Cape Town Lens: H. T. Klugel Architectural Sheet Metal Work Building 2–Pediment

A Cape Town Lion’s Head tagged image from photographer – David Hoffman ’41 as published on Flickr.

H. T. Klugel Architectural Sheet Metal Work Building 2–Pediment

Image by David Hoffman ’41

[This is a series of 10 photos] This is a creative commons image, which you may freely use by linking to this page. Please respect the photographer and his work.

H.T. Klugel Architectural Sheet Metal Works was established in Emporia,, Virginia in 1914 at the junction of two rail lines—the Atlantic Coast Line and the Southern Railroad. This location was to figure in the expansion of his business. Klugel, a tinsmith, was from Danville, Illinois, learning the trade from his father. His shop produced a variety of goods for local needs such as cornices, gutters, drain pipes, stove flues, marquees, decorative details, and others. A customer, who might need prefabricated pressed metal ceilings, he would have them select from catalogs. They would arrive by rail, facilitating his installation of items for his customers. His business supplied contractors all over southeastern Virginia. The sheet metal façade of his own shop became an advertisement for his goods and skills, displaying a variety of metal ornaments such as swags, circles, geometric patterns and lions’ heads. The structure is a unique example of a decorative sheet metal façade for a store, and it was all produced in Emporia. Ads were painted on the brick sides of the building. The building is styled as Edwardian Classicism in the nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places. As an architectural viewing amateur, I’m not certain what this is, even after reading about it. The building was added to the Register April 2, 1973 with identification #73002208. The nomination form is available at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources

www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Emporia/109-0005_Kl…

As a factory for tin goods, the building was intended to be utilitarian. Originally ell-shaped, a cinderblock addition has made the structure rectangular. The flat-roofed building with parapets on the sides is made of American bond brick, which is not visible viewing only the front façade. A color combination of silver and black is used throughout the façade ornamentation. At the top of the front façade is a pediment mounted on two short pedestals, each flanked by volutes. Inside the pediment is floral ornamentation. Beneath the pediment a panel shows what I call a sun-burst motif (the nomination form refers to this a part of a patera—( www.decorartsnow.com/2013/05/28/design-dictionary-patera-… ). Another pedestal is above the pediment and is topped by a finial in the shape of an onion dome. Below the pediment is an inscription within panels of various sizes—1902 H. T. Klugel 1914”. To each side of this inscription is a balustrade with two pedestals topped by small onion dome finials. The cornice just below has dentils and modillions or brackets. The horizontal second level with a geometric sheet metal design has three distinct areas: the middle with the inscription “Architectural Sheet Metal Work” on the patterned background and flanked with roundels that show keystone motifs; the right section shows a raised panel with the words “Skylights” and the left shows a raised panel with the writing “Cornices”. Below each of these latter two sections are swags of flowers and drapery. The first level contains two arched entrances both with soffit and with double doors; the central entrance is recessed. Just above the arch of the center door is a keystone. On either side of the main entrance are figures of lion’s heads with floral decoration; a pattern of circles is below each of the lion’s heads. The windows are arched as well and contain fan tracery.

For a fascinating read on ornamental architectural materials, check out the following:
www.nhc.rtp.nc.us/ideasv51/simpson.htm