The Rise of Artificial Stone
A local entrepreneur transforms Lynden's construction landscape with a new concrete block plant that promises to revolutionize architecture.
The story, cleaned up
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Last winter Mr. F. M. Smith installed his little cement plant near the ferry to the Stickney Home, but in the few months it has been running he has been obliged to increase its capacity several times and he is getting orders from all over the country for his products. He uses the new process of facing which has materially added to his success as his cement never crumbles but becomes more durable with age. He has at the present time in his plant, a Francisco face-down block machine which is a great improvement upon the old side-facing machines. One of the first buildings in the city to be built out of the product of this plant is the fancy Lynden creamery near the B. B. depot. A great deal of it is being used in the city for foundations, and for porch and fence fixtures.
“To make artificial stone better, stronger and more serviceable than the genuine article is an achievement of the 19th century and it promises to revolutionize the world of architecture.”
The transition from timber-based construction to concrete was a major turning point for Pacific Northwest towns. Smith's plant represents the early, rapid expansion of the built environment that still defines the streetscape of small-town Washington.
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