George Mischel and Sons Building
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| George Mischel & Sons Building | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Address | 412 East Second Street |
| City | Owensboro |
| State | Kentucky |
| Construction | |
| Built | c. 1910 |
| Style | Commercial limestone |
| Owner | George Mischel (at time of listing) |
| Current use | Commercial |
| National Register of Historic Places | |
| Reference # | 86001427 |
| Listed | 1986 |
| Criteria | Criterion C (architecture) |
| Period | c. 1910 |
The George Mischel & Sons Building is a one-story commercial building located at 412 East Second Street in Owensboro, Kentucky. Built around 1910 by the Mischel family monument business, its distinctive six-bay limestone facade is a testament to the stonecutting skills of the building's own owners. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as part of the Owensboro Multiple Resource Area.
Description
The George Mischel Building is a perfectly symmetrical one-story structure with a six-bay limestone front. The storefront has two evenly spaced doorways and four display window spaces, with the rhythm of the bays established by the contiguous height and the use of identical double-pane transoms. Each window bay rests on a stone sill and panel. The slightly recessed pair of entrances have double doors with central glass panels decorated by panelled molding. The door and window bays are divided by piers of smoothly cut stone, each one block wide resting on a four-foot-high base.
Running on top of the piers and across the building is a flat stone cornice. Courses of limestone blocks continue up the building front to form a parapet wall with four rectangular attic vents in the middle. The roofline peaks in a square parapet containing a panel reading GEO. MISCHEL & SONS, topped by a stone cornice. The parapet wall rises at each corner with squat stone projections and matching cornices. Stone quoins join the decorative stone front with the exposed brick side wall. The rear of the structure was built to accommodate the loading and unloading of stone materials.
History
The Mischel family has been in the monument business in Owensboro for over 100 years, beginning as Mischel Brothers in 1878. George and his brother Nick later went their separate ways when George opened George Mischel and Son on East Main Street (now Second Street), a business that continues to operate under the same name. The limestone facade of the building served as a direct display of the company's stonecutting craftsmanship — an unusual instance in which building owners were able to express their own trade skills directly through the architecture of their building.
Significance
The George Mischel Building stands as a magnificent testament to the stone-carving talents of the Mischel family. Its complete limestone facade and simple, elegant design serve as an unobtrusive reminder of the skills of the company. It is a unique example of a building whose architectural style and decoration directly reflect the occupational craft of its original owners.
References
- Kentucky Heritage Council. National Register of Historic Places Nomination: Owensboro Multiple Resource Area. Frankfort: Kentucky Heritage Council, 1985.