I’ve been busy the last two weeks! We are trying to get a room refurbished in the restaurant. Harvey cut out the wall between the main dining room and the storage room. From what we know this used to be a separate business with its own entrance. People tell us different stories of what used to be, we’ve heard that this room originally was the kitchen of the restaurant, this was probably back in the 40’s. Then later it was a beauty shop, they even had a tanning bed. It was a takeout pizza parlor within the last 10 years and then it has been a storage room.
This is how the restaurant looked when we first bought it. Notice the black doors at the right side of the building, they were the original doors and were the entrance to the Pizza Parlor.
This is a picture from the Mesker catalog dated 1906 showing what the front probably looked like. No. 106 with the shell trim, is very similar to the building we have.
In small print it says a 40 ft. building cost $199.00 for the front.
I have done lots of research on discovering the origins of this building, I first Googled Tin buildings and learned about Mesker and was pretty sure that ours was one. I found a group on Flickr and listed our restaurant on it the next day I received an email saying yes it was a Mesker. This week their was an article in Rural Missouri about Mesker buildings in Missouri and a woman named Hallie Fieser who was a student working with identifying Mesker buildings in Missouri. I wrote her an email and sent her pictures of our building, she emailed me back that the building was indeed a Mesker and this is what she said “which was manufactured by Mesker Brothers Iron Works, in St. Louis. Mesker Bros., headed by Frank and Ben Mesker, was a competitor to their brother’s company, George L. Mesker & Co. of Evansville, Indiana. The characteristic design motifs in your cornice that identify it as a Mesker are the following designs: the fleur-de-lis in the cornice bracket, the repeating shell design across the cornice line (at the top of the storefront), the pressed metal panels resembling brick, and the full porch.”
In corresponding with Hallie, I found out that originally they were painted to resemble stone, then a few years later they were painted in more Victorian styles. I’m not sure yet what we will do with the outside because we still have the inside to finish, but she definintly gave me a new option to think about. Thank you, Hallie for your imput and helping me with my project.
This week while remodeling to put fixtures in for another bathroom, Harvey took down a few ceiling panels and look what he found!
I begged and I pleaded but Harvey said I was gonna have to get a contractor, because he wasn’t gonna take all the ceilings out and refinish these. Ok, sensibility kicked in, at this point it will cost a fortune to do this project so its on the back burner for now. Someday when the restaurant is making enough money to support itself, maybe this will be a project we can undertake but for now, I know it’s under there.
Look what I found in that same 1906 catalog!
The ceiling tile on the right is the same pattern, so that must have been in thee package they ordered from Mesker Bros. Iron Works in St. Louis. These panels came in 30×96 inch sheets and it looks like the cost was $2.25 since a sheet.
The siding that looks like stone is called Rock face stone siding item #425 and came in sheets, size 30×120 in. and cost $3.50 each. There are a few places on the back and side of the building that when making repairs in the past someone has patched with flat tin siding. I found a company in Nevada, Mo, W.F. Norman Corp. that carries a replacement stone tin siding. The price is $41.00 a sheet, compare that to the price of $3.50 in 1906.
They were an excellent company to do business with and sent the siding by UPS in two days, compared to how the Mesker company shipped the original by train.
In this picture you can see the door was taken out and new energy efficient windows were replaced, we had to replace the other windows because of bullet holes.
There is a lot more to show you of the remodel, I hope you enjoyed a little history of tin siding buildings. I know I had never seen one before I moved here to Missouri. By the way, the name of our restaurant is Barnard Roadhouse Grill, you can read a newspaper article about it here.
Hugs, Margaret
That is a very interesting story. What a find those ceilings, they were tin with design–just beautiful. Good luck with a smooth successful remodel. I cant wait to see it. I love old buildings and their history. I am going to take a look at that article. Have a wonderful day,
Kim
Oh how much fun this must be! I love this little building. What a jewel. And those tin ceiling tiles are a dream…love the pattern. Keep these pictures coming! Wish I was there to help you. I love projects like these! How fun.
Miss ya! We need to chat and catch up soon! {hugs}Sherrie
Oh Margaret, how fascinating! I bet the longer you guys are there, the more fabulous treasures you’ll discover. I would be aching at the thought of having to “backburner” the tin ceiling panels, though I do understand! Best of luck to you, I hope your restaurant does well! Happy VTT!
I would love to see the finished project. The tin ceilings are very nice. The building is so charming. A big job but it will be worth the hard work
Hugs. Jeanne
Fascinating!
Great post, so interesting. I love buildings with a history. Your’s is fascinating. It looks like a lot of work but a labor of love.