Forsyth in Rosebud County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Kennedy-Fletcher Block
Forsyth Main Street Historic District
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 13, 2020
1. Kennedy-Fletcher Block Marker
Inscription.
Kennedy-Fletcher Block. Forsyth Main Street Historic District. A pressed metal cornice, door surrounds made of cast iron, and an exposed steel I-beam distinguish the faηade of the 1907 Kennedy-Fletcher block. Geo. L. Mesker and Co. of Bedford, Indiana, the largest architectural ironworks in the country, manufactured the decorative metal elements, which feature ornamented floral and leaf designs, simple swags, fleur-de-lis, and other classical motifs. Mass-produced metal detailing was a less expensive form of decoration than stone. By contrast, the steel I-beam separating the first and second floors has a primarily structural purpose. The I-beam transfers weight away from the large display windows used to beckon customers. Its defining decorative rosettes are actually a glorified plate-and-bolt assembly that holds structurally important tie rods. The largest commercial building in Forsyth at the time of its construction, the department store was also the first brick commercial block erected off Main Street. E. A. Richardson bought the business in 1908. In 1916, he sold an expanded operation to his department managers, who transformed the building into three separate stores that sold groceries, dry goods, and hardware and furniture.
A pressed metal cornice, door surrounds made of cast iron, and an exposed steel I-beam distinguish the faηade of the 1907 Kennedy-Fletcher block. Geo. L. Mesker and Co. of Bedford, Indiana, the largest architectural ironworks in the country, manufactured the decorative metal elements, which feature ornamented floral and leaf designs, simple swags, fleur-de-lis, and other classical motifs. Mass-produced metal detailing was a less expensive form of decoration than stone. By contrast, the steel I-beam separating the first and second floors has a primarily structural purpose. The I-beam transfers weight away from the large display windows used to beckon customers. Its defining decorative rosettes are actually a glorified plate-and-bolt assembly that holds structurally important tie rods. The largest commercial building in Forsyth at the time of its construction, the department store was also the first brick commercial block erected off Main Street. E. A. Richardson bought the business in 1908. In 1916, he sold an expanded operation to his department managers, who transformed the building into three separate stores that sold
Location. 46° 15.959′ N, 106° 40.787′ W. Marker is in Forsyth, Montana, in Rosebud County. It is on North 9th Avenue near Cedar Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 180 North 9th Avenue, Forsyth MT 59327, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Montana’s Northern Cheyenne Nation, in Southeast Montana, in Custer Country and in the Powder River Basin. It is also in the American Mountain West, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, on the prairies, on the Great Plains, and specifically on the Northern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 13, 2020
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 13, 2020
3. Kennedy-Fletcher Block
Credits. This page was last revised on January 16, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 16, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 313 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on January 16, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
