Burg Wagon Works Buildings

National Historic Register - 1978

The old Burg building on the corner of State and 2nd Street in Farmington, Iowa was added to the National Register of Historic Places in December of 1978. The native stone building was built by Louis Burg who came to Farmington from Bavaria in the spring of 1853. Construction started on the building in 1878. A cornerstone on the south side of the building is dated 1875.

The building housed the Burg Carriage and Wagon Manufacturing Company plant in addition to a blacksmith shop. The stone building was said to be fireproof with brick floors and stone partitions. There were display rooms for wagons and carriages and a paint room. It became a thriving business with 100 buggies, 250 wagons, carts, and carriages produced there annually. Some of the wagons made by Burg are still in this area.

Burg and his family moved to Dallas City, Illinois in 1891. The building was subsequently sold to Baldwin and Weir who operated a lumber yard and general store on the ground floor. The second story was remodeled into rental apartments.

A syndicate of Farmington businessmen purchased the lumber yard about 20 years later Tom Grimm bought the building in about 1915. He operated a general store in part of it and rented out other rooms.

During the early days, a large porch extended over all the front of the building.