Restoring the Anderson Warehouse
The 1950s at the Ephraim Foundation
by Jeff O'Keeffe
A damaged Anderson Dock, Spring 1948. From the EHF Archival Collection.
Lumbering was long gone from the shores of Eagle Harbor, the era of steamships had ended in the aftermath of the Great Depression, and Ephraim’s first and second generations of settlers were aging out by the 1950s. Ephraim and Door County at large was entering a new era of tourism and economic prosperity following the end of World War II, and mid-century Ephraim had a lot happening. The village celebrated its centennial anniversary in 1953, and the recently founded Ephraim Foundation was celebrating the completion of its first round of projects. The purchase of the Pioneer Schoolhouse, as we previously covered in our 75th Stories series, was one of these first projects. However, simultaneously the Ephraim Foundation was championing a fundraising campaign for the restoration of the Anderson Dock and Warehouse.
Bill No. 140, A - authorizing Aslag to build a dock extending into Green Bay, from the EHF Archival Collection.
Anderson Dock, built in its first iterations in 1858, had been a constant project for its initial owner Aslag Anderson and his partners. This structure, much smaller than we know today, along with its small warehouse building, is said to have been destroyed in a storm in the 1870s. The foundations for the present dock began after this, the first reconstruction being authorized to Aslag by name in a bill passed through the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1872. Misfortune would strike in 1880 when a fire consumed the warehouse building and parts of the original dock, a second reconstruction quickly taking place as Ephraim’s bustling exports of lumber, peas, wheat, rye, and other goods needed to be shipped out as soon as possible.
Aslag Anderson’s children inherited the operation of the dock and store after his death in 1892, and they too were faced with a constant project. Piecemeal repairs and modifications would be made to accommodate the commerce which the Village depended on to maintain its growing tourism industry. Thankfully, the community in Ephraim and beyond would continually chip in to help upkeep the structures: in 1905 the Sturgeon Bay-based tug Edward Watkins dredged alongside the dock, Captain Fordel Hogenson would supervise major repairs in 1913, and the Ephraim Yacht Club’s reorganization in 1938 would include leasing the Anderson Warehouse as a clubhouse. The commodore of the EYC at the time, Warren Davis, would be integral to the founding of the Ephraim Foundation a decade later.
Anderson Dock during repairs, c. 1950s, from the EHF Archival Collection
As winter let up in early 1948, ice shoves and high winds in Eagle Harbor and around the county would wreak havoc on structures on the shores. Anderson Dock did not escape this, with the Door County Advocate reporting that the “pilings supporting the outer portion of the dock is a mass of wreckage, and part of the building back of it was crushed in.” The Anderson family, whose Ephraim-residing members were in their late years, agreed to sell the dock and the warehouse to the Village for $500 in July of 1949. Not soon after the acquisition, the residents of Ephraim voted 58-5 to approve the issue of $6,000 in bonds to set aside for the repairs and reconstruction. Warren Davis would lead the efforts to fundraise an additional $2,000 for the repairs. However, after it was found that the $8,000 sum was not enough to complete the restorations of the dock and warehouse, Davis and the Ephraim Foundation would raise an additional $1,500 to bring the total contribution to $3,500.
The work to take place included a near complete rebuild of the dock, new pilings, base foundations which were filled with gravel provided by the newly dug Moravian Parsonage basement, and a new drive to be surfaced with asphalt. The Village of Ephraim would grant the Ephraim Foundation a lease of the warehouse, though the Anderson family retained certain rights to the usage of the dock including Adolph’s beloved boat rentals. As 1953 came and Ephraim celebrated its centennial anniversary, the Ephraim Foundation would host old time silent movie showings, showings of historic photographs, and more in the Warehouse.
The Ephraim Historical Foundation celebrates 75 years of historic preservation in 2024, and the Hardy Gallery now resides in the Anderson Warehouse, and has since 1962. Their mission of enriching, promoting, and fostering Door County artists has continued the dock’s long history of supporting the community, regardless of the owner. Nearly 75 years since its last major reconstruction, and with the recent concerns of high water on Lake Michigan, the Village of Ephraim now looks again at Anderson Dock with preservation in mind. New efforts to preserve the dock and structure are in progress, with core drillings and other investigations being made into how to best preserve this beloved Ephraim landmark.
The Anderson Warehouse/Hardy Gallery sandbagged around the perimeter, May 2020. Photograph courtesy of Tad Dukehart.
