A 1936 Neo-Gothic funeral chapel in Lakeview Cemetery, built as a daughter’s tribute to her parents and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
At a glance
The Hoover-Borland Chapel stands on the bluff above Half Moon Lake in Lakeview Cemetery, Eau Claire. Designed by Chicago architect John Tilton in a simplified Gothic Revival style, it was built in 1936 by the Hoeppner-Bartlett Company for $25,000. The chapel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 for its architectural significance.
History
Lakeview Cemetery was established by West Eau Claire in 1867, making it the city’s second official cemetery after Forest Hill (1862). People had been buried on the bluff as early as 1858.
Local businessman Byron Buffington donated 15 acres to the cemetery in honor of his parents, George and Pluma Buffington. George had run the Niagara House hotel, co-owned the Valley Lumber Company, served as mayor, and founded the Eau Claire Street Railroad Company.
Byron married Frances “Fannie” Hoover in 1874. Her father James was a butcher in Eau Claire from 1866 to 1898; her mother was Elizabeth Borland. Around 1936, Fannie donated the chapel to the cemetery in their memory.
What you see
The chapel is clad in random ashlar stone and trimmed in Bedford limestone. The front entrance is a pointed arch door with a rose window above. Each side has four stone buttresses and pointed-arch windows. The roof is covered in ceramic tiles, and a small metal spirelet topped with a Latin cross rises from the ridge.
Inside are simple wooden pews and a poured concrete altar with a silver cross. The walls are plastered. The roof is supported by King-post wood trusses, exposed rafters and purlins; Christian symbols are painted on the trusses.
Cultural significance
The chapel served two initial aims. The basement contains 42 receiving vaults where bodies could be stored during winter until the ground thawed for digging. The upper part is used for burial services.
Its listing on the National Register of Historic Places recognizes the architectural quality of this 1930s adaptation of Gothic forms to a small cemetery chapel.
Key facts
- Country: United States
- City: Eau Claire
- Coordinates: 44.81214, -91.52466
- Architect: John Tilton (Chicago)
- Builder: Hoeppner-Bartlett Company
- Construction cost: $25,000
- National Register of Historic Places: 2000
Practical information & getting there
The chapel is located in Lakeview Cemetery on the bluff above Half Moon Lake in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. You can reach the cemetery by car from downtown Eau Claire. Check local opening hours before visiting.
Sources & resources
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