I would like to add/adjust your point a bit. In many Midwestern cities many buildings of all income levels had ornamentation since the brick layers and other masons built or worked on their own homes. St. Louis in particular was well known for this although I was unable to find the original article speaking about it.

The masons that utilized these ornamental techniques no longer seem to exist in even moderate quantities.

http://dynamic.stlouis-mo.gov/history/wabmobricksinstl.cfm