Burg Wagon Works Building, Farmington Iowa
This building, erected in stages beginning about 1867, formed the nucleus of a small-scale industrial complex which included at least two other buildings, now gone.
Lewis Burg, a native of Bavaria, came to the U.S. in 1853 and joined his brother John's carriage works, established in Burlington in 1851. Lewis Burg moved to Farmington in 1865, and erected the stone factory building during 1867-68. The Keosauqua Republican first featured advertisements for Burg's "eastern wagon manufactory" in June 1869. A "western wagon manufactory", run by Henry Kassebaum, was also advertised here, and in July of that year yet a third factory, that of August King, was apparently established in the town. Burg, however, ran the largest shop, by 1870 having invested $2100 in capital. At that time, he employed 10 hands and was doing about $18,000 worth of business in wagons and buggies (Iowa Industrial Census, 1870). In the next ten years, Burg nearly doubled his production. According to the 1880 Iowa Industrial Census, he then employed 18 men, had $20,000 invested in the plant, and was doing $33,000 worth of business, Clearly a major manufacturer in Farmington. According to the property abstract, Burg sold the wagon works building in 1892, and is believed to have gone to Dallas City, Illinois, to manufacture automobiles.
Building Description
The Burg Wagon Works building is a two-story structure approximately 40' across the front and 20' deep, with a 10' x 15' mass on the northeast corner. It is built of rock-faced limestone laid in a random ashlar pattern. The building is divided into six bays across the front and rear, three on the sides, and two on the north face of the rear corner mass. The low-pitched gable roof has a ridge parallel to the front elevation. A wide-double-bracketed tin cornice is found on the north side, but has been removed from the front. Windows and the north entrance have segmental arches, many with keystone metal hoods. The ground floor is broken into three "storefront" segments, featuring double doors flanked by slender pilasters and turn-of-the-century display windows. A staircase gives exterior access to the second floor on the north side, in place of a long veranda that once wrapped around this side and along the front. Tall brick chimneys with corbelled caps were originally located along the roof edges at the front and rear, but only stubs remain. A ventilator centered in the roof ridge has also been removed. The rear elevation is quite plain, with segmental arches on windows and doorways. Obscured by a small stone rear addition is a 7' x 9' arched doorway, of a size to allow the movement of wagons.
As the building has had a variety of uses over time, the only interior features remaining from the years of wagon manufacture are slender metal columns supporting the second floor. The second floor was converted to apartments (possibly as early as the 1880s, but probably around 1900 from the appearance of the woodwork) laid out in a rather irregular pattern. Through many years of neglect, the building, though structurally sound, requires a good measure of repair and restoration, including remortoring and extensive interior work.
The building is located on a corner lot toward the edge of the central business district. Surrounding buildings appear to date from the late 19th century, and the majority of them are brick. The wagon works is one of the few buildings in the commercial area made of stone.
South elevation (1977)
Main elevation, from north- east (1978)
South and west (rear) elevations (1978)
