Askew Saddlery Building

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Original photo found at http://www.oldtownloftskc.com
Original photo found at http://www.oldtownloftskc.com

 

Askew Saddlery Building: Before Kansas City was the “heart of America,” it was the Wild West. The Askew Saddlery building reminds us of our cowboy past. Built in 1892, the brick factory served the prominent Askew leather goods company. Brothers William and Wilson Askew partnered with nephew Frank when they arrived in Kansas City after the Civil War. Their leather business grew, and by the 1890s the Askew saddle was synonymous with a quality cowboy product. The business thrived with the nearby stockyards, as traveling ranchers bringing their beef to market stopped over at the Askew’s for the finely crafted leather saddles. The former factory was converted into the Askew Lofts in 1993—the first big residential redevelopment project in the River Market.