Local buildings have great historical importance

The history of a community is not only in the memories of its residents or in old newspaper clippings, it exists all around. A section of sidewalk can spark a remembrance of times past as vividly as the images provided in a photograph. Likewise, history is kept in the long-existing structures and buildings which populate a small town like Rector.

Community development director Cynthia Corkran has taken her passion for history and applied it to her new position, as she is undertaking a campaign to help preserve Rector's history through the restoration of older buildings.

It was during her research into the architecture of this area that Corkran realized many buildings in Rector have an even stronger tie to history.

"As I was looking into the historical significance of our older buildings here in town, I found that many of those structures had storefronts and facades which were manufactured by the Mesker Brothers and have great historical importance," she said.

Two different companies produced similar prefabricated sheet metal facades and cast iron storefront components used in several Main Street commercial buildings throughout the country in the late 1800s and 1900s -- the Mesker Brothers Iron Works of St. Louis and the George L. Mesker Company of Evansville, Ind. Though the two companies were owned by brothers and created similar-styled products using a Classical Revival motif, they operated as separate entities. While a number of companies produced prefabricated storefronts and the like, what separated Mesker products from the rest were their patented installation techniques which made applying their products to existing buildings easier. The companies shipped their products by rail, which allowed merchants and business owners in towns with railroad stops, such as Rector, easier access to Mesker creations.

As both Mesker companies were located in the Midwest, many of their customers also were located in that portion of the country. As such, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency has been attempting to locate towns which have buildings fitted with Mesker components. The organization features the locations of these towns on a Google Earth site. Corkran has since contacted the Mesker Project's organizer, Darius Bryjka of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, and soon Rector will be featured on the www.gotmesker.com website as a town featuring the architectural design.

"There's a great deal of interest in Mesker components right now, not only among the towns which feature their work, but with people interested in architectural design and its history, as well," Corkran said. "Our buildings which feature Mesker components are not only of interest to us because of their part in our town's history, but they're also an attraction to people from other areas."

Numerous buildings along Rector's Main Street currently feature, or have formerly possessed Mesker components. The Clay County Democrat office, the storage building currently used by Underwood Furniture and Now & Then are among the area businesses which feature Mesker products in their design.

Corkran is spearheading efforts to assist interested local businesses with their restoration and preservation of their historic structures. She, along with a steering committee, are seeking information on grants, as well as a possible membership in the Main Street Arkansas program, which was formed to assist towns across the state rejuvenate and revitalize their downtown and neighborhood areas.

"We're looking for all the assistance we can find," Corkran said. "This is something that's very important to me, which I think can be a benefit to all of us in Rector. These wonderful structures are not coming around again. We have artwork on our buildings that we need to preserve. I think it's so important that we preserve our past. It's a big part of finding our future."