Population, says Wikipedia, is "1,000." No more, no less. Also: "Sedan was founded in 1871. The city was named in commemoration of the 1870 Battle of Sedan."
Which was:
The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco-Prussian War from 1 to 2 September 1870. Resulting in the capture of Emperor Napoleon III and over a hundred thousand troops, it effectively decided the war in favour of Prussia and its allies, though fighting continued under a new French government.
Seems an odd choice. There had to be a reason. Aside from the fact that it had been in the news.
“Bob, it’s nice and all that, and everyone’s watched it go up and all, and everyone knows what it’s for, but what do you do about the person who comes to town and doesn’t know what it is?”
“Good, good. That’ll do the trick.”
What the hell is that thing? Some sort of crawfish?
It won’t always work out as well as hoped, but you can do a lot!
That’s the strangest collection of roofline ornaments I’ve seen in some time. Are they supposed to be Egyptian?
A reminder that when you cover up the front of the store and block off the windows, you might go bust down the line and leave the building all the poorer for it.
The old citizens in their finery, lined up for a group picture of town elders.
Second floor: the architects knew exactly what they were doing.
Ground floor: they did not.
Some areas of town look like they were excavated from the deposits of a volcano.
Note the vestigial brick on the right, referencing a long-gone neighbor.
Ah! Well, that’s better. Still in use.
As with the building above, one structure that’s also obviously two.
An utterly ordinary building of the times, but better than anything done in the last five decades - if only for its solidity and connection with other buildings in other places. A continuous style of commercial architecture that helped define small towns.
Really? For a town this size?
The year this building was erected, the owner - Everett Irwin Fish - saw the birth of his grandchild, who died in 2010. Says his obit:
Both his grandfather and father received degrees and Certificates in Pharmacy from the University of Kansas. They both practiced pharmacy in the two story brick building E.I. Fish had built on the corner of Main and Chautauqua Streets in Sedan, Kansas.
He went to enlist on the afternoon of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, but wasn't enlisted in the Army until February 14, l942. In September he received a Second Lieutenant rank. He served in the African Campaign, then to Bizzerte to prepare for the Sicilian Campaign. Going into Sicily, he joined the 400th Separate Battalion Anti-Air craft, Third Army. He also served in Monte Casino. He climbed Mt. Vesuvius near Pompeii. From Naples he went up to the invasion of Southern France. North of Avignon, Bob was wounded in his leg, earning a Purple Heart.
All that was ahead of them on the day they cut the ribbon.
The corner bank, shy on classical details. Wonder when it went up?
Ah, thank you.
Another hardy block that’s looking good. This style wears its age well.
This style does not.
Who knows what’s under there. I suspect a good old Roman embassy.
Sigh.
The Gregg. Cinematreasures says it’s open, and playing movies. Its Facebook page says it’s a non-profit, and run entirely by volunteers.
Which is pretty nifty.
Of course I didn't build this to hide bodies in the space between the floors, I don't know what you're talking about
The website doesn’t say which national award they won. You’d think it would.
The arched roofs often mean a civic building of some kind.
I've no idea what its purpose might have been.
The unmistakable severity of a Gummint Building:
I like it, but I don't know what's going on under the windows.
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