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[graphic] The Colonial
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[photo]
Facade of The Colonial
Courtesy of Lorraine Draper

Originally housing an ice cream parlor, this ivory terra cotta front building was designed by Joseph Schwartz in 1919 for H. Thompson and Gus Bussis. The facade of the building displays its most distinguishing features. The building is unusual as it incorporates different architectural styles into one building. Art Deco and Neoclassical Revival details are interwoven through the use of dentils, relief designs of flowers and the use of white terra cotta. Terra cotta offered buildings an inexpensive approach to wall and floor coverings that could be molded into rich ornamental detail. Terra cotta provided a fireproof alternative to wall coverings and quickly became the building material of choice in the early part of the 20th century. Although many other buildings


[photo] Detail of a partial pilaster on The Colonial
Courtesy of Lorraine Draper

in Pipestone utilize the Sioux quartzite stone native to the area, terra cotta was a less expensive and an easier to carve alternative than the hard stone.

The original cost of the lot on which the building is situated was $10,000. The original building was 25 feet by 93 feet, and had a full basement. The rear of the building possessed a 24-foot by 15-foot addition to house the ice cream factory. The Colonial operated as an ice cream parlor until 1938, when several other businesses including a beauty salon moved into the building. A destructive 1996 Christmas Day fire consumed the rear addition, forcing its removal from The Colonial. The Colonial is still in use today, serving the community as an office of optometry.

The Colonial is located at 105 W. Main St., Pipestone. The office is open to the public during regular business hours.

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