
Terracotta sheathing used to face commercial buildings enjoyed great popularity during the years 1900 through 1930. A creamy white glazed terracotta has been employed in the two-story Pahl building. This surface has been delicately enriched by three narrow horizontal bands of Sullivanesque ornament. The cornice has another band together with a cartouche that projects above the parapet. The design of this cartouche seems directly derived from the designs of Sullivan's associate, George Grant Elmslie. Another, smaller two-story commercial building with Sullivanesque ornament is the Charles Koons Building (c. 1919) situated at 512 South Second Street. Both buildings have suffered from modernization on their ground floors.