Historical Survey Report 1992 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

boarding houses and cottages at its properties in Louisville and Marshall. A blue -print exists for a cottage contracted for the company's Acme Mine in the southern part of Louisville. The frame house was designed on a small, vernacular order, however the turned porch columns and detailing, coupled with the careful architec- tural drawings, suggest that the company was concerned with building quality housing at this time. Their financial situation was obviously in a sound enough condition to afford the expense. The bulk of Louisville's historic buildings date from this prosperous pre -strike decade of 1900 to 1910. The false front commercial building was still in popularity, although it had reached new levels of scale and detailing. The Wolfer Building, (housing the State Mercantile Company, and presently Steinbaugh's), was built in 1905 and was heralded as the largest commercial struc- ture in Boulder County at the time. Its large display windows and recessed entrance were modified after a fire in 1973, yet it's broad, bracketed false front and overall integrity remain substantially unaltered, giving a valuable example of this ad- vanced stage of frame commercial architecture. The old Louis- ville Bank Building wag also built about this time, (1905), and provides the only extant example of pressed tin siding in the t own. However, the former Rex Theater, (now Senor T's), sported a simi- lar treatment before its facade alteration. The bank's compari- tively light yet solid frame construction helped it survive an incidence of subsidence in 1909. An interesting addition to the basic false front was devel- oped during this period. This consisted of an extension of the pitched gable to the cornice, creating a triangular break in the otherwise horizontal false front. The new Town Hall, (built in 1902; razed), and the old post office building, (now an addition to Karen's Country Kitchen), both exhibited this feature. A fur- thur design elaboration involved disconnecting the triangular cornice apex, dropping the level of the horizontal false front to create strong visual interest. Stoiber's "Racket Store", (now Sunbelt Realty), displayed this feature before it's modern wood exterior was added, although the outlines are still visible.