev. B.F. Cooley of Christ Church, located on South Farwell Street, designed and supervised the construction of the chapel that was initiated in 1889. The chapel was intended to be a mission church for Christ Church, Eau Claire's Episcopal parish, to serve the growing number of parishioners living north of the Eau Claire River. Work stopped on the chapel with Cooley's departure in 1889 and was not resumed until 1896 when a scaled-back design was completed.
The chapel did not attract the parishioners hoped for and was closed in 1918. sometime between 1923 and 1926, the chapel was converted into a single-family dwelling. Circa 1982 the interior of the building was remodeled into its current appearance."
-"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) History of Eau Claire County, 1914, p. 528.
(B) Daily Free Press, July 27, 1889, p. 3.
(C) A Journey Through Christ Church Cathedral, 1956 (at Chippewa Valley Museum).
(D) Another map code for this structure is EC 4L/27, and its correesponding Survey map name is Plat Map #5.
Eau Claire Landmarks booklet published by the Landmarks Commission in 2002. |
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