10. Original Poudre Valley Bank Building (233 Linden) - William
Stover and Charles Sheldon built the first story of this structure
in 1879. Their banking business, “Poudre Valley Bank,” moved
to the corner of Linden and Walnut four years later. The second
story was added by 1904. (Currently home to Jean Wilson Gallery.)
11. Reed-Dauth Block (223 Linden)
- This ornate structure was designed
by Denver architect, William Quayle,
in 1881. It had the first plate glass
front in Fort Collins. E.W. Reed, a
jeweler, and Louis Dauth, a baker,
were the original owners and occu-
pants of this business block.
12. Linden Hotel (250 Walnut) -
Abner Loomis and Charles Andrews
had this imposing structure built in
1882-83, to house the banking firm
of Stover, Sheldon and Company
(Poudre Valley Bank). The Masons
occupied the upper two floors for the
first few years. Between 1917 and
1983, the Linden Hotel shared the
building with many other businesses.
It is a keystone structure to the renovation of the Old Town area.
13. Fire House (232 Walnut) - As the town
grew in its early days, the need for a city hall
and fire station increased. This building met
both those needs when completed in 1882.
City offices remained here until 1958, while
the fire station stayed until 1973. The bell
tower was rebuilt and the facade restored in an
extensive renovation project between 1979 and
1982, which restored the building to its now
pristine condition.
14. Whitton Block (#15 Old Town Square) - In 1905, Irishman
John Whitton built this building for his J. Whitton & Co.
Clothing, Furnishing, Boot, and Shoes. For many years various
hotels occupied the second floor. One of the most unique busi-
nesses to occupy the first floor was the Anti-Trust Fruit Store,
named for the many anti-trust suits in the early 1900’s. (Currently
home to the Police Station.)
15. McPhearson Block (#19 Old Town Square) - John
McPhearson, a Scottish immigrant, erected this block in 1884. It
featured windows bordered with stained glass and an ornate
pressed metal cornice. Woelz Brothers Clothing Company, one of
the early occupants, featured top-of-the-line merchandise dis-
played in solid oak wall cases and clothing tables. (Currently home
to The Ram’s Horn and Crimson.)
16. Miller Block (#11 Old Town Square) - Frank Miller, a
Danish immigrant, came to Fort Collins from the mining town
of Blackhawk in 1882. This building, partially completed in 1888
and finished by 1894, was
designed to house Miller’s
Liquor Business and a dry goods
store called The Fair Store,
which served the community
for 52 years. Miller’s Liquor
Business disappeared in 1896
when the town went dry.
17. Howard Block (#3 Old Town Square) - Built around 1902,
the second story was added in 1907. In its early years, it housed a
grocery store and the office of the Poudre Valley Gas Company.
Later I.C. Bradley’s Bicycle business occupied the building.
18. J.L. Honstein Block (#5 Old Town Square) - With entrances
on the plaza and Mountain Avenue, the Linden (plaza) side is the
oldest portion of the building, having been constructed in the
late 1880’s. Albert Damm operated a bakery and grocery out of it
for a number of years, after 1891. The Mountain Avenue side,
dating from 1904, had among its occupants a lady chiropractor,
Emma Aubrey (1913-1914), who advertised “No Surgery-No
Medicine-No Faith-No Osteopathy.” (Currently home to
Coopersmith’s Pub & Brewing.)
19. H.A. Crafts Block (#25 Old Town Square) - Built in 1882-83
as the second home of the Fort Collins Express, the town’s first
newspaper. Its many early uses included a hardware, bar, and res-
taurant. One later owner added a bowling alley on the second
floor and named the establishment “Ed’s Three B’s…Bowling,
Billiards, and Beer.” Later an archery range replaced bowling on
the second floor.
20. Avery Block (106 E. Mountain) - Built in 1897, this imposing
structure became the home of Franklin Avery’s First National Bank.
Avery was responsible for laying out the city’s wide streets when the
town was established in 1873. The Avery family home at 328 W.
Mountain Avenue was the first structure in the city to be placed on
the National Register of Historic Places.
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