by Michael R. Allen
This building once housed the operations of the Lecoutour Brothers Stair Manufacturing Company. According to a website on the historic McFaddin-Ward House in Beaumont, Texas: “Unlike mail-order companies such as Sears and Montgomery Ward, the Lecoutour Brothers firm specialized in custom-made or ‘odd work,’ as they termed it for their clients.”
In recent years, the building was used by the adjacent Sterling Lacquer Manufacturing Company. The building burned in a spectacular blaze in early May 2005.
Other photographs
One reply on “Lecoutour Brothers Stair Manufacturing Company”
Yes, you can see actual photos online of the Lecoutour Brothers’ work in the Virtual Tour of the McFaddin-Ward House on the first floor in the Breakfast Room/Conservatory. The story goes that the beautiful stain glass windows were ordered from them and when the first set arrived to the site damaged, the replacement panes were sent and a representative from the Company came with them to assure their safe delivery and installation. The design in this room is some of the most personal to the lady of the house as she had the original architect, Henry Conrad Mauer work with her to add this room to the home years after the original structure was built. As such, it may most reflect her taste of all the room’s in the house.