MASON & LAWRENCE - RIBSTONE SILO

HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE

The silo located at 69 Ann Street is a Ribstone Silo constructed by Mason and Lawrence Company of Elgin. Founded in 1917 by Frank Sherman Mason and Raleigh Lawrence, and located at the southeast corner of what is now Grove and Ann Streets, the company continued to produce silos until 1991. The silo blocks were molded at the factory site.  At the height of the company’s growth, it had five subsidiary plants in other parts of Illinois and in other states.

ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

Three Ribstone silos were built in Elgin at the factory site on Ann Street at Grove Street and used for materials storage. Only one of these is still standing. The unique curved and ribbed concrete block designed for the silos was also used for two residential structures in Elgin. This use of the silo blocks was experimental, and apparently not deemed a great success. The two residential garages at 634 Brook Street, built around 1917 and at 2251 West Highland, built in 1968.

Sources: 2005 Ornamental Concrete Block in Residential Architecture, Rebecca Hunter; Audio: TextAloud