540 County Rd History - Louisville Grain Elevator

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The UC-Denver report on Eastern Plains and Front Range Grain Elevators of Colorado states that wood was the earliest construction material used for grain elevators. A disadvantage of wood was its high combustibility, particularly with elevators typically being located near railroad tracks where sparks could start a fire. The report cites the statistic that wood grain elevators had to be replaced at an average of every four years due to fires. (As noted below, the Louisville Elevator had an interior fire in the 1950s.) The Louisville Grain Elevator is a three story building in the section of its tower. The following excerpt from the 1908 Sanborn fire insurance map for Louisville shows the layout: 1f ... II 1 1 ■ ., Located'MileS.E.ofpO a0 fxPo j 4Wt $PDf LoUISVILLEMILL/NG &ELEV.Co:: EL£Y,.CFEe0 rdHL SINLT 6123. Naga easy wNrratNRN -Not /GN&, • F HOJER:003Q;.:X6.-M€Ar.srovF- WEaL reRr£4,-0441.-N.N(Y7.' .1 f 0'4£0 Rat! - r CiA0V4,p - FLCV. 2 FFFONiu. atYRr6f [UntsrRN - 1m1 Louisville, Colorado [map]. 1908. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map. (Excerpt.) Accessed at www.louisville-library.org. The 2000 survey of the building further describes the parts of the elevator: "This structure is oriented north-northeast to south-southwest, with overall measurements of 88' by 28'. From the north-northeast end, the building is composed of five sections, including an office, an elevator, an elevator tower, grain bins, and a warehouse." More detailed information about the purpose of these sections can be found in this 2000 survey report and in the 2011 structural engineering report by Anderson Hallas Architects. The covered area shown in historic photographs is where the scales were located. The 2011 report prepared for the City of Louisville by Anderson Hallas Architects states that the building footprint is 2,800 square feet and that there are 8,500 square feet of accessible interior floor space. The building sits on a 1.2 acre parcel. The capacity of the elevator was stated in the 1908 Sanborn map excerpt above to be 25,000 bushels. A penciled notation on the County Assessor card completed on the building in the 1950s appears to state the capacity as having been 20,500 bushels. The 1982 survey of the structure states that the building was partially renovated by the owners in the 1970s. The April 4, 1999 Denver Post article stated: "Its stacked plank design and diminutive size make the elevator unique. Most elevators stored 35,000 bushels of grain. Louisville's held far less." 7