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| Many Main Street commercial buildings of the late 1800s
and early 1900s reflect the widespread availability of mass-produced
building parts, which ranged from individual components to entire
building facades. While prefabricated architectural elements were
available from a number of manufacturers, no other companies better
exemplify this niche than the Mesker Brothers Iron Works of St. Louis,
Missouri, and George L. Mesker Company of Evansville, Indiana. They
specialized in ornamental sheet-metal facades and cast iron storefront
components, which were ordered through catalogs and easily shipped
by rail to any interested building owner. Their extensive product
lines not only featured embossed sheet-metal panels and cast iron
but also entire storefront assemblies, as well as tin ceilings, fences,
skylights, and freight elevators.
“Meskers”, as they are called, are found across America.
However, because the companies were based in the Midwest, they are
particularly plentiful in Illinois and are part of the state’s
rich architectural history. Made of galvanized steel and cast iron,
these durable facades often survive, despite the occasional neglect
and lack of maintenance. While not all buildings may feature elaborate
sheet metal facades, individual building components, such as cornices
and window hoods, are quite common throughout the state, especially
in smaller communities. If your town has a Mesker facade, we would
like to know about it. The goal of our ever-expanding
database (PDF file) and this website is to recognize the historic
significance of the Mesker companies in the shaping of our downtowns’
architectural fabric.
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How many Meskers are there in the world? Click the Google Earth icon to find out. Better yet, download the .kmz (updated 12/2008) file to get all the information. This file will load in your Google Earth preferences so you can get specific information regarding a Mesker in any part of the country. You can also update the file or Email updated information to us so we can keep this file updated. Get Google Earth. |
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Although owned by brothers, the two companies operated independently.
Producing similar products with architectural motifs rooted in Classical
Revival, the companies are distinguished through subtle identifying
characteristics. For further information see the Identification
Guide (PDF file) (updated 09/2008). |
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The facade of the J.C. Schmohl Building in Galena,
Illinois, was manufactured by the Mesker Brothers Iron Works of
St. Louis in 1892.
View additional pictures of Meskers in Illinois. |
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Do you have a Mesker in your community? See 16
Illinois Mesker examples. For more Mesker photographs please visit the ‘got mesker?’ photo page on Flickr.com |
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Cover of the George L. Mesker and Company catalog from 1904. The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Electronic Books Database features several George Mesker catalog editions. Currently available are 1892, 1904, 1905, 1909, and 1928 editions. Access them here.
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Cover of the Mesker Brothers Iron Works catalog
from 1906. Click
here to download a copy of the entire 1906 catalog (PDF file). |
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Check out the University of Illinois at Springfield's 1903 Mesker
Brothers Iron Works catalog here. |
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Two posters are available for download in .pdf,
the sizes are 16x20 and 18x24, respectively. To view an image
of the posters click their thumbnail. Download
16X20 .pdf
file size 9.8 mb. |
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Download
18X24 .pdf
file size 11.4 mb.
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Watch Darius Bryjka with WAND's Warren Brinegar
covering Mesker facades in Taylorville.
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Click
to Listen to Darius Bryjka during an interview with Herb Trix
on WVIK in Rock Island, Illinois.
Click to Listen to Darius Bryjka during a 'Lost & Saved' segment with
Ron Bernthal on WJFF in Jeffersonville, New York |
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For in depth information regarding the Mesker companies, download the article from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency's publication: Historic
Illinois |
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Preservation Services Links |
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