Daniels and Fisher Tower (David Shankbone)

Downtown Denver was the center of the American West department store world in the early 20th Century.  Numerous stores lined 16th Street, creating a shopping district that drove each store owner to try to set themselves apart from the crowd.

The Daniels and Fisher department store at 16th Street and Arapahoe Street was anchored by the clock tower that remains as an icon in the Denver skyline.  The department store itself was torn down in the 1970′s and the current Tabor Center stands in its place.  The line of the original department store’s roof can be seen on the west facade of the tower, a reminder of the past that stirs the curiosity of visitors unfamiliar with its history.

The D&F Tower is modeled after St. Mark’s Campanile in Venice.  The 325-foot tall Renaissance Revival tower was designed by architects George Williamson and Frederick Sterner in 1910 and, at the time of its construction, it was believed to be the 3rd tallest building in America.  The building’s facade consists primarily of brick and includes terra cotta features and highlights.  The clock still keeps the time, but occasionally needs to be helped along to stay accurate.

The Daniels and Fisher Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places, 40 years ago today, December 3, 1969.

In the late 19th Century, Denver was among the handful of cities that used cable cars and a means of public transportation.  After growing to nearly thirty miles of cable rail routes, the last cable car ran in 1900.  The Denver City Cable Railway Building at 18th Street and Lawrence Street in Denver, Colorado opened in 1889 and it was originally built to house power and maintenance facilities.

Denver City Cable Rail (David P Goode)

The Romanesque Revival building features numerous arches throughout the two-story facade, including the soaring two-story main entry on 18th Street.  Intricate brickwork and corbels reflect the craftsmanship of the era, adding to the building’s charm and character.

The roof structure consists of cast iron columns and a variation of a Vierendeel truss (although Vierendeel invented the truss in 1896).  The bottom chords of the trusses are reinforced by cast iron struts and tie-rods, taking up significant tension forces.

Denver City Cable Rail (David P Goode)

The building now houses a restaurant and office space and the current owner has proposed to construct a hotel tower on site, keeping the existing, historic facade in place.  The brick smokestack chimney, which stands prominently over the building, will be left in place or relocated in whole to respect its historic significance.

The Denver City Cable Railway building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Redstone Castle

Redstone Castle, or Cleveholm Manor, in Redstone (just south of Carbondale) was once home to the sixth wealthiest man in the world, John Cleveland Osgood.  Mr. Osgood was a coal and steel pioneer in the late 19th century and came to Colorado for the mining.   The home anchored a model company town and served as a retreat for world dignitaries and businessmen.

The English Tudor style structure is constructed of large sandstone blocks which were quarried and hand cut from the cliffs of the Crystal River.  The 24,000 square foot home was built with the finest of craftsmanship inside and out.

Visitors to the manor have stories of the smell of cigar smoke or perfume wafting through the halls.  John Osgood was rarely seen without a cigar in his day.  Osgood’s first wife, Irene, died before the home was completed.  Alma Osgood, the second wife, is rumored to have affairs with artists she commissioned for paintings and sculpture.

After the Osgoods abandon the castle, it sat empty for years.  There have been a series of failed purchases and conversions, including a 1997 default on the motgage.  The property was seized by the IRS in 2003 in connection with an investment scam.  The property was later sold at auction in 2005 and now operates as a hotel and retreat.

Could it be the Osgoods were still watching over their beloved estate until the right owners came along?

Miramont Castle - Manitou Springs

Miramont Castle in Manitou Springs dates back to the 1890′s and was first occupied by Jean Baptiste Francolon, a Catholic priest and son of a wealthy French diplomat.  He intended the structure to be a home for he and his mother Marie Francolon.

Father Francolon incorporated all architectural styles he liked into the Castle.  What stands is a remarkable structure with nine distinct styles: Shingle-style Queen Anne, Romanesque, English Tudor, Flemish stepped gables, domestic Elizabethan, Venetian Ogee, Byzantine, Moorish, and half-timber Chateau are used randomly throughout the four stories.  Father Francolon did not hire an architect, rather he and the builder, Angus Gillis, executed the designs on site.

In the early 20th century, the building was used as a sanatarium by the Sisters of Mercy.  The building was converted to apartments for many years and was ultimately purchased by the Manitou Springs Historical Society in the early 1970′s. It now serves as a museum and Victorian tea room.

There are also many ghost stories told about the castle.  Voices, children playing in different rooms, ghosts wandering the grand staircase.  In these photos, you can see what appears to be an apparition in Lady Francolon’s bed chamber.

After leaving the castle to return to France, Mrs. Francolon passed away.  Perhaps Marie Francolon made her way back to Miramont Castle and she wants her room back?