Van Antwerp Building

This Mobile landmark was built in 1907. This was a no expense spared landmark. Resplendent terrazzo and very elaborate Beaux Arts ceramics on terra cotta cornice on a grand scale. However, the salty air climate affected the steel attaching the heavy cornice to the building. To avoid injury to pedestrians the entire cornice was removed. The pieces wound up as a dam backfill on the owner’s farm.

The architect took the South’s Finest team to the remote farm and recovered many unique fragments of the original Cornice. These pieces became vital to reconstructing the original cornice.

Hundreds of hours later the elegant original design reemerged and Souths Finest began making molds of each elaborate feature. Coffers, Cornice fascia, Cornice corners and ends.