Home Economics Building - Missouri State Fairgrounds Historic District - Sedalia, Missouri - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

67. Home Economics Building/John Deere Building
Built 1909
Contributing Building.
The Home Economics Building is a rectangular, one-story brick and steel exposition building with shaped Missionesque parapets above four projecting (one per side) round-arched entrances. Triple flat-arched, single frame window units (12 lights) are closely spaced around the entire building, providing considerable natural lighting. Relatively austere for an exposition hall, the approximately 80' x 128' building contains flat instead of round-arched windows and lacks the pilasters and parapet elaboration of some others. The roof is hipped, with dormers. The water table/foundation is concrete. Trim is stone. The Home Economics Building was built by the John Deere Plow Co., for display of automobiles, buggies, wagons, gasoline engines and farm implements which the company marketed before concentrating on tractors a decade later. The John Deere Building included a two-level office and sleeping room in the center plus a carriage room, according to the blueprints. Alterations include removal of a flat top roof deck, conversion of some window openings to accommodate air conditioning units, and the replacement of original doors. The brick foundation apparently was open and covered with wire mesh originally. The Missouri State Fair acquired the building in the 1920s, at first designating it as the W.D. Smith Building in honor of the fair secretary. During the 1930s, it became the Home Economics Building. Architect: Bast (?) "