Visiting Anderson Dock

Anderson dock sunset

Anderson dock winter scene

Anderson dock with water surrounding it

Anderson dock in winter

Star on Hardy Gallery building wall

Anderson Dock in Ephraim, Wisconsin

Person adding their name to the famous graffiti-covered walls of the Anderson Dock in Ephraim

An artist painting a scene of the historic Anderson Dock in Ephraim, Wisconsin

Rainbow over Anderson Dock

High water and north winds hit Anderson Dock hard in 2019

Cold winter evening at Anderson Dock in Ephraim

Clouds over Anderson Dock in Ephraim

Firefighters responding to an incident

Beautiful sunset captured from the dock

Anderson Dock has always been an icon within the Village of Ephraim and Door County. In its early days, it was the business epicenter of the Village and later on became the social center of Ephraim. The tradition of leaving a mark on the walls of the Anderson Warehouse began when sailors arriving in Ephraim painted the name of their ship and the date on the side of the building to mark their safe arrival in Ephraim. Today what once was a visible reminder of the sailors and ships that arrived in port has now become a log book of visitors to the Anderson Dock Historic Site.

Efforts are required to restore Anderson Dock and Warehouse so that the area remains a cultural and heritage tourist site and endures as the heart of the community for generations to come. The building itself serves as living art providing a sense of place and telling the story of those who came before us. The site is unique, irreplaceable, and unfortunately at this time, vulnerable. The Village wants to see a successful effort to curtail improperly placed graffiti and not lose the traditions associated with the Anderson Dock Historic Site.

The Village has received proposals in response to the Request for Proposal for design engineering for the improvements required for the Dock and Warehouse. The Village intends to move forward with the Capital Project. However, effort is required before the Capital Project to remove the inappropriately placed graffiti and change the behavior of those who visit Anderson Dock. The Village would like to modify these detrimental behaviors through public awareness and education. The focus of the educational initiative will be the preservation of the cultural and historical history of Anderson Dock and what constitutes acceptable behavior during a visit.

Will you join us in a community-based educational initiative? By sharing Anderson Dock’s historical significance and providing the rules and history found below, we can encourage visitors to be mindful of their impact on the site and partner with the Village to be caretakers of the past. Help us to share the history, promote positive behavior, and continue the long tradition for both visitors and residents to enjoy this beloved landmark.

Anderson Dock History Quick Facts:

First built in 1858 by Aslag and Halvor Anderson and destroyed by wind in the 1870s.
The first reconstruction was authorized by the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1872.
Fire destroyed the Warehouse and parts of the dock in 1880.
Reconstruction again took place after the fire in 1880.
Throughout the 1880s, ships arrived at the Dock as a port of call for steamships bringing economic vitality to Ephraim by way of trade, merchandise, and tourism.
Aslag Anderson's children inherited the dock after he died in 1892.
Major repairs as part of continued community efforts occurred in 1905, 1913, and 1938.
In the 1930s the warehouse shifted from being a place to store goods to a community gathering place.
In 1948, ice shoves destroyed the dock and part of the warehouse building.
In 1949, the Anderson Family sold the dock and warehouse to the Village.
Through the efforts of the Village, the Ephraim Historical Foundation, and residents restorations of the dock and warehouse were accomplished shortly after the Village purchased the property.
Anderson Dock has been a registered, National Historic Site since 1984.
The site is home to two historical markers, the first honoring First Lieutenant Ellis “Gene” Eugene Helgeson Jr. of the United States Air Force who spent many childhood summers in Ephraim and was honored with an obelisk after giving his life for his country in the Vietnam war. The second historical marker is a stone that was erected in 1972 to honor Aslag, Adolph, and Lizzie Anderson who made the dock and store so meaningful to the community of Ephraim.

Do's and Don’ts of Participating in the Anderson Dock Tradition …

The Village allows visitors to participate in the tradition of leaving their name on the Anderson Dock Warehouse Building just as sailors did over 100 years ago. To preserve the historic site, visitors must be respectful and follow the rules.

It’s a privilege to paint your name on the Warehouse Building. There is no guarantee that your marking will be preserved on the building, especially if it does not follow the rules outlined below. Please use the examples below as a visual guide of what an acceptable mark on the building should look like:

Alex painted on wall

Terri painted on wall

Pattil painted on wall

Logan painted on wall

Rice painted on wall

Please refer to the photos above to review acceptable markings: Preferred paint color is white, acrylic or latex paint only, horizontal lettering that fits within the width of the siding board (nowhere else), lettering is no larger than about 1/2 inch in size, no background or border, no special characters or symbols, and most importantly, black paint is not used.)

Need more specific information?

Please follow these guidelines to participate in the Anderson Dock tradition:

No vehicles are permitted on the dock.
The ONLY place on Anderson Dock where graffiti is permitted is the horizontal siding boards on the warehouse building.
- DO NOT PAINT on the doors, windows, signs, vertical building trim, eaves, roof fascia trim, interior of the bathrooms, or plaques. Do not paint on any of the concrete, break wall, rocks, light posts, light bollards, signage, or trash cans. Nothing other than the building siding, please!
When painting on the building, painting is not permitted above seven feet (7 ft). Absolutely no ladders, lifts, or scaffolding to assist in painting above seven feet (7 ft).
To help leave room for others, do not exceed the height of the horizontal board width of the building siding with your painting. Individual characters shall not exceed ½ inch in width. Please, paint horizontally; vertical painting is not permitted.
ABSOLUTELY NO BLACK PAINT SHALL BE USED ON THE WAREHOUSE BUILDING.
Do not carve on the building.
Permitted paints: Acrylic and latex paints, applied only by a brush no larger than ½ inch in width. The use of a roller is prohibited.
Prohibited paints/art supplies: Spray paint, enamel paint, and oil-based paints. Sharpies, pens of any kind, paint pens, paint markers, puffy paint, and permanent markers are prohibited.
This is a family-friendly, historic site. Please abide by the following content rules:
- Names and commemorative dates only, please.
- No backgrounds, no trim/border, and no special characters such as hearts, etc.
- No political slogans or statements, prose, or poems.
- No profanities or improper graphics or images.
§10.03 of the Ephraim Code of Ordinances regulates Graffiti prohibition, abatement, and penalties. Any person in violation shall be subject to fines of $500 per violation, in addition to any applicable fees, assessments, and costs of prosecution. Any person who causes physical damage to public property shall be liable for the costs of replacing or repairing such damage or destroyed property. Pursuant to Wis. Stat. §895.035, the parent(s) of an unemancipated minor may be liable for the damage of property; the liability shall not exceed the amount specified in Wis. Stat. §799.01(1)(d).

Witness unacceptable behavior? Please contact the Village Administrator at 920-854-5501, Monday-Friday 8 AM - 4 PM. Outside Village office hours, call the Door County Sheriff’s Department non-emergency phone number 920-746-2400 to report the vandalism.

Special thanks to Tad Dukehart for his photographs of Anderson Dock.