Black River Falls, WI. – The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the Franklin E. and Eva E. Keefe House in Black River Falls, Jackson County, on the State Register of Historic Places. State Historic Preservation Officer Daina Penkiunas presents a certificate to Darren and Caleb Durman.
The Franklin E. and Eva E. Keefe House has been added to the State Register for its architectural significance as a distinctive example of both the Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles. Constructed in 1910, the Keefe House exhibits a transitional design by James J. McGillivray, a prominent builder and vernacular architect from the 1880s-1925 in the Black River Falls area. McGillivray was a carpenter by trade and elevated to a sawmill foreman. Eventually, he became manager of a window, door and blind manufacturing facility, where at the same time, he constructed local residences and offices for prominent businessmen.
The Keefe family occupied the house until 1972, and the original character defining features remain intact. The transitional design is highlighted by the front porch, ionic capitals and pediments, applied wood elements (including rafter tails, panels, and frieze), multi-light wood-frame windows and wood clapboard siding.
The State Register is Wisconsin’s official list of state properties determined to be significant to Wisconsin’s heritage. The State Historic Preservation Office at the Wisconsin Historical Society administers both the State Register and National Register in Wisconsin.
To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: www.wisconsinhistory.org.
About the Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.
