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Fred Lynch
Fred Lynch retired in 2018 after capturing images for the Southeast Missourian since 1975, in that time moving from black-and-white to color, from film to digital and to video. The blog title is a nod to an earlier era of news photography and the 4x5 Speed Graphic: It's more important to be there for the shot than to worry about technical details.
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Cherry Florist

Posted Monday, March 26, 2012, at 12:00 AM

Cherry Florist building, 318 Broadway. (Published Oct. 3, 1929, Southeast Missourian 25th Anniversary Edition)

From "Lost and Saved" by Terri Foley:

Surety Building

On Sept. 21, 1928, A.H. Gerhardt, commissioned by John Cherry, started work on the foundation for the new building to house Cherry Florist at 318-322 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. Cherry hired Reither and Lindsay, Cape Girardeau architects, to design the new florist shop. The building was designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. The main façade features buff-colored brick with a belt course of glazed terra cotta tiles that complement the glazed terra cotta parapet running the length of the roofline. On the second level, terra cotta pilasters flank a multipane window with an ornamental terra cotta shield above it. When first constructed, a greenhouse was on the second floor on east side of the building. The formal opening of the new shop was held March 23 and 24, 1929. Later, the business relocated to the 1800 block of Broadway. In November 1931, the Cherry Florist building was purchased by Surety Savings & Loan Association, one of only four savings and loan associations in Cape Girardeau at the time. In April 1932, the name "Cherry" was removed from the façade and "Surety" was added. The building is a contributing building to the Broadway and North Fountain Streets Historic District.

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  • Surety Savings was the original name of First Federal Savings & Loan, which, unfortunately, was taken over by the FSLIC and closed in May, 1990. First Federal was founded by Lindsey Simmons and provided loans for the majority of homes in Cape Girardeau and Jackson for 60 years. The Carter administration destroyed the savings and loan business in the late 70's with deposit rates in the teens, with most home loan rates below 9%. Even the Bailey Bros. Building & Loan wouldn't have survived, in spite of Jimmy Stewart.

    -- Posted by JungleJim on Tue, Mar 27, 2012, at 11:39 PM

  • I loved the Spanish Colonial Revival style buildings that were built here. Unfortunately, few are left standing. This building was beautiful!

    -- Posted by DKKCCG on Mon, Nov 18, 2013, at 5:22 PM

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