Download OAHP | History Colorado

Survey
yes no Was this document useful for you?
   Thank you for your participation!

* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project

Document related concepts

Russian architecture wikipedia , lookup

Contemporary architecture wikipedia , lookup

Architecture of the United States wikipedia , lookup

Russian cultural heritage register wikipedia , lookup

Historic preservation wikipedia , lookup

Transcript








Blogs
Events Calendar
OAHP
Museums
Plan An Event
Membership
Support Us
Contact Us
Search this site:
Search




Families
o Things to Do at the History Colorado Center
o Online Exhibits & Digital Badges
o Learn About History
o Get Involved
o Junior Museum Camp
Adult Visitors
o Programs and Events
o Museums and Historic Sites
o Interact Online
o Read About History
o Plan Your Event
o Get Involved
Kids & Students
o Kindergarten - 4th Grade
o 5th - 8th Grade
o High School
o Continuing Education
Educators
o Field Trips & School Programs
o Online Exhibits & Digital Badges
o For the Classroom
o Volunteer or Intern
o Teacher Professional Development
o Featured Events
o Internet Resources
o



Colorado National Parks and Monuments
Archaeologists & Preservationists
o Archaeology & Historic Preservation Events
o Learn About Historic Preservation & Archaeology
o Useful Resources
o National and State Registers
o Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification (PAAC)
o City & County Government Preservation Programs (CLG)
o Cultural Resource Management
o Permits, Statutes & Regulations
o Office of Archaeology & Historic Preservation
o State Preservation Plan
o Grants & Financial Incentives
o Event Calendar
o Economic Benefits of Preservation Study
Grant Seekers & Recipients
o Grant News
o Grants & Financial Incentives
o Apply for Funding
o Manage your grant
o Grant Stories
o Hart & Governor Awards
o Economic Benefits of Preservation Study
o Secretary of the Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties
o Flood Resources
Researchers
o Stephen H. Hart Library and Research Center
o Search Collection Catalogs
o Research Tools
o Collections
o Collection Stories
o Photographs and Moving Images
o NAGPRA Program
o Services and Policies
o Classes and Programs
OAHP
31-Mile Ranch
Guffey Vicinity, Park County
SHF Project # 00-02-011
5PA.764
Barbara Glace Monel, socialite daughter of a wealthy easterner, bought the Greenhorn
Mountain Ranch in 1925, renaming it 31-Mile Ranch. She developed the operation into a
thriving business of raising draft and show horses. The large Gambrel-roofed barn, built
following Ms. Monel's purchase, is very elaborate for the inter-war period in this area of Park
County, when most ranchers of the era could not afford such an investment. The windmill
served the 1920s ranch house that burned in the 1950s. Oral histories relate that it pumped water
to a tank in the attic of the house, providing pressurized water to the interior. It is one of the few
in Park County that remain potentially operable.
Mr. R.W. "Curley" Reynolds (pictured below with Kathie Moore, of the Park County
Historical Society) acquired the property through a land swap with the Bureau of Land
Management in late 1999, and upon receiving a grant from the SHF in 2000 (and providing a
50% cash match), personally undertook a majority of the repair and restoration work on the barn,
the windmill, and log cabin. The exterior cladding of the barn was repaired, new wood shingles
were installed on the barn and cabin, the ground around the barn and cabin was regraded for
positive drainage, and the windmill was repaired by selectively replacing a minimum of original
materials. The Park County Historical Society donated considerable time and effort to this
project as well.
Schools in surrounding counties have visited the 31-Mile Ranch on field trips for many
years. It is used extensively by the Guffey Charter School as a learning experience for its
students, and every seventh grade student from the Fremont RE-1 school district visits the ranch
annually. Mr. Reynolds continues to allow access to the ranch buildings for these and other
educational and interpretive experiences.
For additional information about this project please contact the State Historical Fund at 303-8662825.
<< All Project Snapshots
Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
Museum of Northwest Colorado, Craig
Colorado State Armory /Museum of Northwest Colorado, Craig
590 Yampa Ave.
Built: 1921–1922, John J. Huddart, architect
After the armory moved to a new home in 1974, the old fortress was acquired by Moffat County
and turned over to the Museum of Northwest Colorado in 1990. The SHF contributed $54,500 in
1996 for a new roof, installation of heating and air conditioning, and gutter rehabilitation as part
of a $124,000 restoration. Like most of Colorado’s 19 other armories, Craig’s is a variant of the
standard armory plan created by Denver architect John J. Huddart. The two-story building,
which sports a stepped parapet, was constructed with wire-cut yellow brick and trimmed with red
brick and terracotta. The main roof is vaulted with a bowstring truss. The interior now features
a large exhibition space in the former drill hall overlooked by a balcony. The museum houses a
superb collection of cowboy and gunfighter gear and an 11-by-16-foot painting of Craig in 1896.
Information Sources
Parts of this text taken from Guide to Colorado Historic Places by Thomas J. Noel
Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
Mineral Belt Trail, Leadville
Much of the mining history of Colorado is connected to the great mineral strikes that
occurred around “Cloud City,” as represented in the historic resources found within the Leadville
Mining District. Physical evidence of that significant history, however, was being lost through
vandalism, the effects of the 10,000 foot altitude, and Superfund clean up efforts. Through the
joint participation of the community, the EPA and Lake County, the Mineral Belt Trail was
established and an interpretive plan was developed.
The Mineral Belt Trail was designed and laid out to penetrate the actual sites where history was
made. With the help of a $73,000 State Historical Fund grant, interpretive kiosks and low profile
wayside exhibits were constructed that direct visitors from site to site, place individual resources
within an overall context, and promote a preservation ethic. Incorporating converted sections of
three historic railroad lines, the trail helps to chronicle the full circle of Leadville mining history
and is the logical extension to the cultural resources found within the town – the silver thread
that binds the story of the sites and places that represent pivotal points in Colorado history.
Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
Mayflower Mill
In January, 2005, the San Juan County Historical Society (SJCHS) was awarded a grant
from the State Historical Fund for $90,510, which they matched with an additional $60,340 in
cash. The grant paid to both complete a Historic Structure Assessment of the Shenandoah-Dives
Mill (also known as the Mayflower Mill), and a HAER (Historic American Engineering Record)
documentation of the National Historic Landmark.
Being one of only seventeen such Landmarks in the state, and only one of five of its type still
extant, very special care was given to its assessment in preparation for later restoration. Nearly
completely intact with virtually all of its working components, including the mill, crushing plant,
office/assay building, tailings ponds, tram terminal, and aerial tramway, the Mill is a marvel of
engineering technology. In fact, the revolutionary flotation technology it used is credited with
having saved the mining industry from collapse during the desperate Great Depression years,
according to preservationists with the SJCHS.
While it might seem excessive to spend nearly $151,000 on a project that won’t result in physical
restoration of the site, it is important to understand the scope of a HAER documentation. HAER
documentations represent the highest possible level of documentation – necessary when you
consider that the Mill is possibly the best preserved of only a handful of such treasures remaining
of our nation’s industrial past.
While the standard HSA (which the State Historical Fund generally funds at less than $10,000
for a single, relatively simple building) might involve the expertise of an architect and a visit
with a special consultant if necessary, this HAER documentation project involves six full-time
architectural delineators, one historian, and a professional photographer for an entire summer of
work. Expenses include costs for not only the professional salaries, but temporary office space
rental, equipment rental, software, and travel expenses to the rather remote site.
Rather than a single HSA report, the HAER documentation project will produce up to twentyfour sheets of detailed architectural and engineering drawings, will be rendered in Computer
Aided Design, will include a 20-30 page historical report, and will result in between 40-60 largeformat photographs, according to the project’s Scope of Work.
2010 State Historical Fund project photos on Flickr
Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
Kit Carson County Carousel, Burlington
History goes in cycles, they say. Time wheels back around to where it has already
been; new becomes old becomes new again. Witness the Kit Carson County Carousel, which
began spinning in 1905 at Elitch Gardens in Denver. Built by the Philadelphia Toboggan
Company, this ornate attraction featured forty-six hand-carved and -painted animals, a 220-pipe
Wurlitzer Monster Military Band Organ, mirrors, oil paintings, bright lights, and gold-leaf
trim. This whirling festival of color and sound immediately became one of Elitch’s prime
attractions—a one-ring circus, delighting a generation of amusement-park patrons.
In 1928 Elitch’s bought a more modern carousel and sold the old one to Kit Carson County,
which installed it at the fairgrounds in Burlington. Residents there gave it a rude welcome,
complaining so loudly about the $1,250 price tag that three county commissioners were forced to
give up their jobs. The Great Depression ensued, and Kit Carson County suspended its annual
fair; the carousel spent six years standing motionless in a storage hangar, half-buried in
government-surplus cornstalks. Rodents and birds took up residence, destroying the mighty
Wurlitzer and gnawing wounds into the animal figures’ painted hides.
The carousel finally began running again in 1937 and limped along until the mid-1970s,
when local citizens launched a drive to restore it. Over the next twenty-five years they
rehabilitated the long-silent organ, repaired the damaged wood, touched up the peeled paint, and
installed modern drainage and security systems. And so the Kit Carson County Carousel had
finally come full circle. One of the oldest merry-go-rounds in the nation—and the only one with
a working Monster Military Band Organ—it delights a new generation of patrons, recreating the
pleasures of time past.
The State Historical Fund grants totaling $479,736 have assisted with the restoration of the
carousel animals, the installation of a “dry” sprinkler system, restoration of the band organ, and
restoration of the building that houses the carousel.
Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
Hinsdale County Courthouse
Lake City
Built: 1877
Hinsdale County matched $41,800 from the SHF to restore this two-story, lap-sided
building. Although its old golden oak furniture and six-over-six wavy glass windows remain, the
structure had sagged on the southwest corner, cracking the plaster wall and buckling the
floors. The county jacked up the building, put in a cement foundation, and repaired and
replastered the damaged walls. Interpretive exhibits in the courthouse remind visitors that at this
very building Susan B. Anthony once lectured for women’s suffrage, and Alfred Packer, the
cannibal, was sentenced to hang.
Information Sources
Parts of this text taken from Guide to Colorado Historic Places by Thomas J. Noel
Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
Georgetown/Silver Plume
Colorado’s pacesetting role in historic preservation and gentility began with town founder
George Griffith, who brought his wife and family to “George’s Town.” Griffith encouraged
other families to settle by offering free town lots to respectable women. The ladies fancied and
encouraged painted houses, gardens, churches, schools, an opera house, and other
refinements. Georgetowners established four fire-hose companies to protect their buildings.
From a peak population of some 3,300 in the 1880s, Georgetown dwindled to an all-time low of
301 in 1950. A private preservation group formed in 1970, Historic Georgetown, Inc., worked
with the town to enact one of Colorado’s first and toughest local preservation ordinances. To
keep development from creeping up the surrounding mountainsides, the town in the 1980s
bought out a condominium developer preparing to build on the south side of town. Since 1970
Georgetown has lost few of its 211 19th-century structures in the downtown historic district and
matched nearly $3 million in SHF funding to remain Colorado’s preservation queen.
Georgetown projects that have received State Historical Fund grants include the Hamill House,
the Hotel de Paris, Alpine Hose No. 2, the Mahany House, Grace Episcopal Church and the
Snetzer Building, among others. Grace Episcopal Church received a Stephen H. Hart Award
from the Colorado Historical Society in 2006 for their outstanding work in restoring the
neighboring Snetzer Building. The Snetzer, now used as a public meeting space and parish hall,
was an enormous project for the very small congregation which consists of 15 people on most
Sundays, and 24 during summer months.
The neighboring town of Silver Plume, part of the Georgetown/Silver Plume Historic District,
has received more than $402,000 from the State Historical Fund to restore their Small Town
Hall, Large Town Hall, the Blanton Building and Silver Plume Schoolhouse. People for Silver
Plume, Inc. also received a Stephen H. Hart Award this year for its outstanding commitment to
preserving the town’s historic resources.
The SHF has also provided funding for the Georgetown Loop Railroad, to preserve and restore
the railroad cars and locomotives and replace the famous truss bridge.
Snetzer Building/Grace Hall
414 Taos St.
Built: 1867, Cassius Clay, builder
Grace Episcopal Church matched the SHF’s $74,940 to remove the stucco skin and restore the
wood siding and false front, and glass storefront underneath, even recovering the old parapet
sign, “Jacob Snetzer, Tailor.” Snetzer resided in this building from 1876 to 1913, followed by a
family who stored and sold antiques.
More about the Snetzer building
Silver Plume Schoolhouse/George Rowe Museum
139 Main St.
Built: 1894, William Quayle, architect
One of Denver’s, and later San Diego’s, leading architects designed this Romanesque monument
to public education. After its closing as the Silver Plume School in 1959, town mayor George
Rowe purchased the five-room school and converted it into a museum in 1960. Thirty-five years
later, People for Silver Plume, Inc., matched $50,000 from the SHF to restore the exterior
masonry and portals, install an alarm system, update the electrical system, install a water tap,
clean and repair chimneys, and repair interior water damage.
Georgetown Loop Railroad
10 Mountain St.
Built: 1884, Jacob Blickensderfer, engineer
The Georgetown Loop Railroad is a 1984 reconstruction of the famed Georgetown–Silver Plume
narrow-gauge line. The Colorado Historical Society, which reconstructed and owns the line,
used $154,990 from the SHF to remove a stressed girder narrow-gauge railroad bridge and to
replace it with a replica of the original truss bridge. Besides addressing a safety issue, the new
bridge is more historically accurate. A cash match of $175,000 from ISTEA (Intermodel Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act) further facilitated this replica of the 1884 truss bridge. More than
100,000 visitors a year take this trip into the past, and a million more have seen it while stuck in
traffic jams on I-70.
Visit the Georgetown Loop Railroad web site for more visit information.
Information Sources
Parts of this text taken from Guide to Colorado Historic Places by Thomas J. Noel
Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
Along the Flat Tops Scenic Byway
Meeker
Holy Family Catholic Church
890 Park Ave.
Built: 1913, Aaron M. Gove and Thomas F. Walsh, architects
Prominent Denver architects designed this one-story Gothic Revival church with a commanding,
crenelated square bell tower for a $125 fee at a time when they were also working for the
Diocese of Denver on the Mile High City’s Immaculate Conception Cathedral. The Meeker
church had developed a leaky roof and a cracked wall until the State Historical Fund’s $68,850
helped to restore the central entry tower, replace the roof, install new gutters and downspouts,
and put snow brakes on the roof.
Rio Blanco County High School/Preschool
555 Garfield Ave.
Built: 1924, Robert K. Fuller, architect
This two-story structure of rough-cut local sandstone was the county’s only high school from
1924 until 1951. For its first two years, students had to dribble basketballs on packed dirt until
the school board had enough money to install a hardwood floor. To preserve the school, the
Meeker School District raised $283,000 and another $100,000 from the SHF to rehabilitate the
interior and exterior. Much of the work involved upgrading of mechanical systems to address
safety and teaching concerns. Preservation work included re-pointing of exterior brick to prevent
further deterioration as well as repair and paint to interior hallways. The rehabilitation allowed
for its reuse as a preschool, kindergarten, school district offices, and meeting space. The gym
hosts recreation, dances, school activities, performances, and meetings.
St. James Episcopal Church
368 4th St.
Built: 1889
The first church in Meeker and one of Colorado’s oldest still-flourishing Episcopal churches is
made of golden sandstone from the nearby Flag Creek Quarry. Rough cut into blocks, the stone
is used for the walls, sills, trim and buttresses, which peek out from under a large, steep shingled
roof. The central entry is topped by a distinctive, open-shingled tower with a bell from the
Blymer Bell Foundry of Cincinnati. This lovely little Queen Anne–style church is enhanced by a
generous and well-maintained garden and lawn. St. James raised $35,000 to match $105,000
from the SHF to restore the badly leaning bell tower, stabilize the foundation, and replace the
roof.
Information Sources
Parts of this text taken from Guide to Colorado Historic Places by Thomas J. Noel
Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
Weld County
Ault
Briggsdale
Eaton
Erie
Fort Lupton
Frederick
Back to Listings by County
Download Google Earth KML file (What's this?)
Greeley
Grover
Johnstown
Keenesburg
Keota
Kersey
Longmont Stoneham
Lucerne
Wiggins
Mead
Windsor
Milliken
Nunn
Platteville
Ault
Ault High School
208 W. 1st St.
State Register 12/8/1999, 5WL.2772
Built in 1921, Ault High School served as the community’s only high school from 1921
until 1976, and then as a junior high school until 1992. The building is an important
example of the work of prominent regional architect, Sidney G. Frazier.
For information about the State Historical Fund’s participation in the preservation of
this property see the Project Snapshot.
Ault Pump House
420 Graefe Ave.
State Register 2/22/2007, 5WL.5026
The 1907 pump house is important for its historic use as a major part of the community
infrastructure that provided an adequate water supply to the town. The water system
contributed to the town’s growth and progress by elevating living conditions and assisting
with fire protection. (2006 photograph.) More information (PDF, 952 kb).
back to the top
Briggsdale
Elmer & Etta Ball Ranch
Weld County Rd. 69, vicinity of Briggsdale
National Register 10/16/1991, 5WL.1599
This cohesive group of agricultural buildings, including the main farm house, main barn,
smaller barns, bunk house, chicken house, well, corral area, outhouse, and other minor
structures, is representative of early 20th century dryland farming and ranching in rural
Weld County. The main house is a 1½-story Bungalow style dwelling built in 1914 and
enlarged in 1929. The property is associated with the Historic Farms and Ranches of Weld
County Multiple Property Submission.
Briggsdale Motor Company
200 Main St.
State Register 2/25/2010, 5WL.6227
The Briggsdale Motor Company is listed on the State Register in the area of
Commerce. During the ownership of the Motor Company by J. A. Brooks and Maynard
Cass, the business sold parts, tires, and gasoline while providing automobile repairs and
service. The period of significance begins in 1929 with the completion of the Briggsdale
Motor Company building at 200 Main Street and continues to 1960 when the business
closed.
Land Utilization Program Headquarters / Briggsdale Work Center
44741 Weld County Rd. 77, Briggsdale vicinity
National Register 10/29/2009, 5WL.1591
Designated under the Multiple Property Documentation Form for New Deal Resources of
Colorado’s Eastern Plains at the state level of significance, the LUP Headquarters,
mandated by the Resettlement Administration in 1935, is significant in the area of
Politics/Government for its association with President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal
legislative agenda to rescue the United States from the Great Depression. The Land
Utilization Program characterized a nascent period of greater government involvement in
agricultural practice and policy. The LUP Headquarters is also significant in the area of
Conservation as a program developed to reverse the damage overgrazing, dryland farming,
erosion, and dust caused to the Plains. Finally, the LUP Headquarters is significant in the
area of Landscape Architecture as a rare intact demonstration landscape designed by New
Deal conservationists. The period of significance begins in 1936 with the establishment of
the LUP Headquarters and ends in 1941. More information (PDF 2.15 MB).
back to the top
Eaton
Amanda K. Alger Memorial Episcopal Church (Eaton United Methodist Church)
303 Maple Ave.
National Register 10/25/2006, 5WL.5088
The 1925 Amanda K. Alger Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church is an excellent example
of the Late Gothic Revival style popular in the 1920s. Designed by the architectural firm
of Wilson and Wilson, the church exhibits many of the characteristics of the style including
a steeply pitched roof, arched windows with tracery, quatrefoil elements, a crenellated
parapet, and simpler detailing. The church played an important community role in hosting
numerous dinners and basketball games over the decades. The Ladies Aid Bazaar occurred
here each year as a fundraiser for this active women’s group. Additionally, the Ladies Aid
prepared many dinners in the kitchen and served meals for Rotary Club dinners, Masons,
and other organizations. Intramural and adult league basketball games also took place in
the Fellowship Hall. This large room has provided a place for the community to gather,
socialize, and celebrate. More information (PDF, 880 kb).
Eaton High School
114 Park Ave.
State Register 9/11/1996, 5WL.890
The 1929 Eaton High School is important for its association with the history of education
in Eaton. It is also architecturally significant as a good example of the Collegiate Gothic
style and the work of an important Colorado architect, Robert Kenneth Fuller.
Aaron James Eaton House
207 Elm St.
National Register 4/19/2006, 5WL.4884
Aaron James Eaton, the “Father of Commerce” in Eaton, moved into the new house with
his family in 1888. Eaton was one of the town founders, being active and influential in
many aspects of community and regional development. He established and operated the
town’s first general merchandise store, the First National Bank of Eaton, and the Eaton
Building and Loan Association. He secured a sugar beet factory for the town, organized
the local school district, and served as postmaster and one of the first town trustees. Eaton
also took an interest in his father’s agricultural pursuits, overseeing many area farms and
irrigation projects. The Eaton House was the town’s first two-story brick residence and is
the oldest, largest, and least altered example of the Queen Anne style in Eaton. The house
displays representative elements in its asymmetrical massing, variety of construction
materials (brick, stone and decorative shingles), and steeply pitched roof with complex
forms. (2005 photograph.) More information (PDF, 1.56 MB).
back to the top
Erie
Lincoln School / Erie Town Hall
645 Holbrook
National Register 7/22/1981, 5WL.216
This two-story brick building was constructed in 1906 and continued to operate as a school
until 1966. It has a hip roof with flared eaves, and the entry is topped by a bell tower.
back to the top
Fort Lupton
Ottesen Grain Co. Feed Mill
815 7th St.
National Register 11/5/1998, 5WL.2708
The 1920 Ottesen Grain Co. Feed Mill functioned as the sole grain buyer and livestock
feed processor for the Fort Lupton area for over fifty years. The complex consists of three
adjoining buildings and two tall silos which are tied together structurally at the roof
line. The different materials used in their construction illustrate the shift from fire-prone
wood structures to the use of brick, tile, steel, and concrete for such facilities.
back to the top
Frederick
Town of Frederick Old Town Hall
105 Fifth St.
State Register 1/26/2012, 5WL.4186
The Town of Frederick Old Town Hall is significant in the area of politics and government
as a long tenured town hall serving the community of Frederick from 1908 until 1976,
when the town constructed a new Town Hall/Municipal Building. It originally served as
the recorder of coal mining transactions, municipal court, jail, record keeper and primary
hub for town government. Additionally, the 1908 Town of Frederick Old Town Hall is
significant as a good local example of a false-front commercial building type. Characterdefining features of this building type exhibited by the Old Town Hall include a frontgabled roof, main façade parapet extending above the roof, rectangular plan, wood-frame
construction, and one story. In 1976 the town outgrew the 1908 building and relocated the
original building to a park two blocks to the west. The original site became the site of a
much larger town hall building including the fire station and police station.
Greeley
Conrad Borgens House
415 13th St.
State Register 6/25/15, 5WL.6512
The 1920 Conrad Borgens House is architecturally significant as a good example of a
Craftsman style residence. Builder and carpenter Conrad Borgens designed and built this
house for his family and included Craftsman character-defining features including woodshingle siding, lap siding, a full-width front porch with massive battered piers, exposed
rafter ends, broadly overhanging eaves, multi-light-over-one wood frame sash windows,
and gabled dormers with wood shingle siding. He carried the Craftsman style to the
interior with various built-in cabinets, cupboards and decorative wood features. The house
remains in the Borgens family. More information (PDF, 957 KB).
Clubhouse / Student Union
University of Northern Colorado Campus
National Register 10/29/2008, 5WL.5840
The 1916 Student Union stands as an important record of New Deal construction programs
in eastern Colorado, reflecting the extensive assistance the Colorado State College of
Education (now UNC) received from the PWA to remake its campus during the
1930s. The building was the center of social life for the students of the College hosting
events such as teas, mixers, dances, and banquets. It was also important in the history of
the college as the first building constructed specifically for women. The original
Clubhouse reflects Craftsman design while the Student Union expansion in 1939 exhibits
Collegiate Gothic style. The property is associated with the New Deal Resources on
Colorado’s Eastern Plains Multiple Property Submission. (2008 photograph.) More
information (PDF, 2.12 MB).
Coronado Building
900-920 9th Ave.
State Register 6/12/1996, 5WL.2284
The 1905 Coronado Building is associated with the development and evolution of
Greeley’s downtown and with Dr. Ella Mead and architect Bessie Smith, two women
important to the community’s social history. Smith’s design is an important local example
of early 20th century commercial architecture. (1996 photograph.)
First Baptist Church
10th Ave. at 11th St.
National Register 11/25/1987, 5WL.1251
The 1911 First Baptist Church, a rectangular plan building on a raised foundation, topped
by an unenriched parapet in a Neoclassical style, was designed by architect T. Robert
Wieger.
Glazier House
1403 9th Ave.
National Register 2/5/1991, 5WL.1768
The Glazier House is a two-story wood frame Queen Anne style residence built in 1902 by
J.A. Woodbury, a talented builder and craftsman in Greeley, for I.O. Grazier, a Greeley
jeweler. Glazier’s wife, Clara, is said to have designed the essentially unaltered residence.
Greeley Downtown
Roughly bounded by 8th St. on the north, 8th Ave. on the east, 9th St. on the south, and 9th
Ave. on the west
National Register 7/24/2008, 5WL.5652
The historic district represents much of the commercial history and development of
Greeley. Downtown commercial activity began in earnest in 1880. The area formed the
community’s hub as the home to restaurants, retail stores, hotels, law and medical offices,
grocers, real estate offices, pharmacies, and other establishments, as well as the Weld
County Courthouse, all significant to Greeley’s commercial development. From locally
owned businesses to regional and national chain stores, the district reflects the evolution of
Greeley from its establishment as a small rural town to a commercial center for
northeastern Colorado. By 1958, the growth of the city and movement of businesses away
from the downtown led to remodeling and new construction in downtown. Recent historic
building restorations have accompanied renewed economic activity signaling the beginning
of a new phase of commercial history in Greeley’s downtown district. (2008
photograph.) More information (PDF, 57.78 MB).
Greeley High School (Greeley Central)
1515 14th Ave.
State Register 3/10/1999, National Register 4/15/1999, 5WL.2916
The 1927 three-story Late Gothic Revival style brick building was designed by Denver
architect William N. Bowman, in conjunction with Greeley architect Sidney G.
Frazier. The exterior remains virtually as constructed, and the building remains in use as
part of the Greeley Central High School complex.
Greeley Ice and Storage Building
1120 6th Avenue
State Register 9/24/2015, 5WL.7373
The 1930/1939 Greeley Ice and Storage Building is important as an early-twentieth century
ice manufacturing and storage facility, providing the city of Greeley and surrounding areas
with manufactured ice and cold storage for meat, poultry, and beverages, as well as storage
for furniture, furs, and other items. The company also supported area agricultural interests
by supplying ice for railroad and truck transport of meat and produce. It is a good example
of a 1930s ice manufacturing and cold storage facility, as reflected in its immense size,
external framework of piers and floorplates dividing brick curtain walls, few window
openings, loading docks, flat roof with parapet, concrete internal columns, and limited
ornamentation. The utilization of brick walls within an exposed concrete structural grid is
a design frequently seen in industrial buildings of the era. More information (PDF, 3.43
MB).
Greeley Junior High School
811 15th St.
National Register 10/11/2003, 5WL.2572
The 1938 Greeley Junior High School is the oldest surviving junior high school in the
community. The Depression-era Public Works Administration, part of Franklin D.
Roosevelt’s New Deal programs, partially funded the school’s construction. The building
is the only known example of the Art Deco style in Greeley. The school is distinguished
by its high standards of construction craft and its extensive use of terra cotta
ornamentation. The building is the work of Sidney G. Frazier, Greeley’s most significant
historic architect.
Greeley Masonic Temple
829 10th Ave.
National Register 7/7/2004, 5WL.4159
The Greeley Masonic Temple is an important design of architect William N.
Bowman. The 1927 Masonic building is his only known commission to have employed a
modernist interpretation of Georgian Revival architecture. The building is also associated
with the social history of a Masonic Lodge. As a fraternal order, the Masons participated
in numerous community betterment activities in Greeley. More information (PDF, 552
kb).
Greeley School / Central Platoon School
1015 8th St.
National Register 7/23/1981, 5WL.315
The school is a combination of two building periods-1895, when the high school was
constructed, and 1902, when the grade school building was added. The 1895 building
constructed on a stone and red sandstone foundation has pressed brick walls set in red
mortar, with red sandstone trimmings. It was designed by Harlan Thomas of Denver in a
variation of the Romanesque style. The 1902 addition is similar, yet subordinate to, the
high school. Very little ornamentation appears in the overall design, following a
conservative "no frills" guideline. The building is significant in that it reflects the response
to educational needs of a growing community in economically difficult times.
Greeley Tribune Building
714 8th St.
National Register 4/18/2007, 5WL.2573
The Greeley Tribune newspaper operated out of this building from the completion of
construction in 1929 until 1986. The Tribune was the main source of information for the
rural agricultural region in and around Greeley, providing not only local stories but also
national and international news. The newspaper saw significant expansion during its
occupation of the building. The Tribune is Weld County’s oldest newspaper and one of the
oldest businesses in Greeley, having been started in 1870. Sidney Frazier, counted among
Greeley’s noted architects, designed the excellent local example of the Beaux-Arts
style. The building exhibits many of the characteristic features of the style including a
symmetrical facade, terra cotta ornamentation in the pilasters and cartouche, the semicircular ironwork canopy, and an entablature with dentils and egg-and-dart molding topped
with decorative urns. More information (PDF, 396 kb).
Greeley Union Pacific Railroad Depot
7th Ave. & 9th St.
National Register 11/4/1993, 5WL.764
Architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood designed the 1929 Greeley depot. Underwood is best
known for the Rustic style buildings he designed for the Union Pacific and the National
Park Service in Bryce Canyon, Zion, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon National Parks. The
Greeley depot is the only known example of Underwood’s work in Colorado. The property
is associated with the Railroads in Colorado, 1858-1948 Multiple Multiple Property
Submission.
Meeker House (Meeker Memorial Museum)
1324 9th Ave., NW
National Register 2/26/1970, 5WL.566
Nathan C. Meeker, founder of Union Colony, later known as Greeley, built the two-story
adobe structure in 1870. Meeker had been the agricultural editor for Horace Greeley's
newspaper, the New York Tribune, and he acted on his supervisor’s famous
pronouncement "to go west young man."
Nettleton-Mead House
1303 9th Ave.
National Register 4/2/2002, 5WL.2575
The two-story wood frame Italianate style house is one of the few intact residences dating
from the early years of the Union Colony established by Nathan Meeker in 1870. Edwin S.
Nettleton designed several early canals that brought critical irrigation water to the
farmlands and urban homesteads of the colony. His canals, perhaps more than any other
single factor, led to the initial success and sustained growth of the community. Dr. Ella
Avery Mead, the first female doctor in the Greeley area, practiced from 1905 into the
1940s. She dedicated her professional life to the improvement of children’s and women’s
health. As the City Health Officer for Greeley she enforced quarantine laws, instituted
milk inspections, and implemented a health screening system in the area’s public schools.
Noffsinger House
1861 12th Ave.
State Register 2/26/2009, 5WL.3510
The Noffsinger House is associated with inventor and businessman, Fred P. Noffsinger
(1885 – 1950), who contributed significantly to the agricultural industry of Weld County
and the state of Colorado. His farm machinery inventions were nationally recognized and
included the first automated equipment used in the potato industry. These included the
potato digger, land leveler, and grasshopper exterminator. His equipment set standards in
engineering that are still admired and used today. More information (PDF, 1.19 MB).
SLW Ranch
27401 Weld County Road 58½, Greeley vicinity
National Register 3/15/1991, 5WL.805
The SLW ranch complex consists of a ranch house, coal house, ice house, barn, corral,
storage, and feeding areas. The ranch house, a large, two-story frame dwelling over a stone
cellar, was built in 1888 by Robert Hall for Lyulph Ogilvy. The ranch represents a variety
of developments in the area from its association with the movement of Scottish investors in
western ranch lands, the Percheron-Norman Horse Co., which supplied horses to meet the
needs of farm and city dwellers, to the development of the cattle industry in the 20th
century. The property is associated with the Historic Farms and Ranches of Weld County
Multiple Property Submission.
University of Northern Colorado Campus Residential District
University of Northern Colorado
State Register 12/9/1998, 5WL.2883
The district represents part of the evolution of the college from the Colorado Normal
School to the University of Northern Colorado. Architecturally, the central campus area
includes a variety of residential buildings, constructed between 1921-1936, employing
Germanic half-timbering and Bavarian influenced styles as executed by a number of
prominent architects, including: William Ittner, F.W. Ireland, Jr., Robert Lindstadt, and
William Bowman.
Von Gohren-Thompson Homestead / Gerry Farm Rural Historic Landscape
Greeley vicinity
National Register 5/4/2011, 5WL.1242
The Von Gohren-Thompson Homestead – Gerry Farm is significant in the area of
agriculture for its long association with the development of irrigated farming and livestock
feeding in Weld County. The property meets the registration requirements as specified in
the Multiple Property Documentation Form Historic Farms and Ranches of Weld County,
being associated with the historic context Irrigated Farming in Weld County, 1870 - 1940
with the farm property type represented. Additionally, the property is architecturally
significant with the main farmhouse being an excellent example of the Gable Front house
with a slight modification to the classic example with the addition of a noticeable side
wing. Although the Gable Front house was very popular at the time and often found in
pattern books, the Thompson family modified it by adding the side wing to the west and a
rear wing on the north. A wing on the back of the house for the kitchen was a common
addition to the vernacular form. Finally, the property is important in the area of nonaboriginal archaeology for its potential to yield information important to history.
Von Trotha-Firestien Farm
Greeley vicinity
National Register 5/12/2009, 5WL.5983
The Von Trotha-Firestien Farm is associated with the development of irrigated farming and
livestock feeding in Weld County. Extant resources represent over 109 years of European
settlement in the Bracewell area, with over 93 years directly associated with the Von
Trotha and Firestien families. The resources directly correlate to the stages of
technological and economic development of agriculture in northeastern Colorado, the most
important being irrigation and sugar beet cultivation, both critical to the development of
Greeley and Weld County. Additionally, the architecture and construction techniques
represent those employed by farmers with limited means and materials. The medley of
vernacular styles and materials reveal the extent to which the area’s farmers could make do
by recycling building materials, adapting and reusing buildings and structures and applying
do-it-yourself techniques that met restricted budgets while adjusting to changing economic
and technological circumstances. The Von Trothas dismantled three clay tile brick silos
from other properties they owned and utilized the brick for the Bungalow farmhouse
construction. The property is associated with Historic Farms and Ranches of Weld County
Multiple Property Submission.
Weld County Courthouse
915 9th St.
National Register 1/9/1978, 5WL.567
Designed by Denver architect William Norman Bowman this impressive four-story
building of Indiana limestone and marble was completed in 1917. Its Neoclassical design
is unique in the Greeley area.
White-Plumb Farm
4001 W. 9th St.
State Register 6/12/1996, National Register 7/27/2005, 5WL.322
Listed as a Colorado Centennial Farm in 1986, the property is associated with the history of
agricultural development in Greeley and Weld County. Several farm related structures
remain on the site. The 1904 farmhouse is a well preserved example of the work of Bessie
Smith, Greeley’s first woman architect. (2005 photograph.) More information (PDF, 967
kb).
Joseph A. Woodbury House
1124 7th St.
National Register 5/17/1984, 5WL.664
The Woodbury House is one of the best examples of a Gothic cottage in Greeley. The oneand-one-half-story wood frame residence, with a projecting central bay extending above
the first floor to become a projecting gable, was constructed in 1870-1871. Joseph
Woodbury worked as a builder, became Greeley’s first fire chief, and was elected mayor in
1890 and 1897.
back to the top
Grover
Grover Depot (Grover Museum)
600 Chatoga Ave.
State Register 8/11/1993, 5WL.777
The Grover Depot, a two-story rectangular frame building with a gable roof, was built in
1887 by the Burlington Railroad Company. The building is a rare Colorado example of a
first generation, two-story railroad depot and may well be the only surviving example of its
type in Colorado. It represents the important role played by rail transportation in the
founding, growth, and long-term survival of many Colorado agricultural towns such as
Grover.
Grover Grain Elevator
North of Chatoga Ave. along RR right-of-way
State Register 3/13/1996, 5WL.2253
The circa 1916 Grover Grain Elevator, a well-preserved example of cribbed construction,
stands as a reminder of the importance of the relationship between agriculture, commerce,
and transportation to economic development in the Pawnee Grassland Region. The
railroad right-of-way is still visible between the elevator and the Grover Depot.
Hotel Grover
223 Chatoga Ave.
State Register 9/13/1995, 5WL.2223
The 1910 Hotel Grover played a role in the commercial development of the Grover
community where it is both the longest continually operating and last surviving hotel
building. It is also associated with education, having functioned as a district teacherage
and informal educational center from 1950 until the early 1990s.
Cora M. Morris & Company Building
501 Chatoga Ave.
State Register 5/27/2010, 5WL.1000
The Cora M. Morris & Co. Building began as a mercantile store in 1888. After a fire
destroyed the front portion of the building in the mid-1930s, new owners and the
community repaired and converted it to a community-gathering place. The Community
Club, which organized local rodeo events, owned and met at the building for over 35
years. The organization offered the community building to residents of the Grover and the
surrounding rural areas as a venue for movies, dances, Thespian variety shows, benefits,
family events, and general meeting place.
back to the top
Johnstown
Anderson Barn
5255 Colo. Hwy. 60
National Register 10/6/2004, 5WL.4810
The 1913 barn is an excellent example of a gambrel-roofed barn using plain-faced
ornamental concrete block for its lower level. Ornamental concrete block was a popular
construction material in the first three decades of the 20th century and was often formed
with hand-operated machines on site. This concrete foundation formed a strong base on
which to erect the roof trusses for the complex gambrel roof. The transformation of the
lower level from its original dairy operation to a horse barn resulted in the loss of some
interior materials. However, the original concrete floor and center passage remain, as does
the large hayloft. More information (PDF, 2.46 MB).
Jared L. Brush Barn
24308 Weld County Rd. 17, Johnstown vicinity
National Register 10/16/1991, 5WL.1072
The Jared L. Brush Ranch began in 1860 as one of the first ranches in the Big Thompson
Valley. The barn was constructed in 1865 and continues to serve as an integral part of an
operating agricultural complex. The vertical wood sided barn includes historic shed roofed
additions on each side of the central bay, which is 2½-stories in height and has a steeply
pitched gabled roof. The utilization of wood pegged posts and beams, in conjunction with
native wood and stone, in the barn’s construction marks it as a rare surviving resource of its
type dating from Colorado’s pre-railroad and territorial periods. The property is associated
with the Historic Farms and Ranches of Weld County Multiple Property Submission.
Little Thompson River Bridge
I-25 Service Rd., Johnstown vicinity
National Register 10/15/2002, 5WL.2985
Constructed over the Little Thompson River by Gardner Brothers in 1938, the bridge is
associated with the development of US Hwy. 87 north of Denver. Subsequently becoming
the route for today’s I-25, the highway served as a major north-south route, joining the
major population centers along the western edge of Colorado’s high plains. Designed by
the Colorado Department of Highways and fabricated by Midwest Steel & Iron Works, the
single span rigid connected camelback pony truss runs for 104 feet. The property is
associated with the the Highway Bridges in Colorado Multiple Multiple Property
Submission.
Harvey J. Parish House
701 Charlotte St.
National Register 4/14/2000, 5WL.3174
Harvey J. Parish commissioned the construction of this house at the apex of his career in
1914. In 1902, Parish platted the town of Johnstown, which he named in honor of his son,
and he served as the community’s first mayor. The family residence is the most important
local example of a Craftsman Bungalow style house.
For information about the State Historical Fund’s participation in the preservation of
this property see the Project Snapshot. (2005 photograph.)
back to the top
Keenesburg
Prospect Valley School
33318 Hwy. 52
State Register 3/11/1998, 5WL.2562
The circa 1903 Prospect Valley School, with circa 1920 and 1940 additions, provided
elementary education for several generations of students in the Prospect Valley area of
southern Weld County. The additions to the school building reflect the growth of the
community and the adaptation of the original school to meet increased enrollments.
back to the top
Keota
Keota Stone Circles Archaeological District / Shull Tipi Rings
Southwest of Wild Horse Creek, Keota vicinity
National Register 7/28/1981, 5WL.662
The site has the potential to yield important information related to human associations with
the area during the Middle Preceramic, Late Preceramic, and Late Ceramic Periods. (1994
photograph.)
back to the top
Kersey
Jurgens Site
Kersey vicinity
National Register 7/18/1990, 5WL.53
The Jurgens Site, a Paleo-Indian Plano Period multiple activity site, is represented by a
long-term camp or habitation site, short term camp site, and a butchering and processing
area for animals obtained in a small mass kill. Information from this site provides a major
basis for knowledge about campsites and butchering sites, as well as cultural complexes
making up the Plano Period. The property is associated with the Prehistoric Paleo-Indian
Cultures of the Colorado Plains Multiple Property Submission. (ca. 1970 photograph.)
back to the top
Longmont
Sandstone Ranch
Sandstone Ranch Rd. and Co. Hwy. 119
National Register 1/23/1984, 5WL.712
Morse H. Coffin built the ranch beginning in the early 1880s. The complex includes nine
farm structures and a quarry. The vernacular Second Empire style house was built in the
early 1880s using sandstone from the nearby quarry. The quarry supplied stone to Denver,
other parts of the state, and as far east as Chicago. The ranch, one of the least altered in
Weld County, represents a good combination of cultivation and grazing activities.
back to the top
Lucerne
Milne Farm
18457 Colo. Hwy. 392, Lucerne vicinity
National Register 2/3/1993, 5WL.1189
The Milne Farm is an historic agricultural complex that encompasses a farmhouse,
agricultural buildings, and irrigated fields. The Edwardian Vernacular style two-story red
brick farmhouse was built in 1892 by James Grant Milne, a Scottish emigrant. Milne raised
sheep and sugar beets. He became a leader in irrigation activities, was instrumental in the
construction of the Boyd Lateral from the Larimer and Weld Ditch, and was considered a
leader in civic and business affairs of the community. The property is associated with the
Historic Farms and Ranches of Weld County Multiple Property Submission.
back to the top
Mead
United Church of Christ Highland Lake
16896 Weld County Rd. 5, Mead vicinity
National Register 2/10/1989, 5WL.811
The building is an intact example of a vernacular wood frame church typical of those built
on the eastern Colorado plains in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The 1896 church is
the only remaining public building in what once was a thriving agricultural community.
back to the top
Milliken
Daniels School
Milliken vicinity
National Register 7/6/2005, 5WL.3168
The 1911 school building served the educational needs of the agricultural community near
Milliken for almost fifty years. Its intact setting, associated teacherage, itself a rare
survivor of rural education, and privy further enable the property to convey its rural
heritage. The building exhibits typical elements of rural schools, such as the narrow
windows, bell tower, one-room interior, and the entry vestibule. The Daniels School is an
unusual example of the Classical Revival style as applied to a rural school, with its
pedimented porch, classical columns, and corner quoining. Daniels School is the last
surviving rural brick schoolhouse in Weld County. The property is associated with the
Rural School Buildings of Colorado Multiple Property Submission. More information
(PDF, 387 kb).
back to the top
Nunn
Nunn Municipal Hall (Northern Drylanders Museum)
755 3rd St.
State Register 3/10/1999, 5WL.2114
Constructed in 1933-1934 as a Civil Works Administration Depression-Era project, the
two-story building, of painted concrete housed the police station, fire department, and town
clerk. Community dinners, school activities, and various other family gatherings took
place in the building. No longer used as a town hall, the building is now a community
museum.
Nunn Water Tower
US Hwy. 85
State Register 3/10/1993, 5WL.1859
The Nunn Water Tower, a 50,000-gallon steel tank on four steel legs with a platform and
guard rails, was constructed in 1921 and distributes water to town water users. A beacon
light on top of the tower once guided planes flying between Denver and Cheyenne,
Wyoming, and it served as a light for the residents of Nunn.
back to the top
Platteville
Fort St. Vrain Monument
Platteville vicinity
State Register 5/16/2001, 5WL.814
The Centennial Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution placed a
commemorative monument on the site of Fort St. Vrain near Platteville in 1911. The
monument was the first in an ongoing series of over 100 commemorative markers in
Colorado erected by the DAR through its local chapters. Such monuments served to
remind local residents and visitors of past events and personages through direct association
with specific sites of importance. Often the monument itself is the only physical
connection to the event or personage. Such dedicated sites provide historical geographic
context and help to establish and maintain community identity in the face of change.
Fort Vasquez Site
US Hwy. 85, Platteville vicinity
National Register 9/30/1970; Additional Documentation 9/9/2001, 5WL.568
Louis Vasquez and Andrew Sublette built an adobe fort on this site about 1835 as part of
their fur trading enterprise. The two sold the fort in 1841 and it was abandoned a year
later. In the late 1930s, the Works Progress Administration reconstructed the adobe fort
using the small portions of the remaining walls and the limited information available
regarding the size and plan of the original. History Colorado operates the property as one
of its regional museums. The property is associated with the New Deal Resources on
Colorado’s Eastern Plains Multiple Property Submission.
back to the top
Stoneham
West Stoneham Archaeological District
Stoneham vicinity
National Register 9/23/1994, 5WL.2180
The district yielded, and continues to yield, important information regarding northeastern
Colorado’s prehistoric and early historic periods, especially in relation to the use of
rockshelters and stone rings. (1993 photograph.)
back to the top
Wiggins
Dearfield
US Hwy. 34, 11 miles west of Wiggins
National Register 8/4/1995, 5WL.744
The townsite is the only remaining Colorado example of the national African-American
colonization movement inspired by Booker T. Washington. It was one of fourteen
colonies, or rural towns, established in the West to provide Americans of African descent
with the opportunity to own and work their own land. By 1917, sixty African-American
families worked its 15,000 acres. The town boasted a boarding house, numerous stores, a
concrete block factory, a blacksmith shop, churches, and its own telephone service. The
Great Depression and the Dust Bowl brought hard times, and many of its residents moved
on. Oliver Toussaint Jackson, an African-American leader and entrepreneur in Colorado
from the early 1900s until his death in 1948, founded Dearfield in 1910 when he filed a
homestead claim for the initial 160 acres of land. (1995 photograph.)
back to the top
Windsor
First Methodist Episcopal Church
501 Walnut St.
National Register 7/7/2004, 5WL.2495
The 1915 First Methodist Episcopal Church in Windsor is an excellent ecclesiastical
example of Classical Revival and a well-preserved example of high style architecture
applied in a small town setting. Nebraska architect John R. Smith designed the
building. The church interior contains typical design elements of the Akron Plan, along
with an unusual and complex star-shaped coffered sanctuary ceiling with pendant lights
and a central octagonal stained glass dome. The original building connects through a
narrow passage to a sensitively designed 1995 Postmodern style addition.
Windsor Mill & Elevator Company Building
301 Main St.
National Register 9/3/1998, 5WL.838
The 1899 mill is architecturally representative of a turn-of-the-century agricultural
processing and storage facility typically found in rural Colorado communities. The
complex includes a stacked lumber grain elevator, a brick mill building, a wood-frame
warehouse, and a free-standing brick boiler house.
Windsor Town Hall (Windsor Art and Heritage Center)
116 5th St.
National Register 1/15/1999, 5WL.2050
The 1909 two-story building is a good example of an early 20th century local government
administrative center, combining offices for the town’s governing board, administrative
offices, police station, city jail, fire station, and public meeting rooms. Its simplified
Classical Revival style was common to public buildings of the period, particularly in
smaller Colorado communities. The building currently houses the Windsor-Severance
Historical Society and Museum and the Windsor Chamber of Commerce.
back to the top
Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
Preservation study focuses on vitality of downtown as
economic engine
By Christine McManus
[email protected]
(Originally published in the Fort Collins Coloradoan, November 21, 2005)
Fort Collins' historic Old Town is being held up as a model to cities across Colorado of how
historic preservation can be a significant economic engine.
Between 1979 and 2003, property values in Old Town soared 721 percent, compared to a 423
percent appreciation rate in areas nearby not designated as historic, according to a recentlypublished study for the Colorado Historical Foundation.
The study - titled The Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation in Colorado 2005 Update focused on Old Town because it has been designated as historic by city, state and national
officials for almost 30 years.
Historic preservation is a key strategy for successful community planning and economic
development, in addition to protecting and appreciating the past, the study said.
The renovated Armstrong Hotel, featured on the cover of the study, is one example of how
business and property owners can use historic preservation to their benefit.
Intuitively, Armstrong Hotel owners Steve and Missy Levinger several years ago figured they
would reap the benefits of renovating the hotel and first floor shops. The couple had previously
renovated several houses and buildings downtown, all 60 to 100 years old.
"Sitting here empty for so long, The Armstrong Hotel was probably the last shot for Fort Collins
to get a historic hotel," Steve Levinger said. "I'd driven past it a million times ... we almost
converted it into apartments, but in the planning stages we realized it was built to be a hotel. We
take great pride in that today."
The businesses on the first floor of the building opened months before the hotel in 2003. Mugs
Coffee Lounge, HuHot Mongolian Grill, the Pita Pit and Choice City Butcher and Deli employ
nearly 100 people. They bring in more than 1,000 customers per day combined, and an
estimated $10,000 in sales tax monthly.
"These things start with the city (government)," said Steve Levinger. "Fort Collins not only has
the policy regulations, it's committed resources to historic preservation. And it has paid off for
them. It's the right thing to do and it also brings in economic benefits."
Armstrong Hotel by the numbers






$4.5 million: The total cost, including land, of starting the business and renovating
$10,000: Grants received by the Armstrong Hotel from the city of Fort Collins
$196,000: Grants received from the Colorado Historic Foundation
$285,000: Grants received from the Downtown Development Authority
$28,000: Annual property taxes of the Armstrong Hotel before renovation
$63,000: Annual property taxes of the Armstrong Hotel after renovation
Historic loans and grants covered $491,000 of the $3 million renovation, not including land
acquisition and business start-up costs. That's 19.5 percent of the renovation, or 10 percent of
the $4.5 million total cost, to turn a vacant, old building into a lively, historic street corner with
several thriving businesses.
Before the refurbishment, the Armstrong Hotel generated $28,000 in property taxes
annually. Now it generates $63,000 a year, said Steve Levinger.
In that same time frame, three other sites have undertaken economic development within a
block of the Armstrong. Taste of Philly restaurant opened across the street. Northern
Engineering is building Old Town Lofts, a three-story office and loft building at 200 S. College
Ave. At the corner of College Avenue and Olive Street, developer Archie Solsky is planning a
six-story loft and commercial building.
Like many Armstrong Hotel guests, Anne and Jay Ghosh of Dallas, Texas, walked next door last
week to Mugs Coffee Lounge for breakfast after their stay. As seasoned travelers visiting old
friends, they quickly discovered the Armstrong Hotel online, rated No. 1 in Fort Collins on
tripadvisor.com. Their friends also recommended staying in Old Town for its tourist appeal.
"Every city in the world is different. We like to discover the unique aspects about each place we
visit," said Anne Ghosh. The couple was enthusiastic about the 10 to 20 percent discounts they
would receive at Old Town shops as Armstrong guests. Forty businesses have joined the
Armstrong Hotel's "Shop and Stay" discount program. The hotel's promotion is entering its
second holiday season.
"We like the hubbub here in Old Town, and the fabulous old historic buildings," said Jay
Ghosh. "It's a nice bonus to be within walking distance of places to eat and shop around."
History buffs like the Ghoshs spent $3.4 billion in 2003. Such heritage tourism is a growing
market, according to the study. Colorado visitors occasionally move to Colorado, further adding
to economic development.
Colorado Historical Foundation executive director Lane Ittelson said in a press release that the
comprehensive statewide study reiterated how important Colorado's past can be for its future
economic success.
"Those of us who are deeply involved in historic preservation have long known of its value in
creating and maintaining livable communities, and keeping alive those connections in our past,"
Ittelson said. "But it is especially gratifying to see the value of preservation quantified in hard
numbers and to see how important it has been for economic development in Colorado."
Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:















« first
‹ previous
…
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
…
next ›
last »








ABOUT US
STORE
NEWS ROOM
VOLUNTEERS
SITE MAP
PRIVACY POLICY AND TERMS OF USE
HOME
CAFÉ
History Colorado