Each of the blocks on the four sides of Virden’s large square are divided by an alleyway. This view shows the west half of the 100 block of E. Jackson St. on the north side of the square. Nearly all of the commercial buildings in this block date to the late 19th and early 20th century.
What stands out in this view are the building facades nearest the camera at 117, 125, 133, 135, 137 E. Jackson St. While some modifications have been made to the facades over the years, the handsome ornamental sheet-metal panels produced by Mesker Brothers Iron Works of St. Louis make these building standout.
According to the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, two competing family firms manufactured a prodigious amount of stamped-metal facades and exterior architectural features that graced buildings in Illinois and around the nation. Bernard and Frank Mesker operated Mesker Brothers Iron Works in St. Louis, while their brother, George, competed with them from his Evansville, Indiana, location of George L. Mesker & Co. Both companies, established in the 1880s, continued to manufacture products well into the mid-twentieth century.
While most of Virden is situated in Macoupin County, the northern most part of the city is in Sangamon County. The Macoupin County portion of Virden is part of the St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Sangamon County portion is part of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of Virden was 3,249 at the 2020 census.
Posted by myoldpostcards on 2022-04-10 18:15:06
Tagged: , Virden , Macoupin County , Central , Illinois , IL , Street View , Rural , Small Town , Business District , Architecture , Late 19th-century , Early 20th century , Commercial Buildings , East Jackson Street , 100 Block , Mesker , Stamped-Metal , Facade , Mesker Brothers Iron Works in St. Louis , Canon , EOS , 5D , Mark IV
