CHIPPEWA FALLS — The aging pillars that provide the entrance to Irvine Park off of Jefferson Avenue are being replaced, with the new structures set to be finished by the end of the month.
John Jimenez, Chippewa Falls Parks director, said the project has an estimated $110,000 cost and is being paid from the Thorpe Foundation.
The pillars dated back to 1906, and Jimenez said he learned shortly after he joined the parks department that they were in need of attention.
“When they got inspected, it turned out they were in really bad condition,” Jimenez said. “They were more of a safety hazard, so we were forced with tearing them down and using similar stone.”
Slowiak Masonry of Stanley won the bid to construct and replace the pillars. When crews came to remove the original pillars, Jimenez said they fell apart.
“They crumbled; they were deteriorating from the inside,” he said.
On Monday, crews started placing new stones on the exterior of the replacement pillars. He said the new pillars will have spots for flower beds and light posts as well.
“It’s going to look really nice,” he said. “I know people had mixed emotions about it, but this will last a long time, and have the historical look to it.”
Mayor Greg Hoffman noted the old entrance pillars were nearly 120 years old and have been outdoors in sun, rain and snow.
“There comes a point in time where things need to be replaced,” Hoffman said. “We try to repair things as much as possible. I think it was something that needed to be upgraded.”
Hoffman thanked the Park Board and the community for their continued investment in Irvine Park.
“It will be a nice addition,” he said.
The Thorpe Foundation, established by Gerald O. Thorpe and Evelyn M. Thorpe in 1990, provides funding that can be used on projects to improve Irvine Park. It was used to kick-start the 2015 project to construct a new welcome center and small animal building. Gerald Thorpe died in 1995 and Evelyn Thorpe died in 2012. The couple didn’t have any children together. They designed the foundation so money would go specifically to Irvine Park improvements; it cannot be used for general operation and salaries.
The foundation is a perpetual gift, with the earnings from the interest going to the park annually.
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