For more than half a century, shiny black art deco tiles have hidden a treasure in downtown Farmington. The Tetley Building, located at 16 East Columbia Street in downtown Farmington, is in the middle of a restoration project that will bring it back to its original glory. Ozarks Federal Savings and Loan Association, owners of the building, are behind this project.

Dennis McIntosh, CEO of Ozarks Federal, has done an extensive amount of research on the building that has been a part of the Farmington downtown since the end of the 19th century.

"This building was built by Robert Tetley and his wife, Ann, in 1868. The downstairs portion served as their jewelry store and the upstairs was the family's living quarters. Their oldest son was born there in 1869," said McIntosh.

With assistance from Jack Clay, a local historian, and the historical society, McIntosh has been able to obtain original store receipts from the early 20th century. The oldest receipt dates back to October of 1887. The top of the receipt shows that Robert Tetley "Watchmaker and Jeweler," also sold "sewing machines, musical instruments, etc." Another receipt shows the purchases of a purse for 50 cents in 1914 and yet another for a cameo ring selling for 75 cents. There was also a 1914 purchase by Roberta Tetley for a three dollar petticoat and three dollar stick pin. The Tetley family operated a jewelry store continually in downtown Farmington from 1869 until 1977, when the store was sold by Howard Tetley to Bill Krekeler.

Earlier this year McIntosh presented to the Ozarks Federal Board of Directors a proposal that would restore this building to its original state. Following the approval by the board, restoration began in early spring.

Under the direction of Renee Harrison of Renegade Construction, the building will be turned back into the treasure it was when it was built in 1868. Until the work began, those involved were unsure as to the actual age of the building. But following the start of work and what the research showed, this building is one of the oldest in the downtown area.

"The building is two years older than the former jail, which was built in 1870," said McIntosh.

The first order of business was to remove the black tiles that were placed on the building during the late 1920's or early 1930's art deco period. When the tiles were removed, the first treasures were discovered.

"The workers uncovered these beautiful granite arches. Renee Harrison's cousin, E.J. Holley, owns a business called St. Louis Tuckpointing and specializes in restoring historical buildings. They believe it is area granite that was used to make the arches and areas above the second floor windows," said McIntosh. This discovery also led to a slight change in the original plan. When McIntosh made his presentation to the board he sketched a possible picture of what the front could look like. The discovery made it a reality to bring the building back to what it should look like.

The second treasure was one that all those involved with the project had not expected to find.

"We learned (from the restorers) that the bricks on the front of the building were very special. They are handmade and sun-dried, not the usual kiln-dried bricks that you find. It is believed that they were made by slaves either prior to or during the Civil War," said McIntosh. "One brick even has distinct markings on it made at the time it was produced."

The treasure of the granite and sun-dried brick presented a dilemma for restorers. With the tar from the black tiles caked on both it was feared that using sand to blast away the tar would damage both the granite and brick. That's when the decision was made that a much gentler, but just as effective, product would be used.

"Ground up walnut hulls were used to remove the tar on the front of the building. They work just like sandblasting, but won't cause the damage that sand possibly would," McIntosh said.

The second step was to save the bricks that had been damaged over the years, some from the addition of an overhang that was in place during an early period of the building. Workers began to chisel out the bricks that had damage, turn them with the backside now facing out and put them back in their place. Through this process, only seven of the original bricks were lost. They were replaced with similar bricks that were made in the same era.

Each step along the way is a step closer to restoring the building back to its original beauty. Though these surprises may have caused a few detours, McIntosh feels that they make the restoration even more important.

Published by THE FARMINGTON PRESS, Farmington, St. Francois Co. MO, Mon., July 14, 2003.