2nd Saturday @ Crossroads

Betty Cockburn, Kathy Warner, Nancy & Conrad Knab

Forty people from all over the city took advantage of the lovely weather to tour the Crossroads' 2nd Saturday.

One of the highlights was Engel Bindery Co. at 322 Souhtwest Boulevard where we saw a demonstration of book binding and letterpress techniques. The owner of this shop employs 2 people who bind books mostly by hand sewing. Book covers are diecut with Kluge presses from the 1940s. Gold foil emboss is added by a hand press. Do you have an old Bible you would like to have re-bound? Or a collection of magazines you would like bound together? Take it to Engel Bindery!

We also visited the Webster House, a 19th century school house named after Daniel Webster who started a school there in 1885. It remained a school until 1932. Before being purchased and renovated by Shirley Helzberg it was a framing and art shop. There is no original woodwork inside but the building retains the original footprint. Old photos of the building revealed a bell tower, so one was added. Building the bell tower required the creation of 5,000 hand-made bricks for the porch area to match the rest of the building. Construction on the building took 2 1/2 years.

When the walls were being gutted, the original schoolroom blackboards were revealed, all with original writing on them. Be sure to go up to the 2nd floor and look in the SE corner to see one of the blackboards on display.

About the only other thing that is original to the building are the stained glass windows which had to be restored.

The Webster House is filled with beautiful antiques for sale on the first floor. The 2nd floor has a restaurant and party rooms. Lunch is served M-Sat, and happy hour and dinner is served W-Sat.

The next 2nd Saturday event will be April 11 and will tour the east side of the Crossroads.