Vanished in Cairo
The Famous Building on the 700 block of Commercial Avenue in Cairo, Illinois, had a spectacular presence almost entirely due to the galvanized sheet-metal front made by the Mesker Brothers Iron Works of St. Louis, Missouri. It’s combination of motifs and arched window openings made it one of few truly distinctive Mesker fronts across the … Continue reading
Like father, like sons
Every legacy has its origins and the four Mesker brothers and their respective companies owe their genesis to a certain John Bernard Mesker (1823–1899). John Bernard Mesker was born in Germany on February 22, 1823, and came to America in 1835. Settling in Cincinnati, John trained as a “tinner,” a craftsman who worked with tinplate, … Continue reading
Roswell’s distinguished Mesker buildings
The following is a revised version of an article by Roger Waguespack, published on November 6, 2016 by RDR (Roswell Daily Record) Online. All images are reproduced with the permission of the Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico. Read the original article here. In the late 1800s and early 1900s many commercial buildings in towns … Continue reading
Chicago’s first condo tower
Just last year, I dubbed the Tower Building in Little Rock, Arkansas as “the tallest and most modern Mesker front ever constructed.” Neither claim is no longer true. Thanks to a rather obscure online search, I recently came across a reference to a building at 339 West Barry Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, whose curtain wall … Continue reading
Pattern of influence
In the past we’ve been able to determine, or at the very least speculate about, the origins of some of the Mesker Brothers motifs including the fish panels, sea shells, and clusters of columns, largely because of the evidence for such inspiration left behind by Bernard Mesker. What follows is an origins story about a … Continue reading
Awning, canopy, marquise
For two centuries, American commercial storefronts often required various shading devices for natural climate control, protection of show window displays and shoppers, and enhancement of building appearance. By far the most popular of these were fabric awnings, but metal was also an available option although not widely acknowledged in contemporary scholarly documentation. Both Mesker companies … Continue reading
Land of Opportunity
Due to a recent trickle of discovered Mesker buildings, there are now 100 of them in Arkansas. Sadly, these latest additions are largely demolished and, as in the case of Harrison’s square, were identified only thanks to historic photographs. Historically, Arkansans were some of the largest purchasers of Mesker products, ranking 7th nationwide with a … Continue reading
Ruffini & Mesker, pt. 2—San Angelo
Read Part 1 of this post, covering the Sonora portion of the Ruffini Collection, here. Oscar Ruffini was based in San Angelo, where he reportedly designed over 30 buildings. Therefore, it is not surprising that eight of ten Mesker Brothers’ blueprints in The Ruffini Collection at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission are for … Continue reading
Yesterday and today
In 1965, the Mesker Brothers reproduced several pages of its 1906 catalog “in hopes that it may bring nostalgic memories to some, and a glance at the past for others.” The selection included primarily sheet-metal fronts, but also windows, siding, and roofing. However, the publication also offered a glimpse at the current, or 1960s, Mesker … Continue reading
America’s Dairyland
There is another state with at least 100 found Meskers. The 100th facade identified in Wisconsin is a two-story building on Main Street in Alma. Despite storefront alterations, the building retains a galvanized sheet-metal cornice, window bay and hoods manufactured by George L. Mesker & Co. The facade may have been originally purchased/installed by J.A. Fretsch … Continue reading
