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.
Denver’s architectural treasures are often overlooked, but the city posses some wonderful old buildings worth remembering.
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.
