Architectural products shine the spotlight on Crawford Co.

Visitors to Davenports River Heritage Park along the Mississippi River will find history reflected in the guard railing along the seawall.

The 808 feet of decorative railing features a design that suggests the arches of the nearby Government Bridge. The subtle, yet eye-pleasing element of Davenports newest city park, located at East 3rd Street and River Drive, was designed and manufactured by Crawford Co., Rock Island.

This railing that combines a historical motif with a safety function joins a gazebo already in place at the seven-acre park. Among the features yet to come is a proposed foot bridge that will enable park visitors to cross River Drive. The foot bridges design was inspired by the Mississippi Rivers first railroad bridge, an 1856 structure whose western terminus was located at the park site and is part of the rich history that the attraction celebrates.

Participating in projects such as River Heritage Park, where architectural elements contribute to both the esthetics and historical complement, is nothing new for Crawford Co. While it is known for its industrial and residential plumbing, heating and cooling services as well as metal fabrication, the company also performs unique custom architectural work.

That specialty can be seen at several high-profile landmarks in the Quad-Cities.

In addition to the River Heritage Park guard railing, such projects include protective canopies at the historic Clock Tower building, the headquarters of the Rock Island District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Working with divisions within the company as well as outside vendors, Crawford manufactured and installed the canopies at three entryways of the historic landmark, completed in 1867 as the Rock Island Arsenals first building.

The structures include a curved thumbnail shaped overhang at the main entrance and two 35-foot long canopies at the sides of the building. With fiberglass decking supported by stainless steel frames in a color scheme in keeping with that of the original building, they feature decorative cast aluminum finials in oak leaf patterns matching the oak leaf designs incorporated in the historic fencing on the property.

The guard railing at Davenports River Heritage Park consists of 101 eight-foot long sections of powder-coated, galvanized steel incorporating the trapezoid shapes of the Government Bridges arches.

Keith Gerks, Crawfords division manager for weld/laser sales, said the project posed challenges.

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Architectural products shine the spotlight on Crawford Co.