"Kimball Block"

William S. Kimball described himself as a "real estate man" and was one of Clarence Clark's primary intermediaries. Like many of Kimball's 1880s operations, the design of this row has been attributed to the Hewitt Bros. This advertisement illustrates how the blocks continued to be thought out as a whole streetscape, although the architecture has radically changed. The suburban amenities of setbacks, porches and fenced yards remained a virtual requirement.

The block still stands on the west side of 42nd Street, between Spruce and Pine, albeit mostly shorn of its defining architectural features. Most ironic of these of incongruous alterations is recent repointing with white cement, completely negating the effect the Mortar Stain Company so proudly promoted in this advertisement.