Evolution of Garages in Eau Claire, Wisconsin
By the 1910s the wealthy began to buy automobiles. In this pre-World War II era, free-standing garages were built along back alleys behind houses. Although cars were symbols of wealth and status, they were stored “out-of-sight” as other utilitarian functions, such as garage collection and milk and bread deliveries, in back alleys.
Mass automobile ownership grew rapidly after World War II, particularly in the United States, and cars and garages took on new images of prestige – conspicuously displayed next to houses along public streets. First, garages were detached next to houses with individual driveways. Then, garages were directly attached to houses.
Garages, generally, had the same styles and used the same building materials as houses.
Passenger cars have emerged as the primary means of family transportation, with half a billion cars in the 1990s. One-third of these are in the United States, where more than 1.5 trillion miles are traveled each year. Approximately 500 different models have been offered annually to U.S. car buyers, about half domestic and half foreign in origin.
A few examples of garages were selected in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to document the changing size, street location, house relationships, and building materials.
- Based on field work by Jason Jensen in Interim 2001.