Home Economics Building - State Fair - Sedalia, Mo.
Posted by: 
iconions
N 38° 41.525 W 093° 15.546
15S E 477467 N 4282639
This sign is in front of the Home Economics Building in the State Fair Grounds in Sedalia, Mo.
Waymark Code: WMG19P
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 12/31/2012
Views: 2
This is a wooden sign with a small asphalt roof. The sign is yellow with black type. The text reads:
The John Deere Plow Company built this as a display area for farm implements and wagons. Simpler than other exhibition buildings, the building features large, closely spaced, twelve-light, flat arched windows.
In 1920's the Missouri State Fair named the building W. D. Smith, then Fair secretary. The building was used for dog shows in the 1920s.
In the 1930s, it became the Home Economics Building, and window opening were filled and the open brick foundation was covered with wire mesh.
From the National Register application:
(
visit link)
"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 (?) "