The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-03-29
E. G.. BURDICK & co.
L. p. Hunt Lets the Contract for the
Construction of His Office Build
ing to This Firm.
The Free Press Will be EnSCOnCeC
in Its New and Model Quarters
July ISt.
Full Description of the Interior and
Exterior of This Handsome
Building.

Building.
The contract for the new office
building to be erected 10y Mr.. L. 2.
Hunt on Jackson street, the first
floor and rear of the basement
of which will be occupied by
the FREE PRESS PRINTING Co. s
establishment, was Thursday evening
awarded to the E. G. Burdick Co., at
it's bid of $4,000, it being the lowest
bidder. I his contract does not in
clude the steam heating and power
plant, plumbing or electric wiring.
Mr.. Burdick intends to commence
excavating for the building on Mon
day morning with a large force OF
men, and will push the work as rapidly
as possible until the building is COM
pleted, which, by the terms of the
contract, must be by July LIST next.
This will be one of the best con-
structed buildings in the city and a
decided ornament to MankatO archi-
lecture. 1t would seem proper that
we at this time give something of a
description of the structure. The
building was designed by Architect
Thayer, and it will be credit to his
ability.
The building will have frontage
on Jackson street of forty-four feet,
occupying the two lots east of John
Klein's building, and next west of the
Odd Fellows block, save for one lot.
1t will be seen by this that the per-
manent home of the FREE PRESS will
be but step from it's present location
The building will have a depth of
ninety feet, and will be practically a
three story structure, as the basement
will be as much above ground as it
will be below. twill be constructed
of brick, with front of Lake Superior
brown stone, and four polished gram
lite columns will support the tive front
corners and the huge name tablet
over the main entrance. This tablet
will be eight and a half feet long, for
ty inches high, and twenty-one inches
deep, and will bear the inscription 81.
p. Hunt" Much carved and moulded
stone will be used, while the doors
and windows at the front of the
three stories will be all plate glass.
The transoms of the main entrance
will be fitted with stained and loaded
cathedral beveled plate glass. Oxi-
died copper ratings will extend
around the front areas.
The basement will be ten feet in
height-fve feet below and five feet
above ground. The front 46 feet has
been leased by gentleman for a term
of years for business purposes. The
rear forty feet will be used as press
room, boiler and engine room and fuel
room, divided SO as to give the
press room 20 40 feet, the engine
and boiler room 12x23 feet, and the
fuel room II x Is feet. In the press
room will be placed the heavy news
paper press and the large cylinder
job press. The engine room will con-
tain the steam heating and power
plant. To the front part of the base
ment there will be two entrances with
double doors of plate glass. There
will be rear doors and windows of crys-
tai glass, lightingthe room perfectly.
The two portionsof the basement will
be well ventilated, and each will have
a toilet room.
Along the rear of the building
will be an area "A feet long, 9 feet
wide, protected by an iron railing.
Stone steps will lead up to the first
floor and down to the basement.
Under the press room will be 300
barrel cistern, to supply soft water to
the boiler and for toilet purposes by
means of a force pump. 1t will be
covered with sawed stone eight inches
thick.
Inc nrsJ MOOR proper Will be entered
by a wide doorway, up to which a
flight of ten steps will lead from Jack
son street, half within the building
and half outside. The visitor will
find himself in vestibule sixteen feet
deep and seven feet wide, with tiled
floor, and the editorial rooms on the
left and the counting and business de-
partment on the right. The doors
leading to'these two sections will be
of hard wood, with carved panels and
oval beveled plate glass.
Entering the editorial room, the
visitor will find a room sixteen by
eighteen feet, handsomely finished in
quarter-sawed white oak, filled, oiled,
vanished and rubbed down to dead
finish. The entire interior of the build
ing has this finish. The editorial room