Facade of The Colonial
Courtesy of Lorraine Draper |
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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
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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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