Fairfield Heritage Trail :: Buildings 1 & 2

Commercial Block, probably 1872
106, 108, 110 N. Main Street

Italianate in design, this building is a local rarity for having an original facade that is intact. The cast iron columns and the exuberant arches and capitals were made locally.

"Louden M'f'g Works Fairfield Iowa" is cast into the bottom of the columns, which predates the Louden Machinery Company. Click here.

The paneled millwork under the windowsills is original. Many of the buildings around the square had this style of storefront in the early days.

Typically an awning was above the store windows, with the sign above the awning.

The Tribune Printing Company, 1915
101 W. Briggs Ave, SW corner of N. Main St.

This building, on the southwest corner of Main & Briggs, although not its original home, houses one of the three oldest continuous businesses in Iowa (each started in 1847).

June 12, 1847 marked the start of the Iowa Sentinel, the Tribune Printing Company being a direct lineal descendant.

This building housed an automobile dealer, a grocery store and other businesses before the printing company moved here and covered the brick façade.

J. Franklin Produce Co., Cream, Eggs, and Poultry is painted on the bricks, now covered by metal siding.

The Tribune Printing Company printed early catalogs for the Louden Machinery Company. William Louden was president of Tribune Printing at one time.

Enlarge a Tribune Printing 1903 Wood Engraving.