Gunnison Historic Walking Tour

The City of Gunnison is one of the oldest municipalities on the Western Slope. Much of its history still stands nestled between newer structures that comprise the City today.

Both the residential area, and the business district in the downtown area contain significant numbers of historic structures which have retained their basic character and have, thereby, maintained the “Old West” flavor of the ranching community.

Gunnison became a permanent settlement during 1879-1901. Thousands, from every walk of life, came to the new promised land. The influx of people necessitated the formation of the City, which became incorporated on February 28, 1880. The gold rush that brought settlers to the valley was characterized by a chaotic mixture of tents, log cabins, and rough frame buildings. By the end of the frantic rush, brick and stone edifices began to appear. By 1880, residents and businessmen began to build larger structures with an eye toward permanence. During this period, Gunnison had three (3) school houses, six (6) churches, two (2) banks (one of which stood in the location of the present Bank of the West), a courthouse, seven (7) hotels, railroads, a smelter, and four (4) newspapers.

The City of Gunnison was not without violence in its mining heyday. A railroad laborer employed on the Alpine Tunnel was accused of a fatal laceration on one of the contractors. He was taken from his jail cell in the middle of the night and lynched on Main Street. Even the legendary Bat Masterson divided his time between Dodge City, Leadville, and Gunnison County. Also, Wyatt and Warren Earp hid out in Gunnison while Doc Holiday was in Pueblo.

This building boom/heyday began to fall off by 1885, and by 1893 building had significantly fallen off. A sense of “time and place” can be garnered from the collection of buildings and open spaces; and for visitors who take time to “look”, a tour of Gunnison can be a richly rewarding experience.

The crystal clean, mountain air of Gunnison will invigorate and renew you as you take your walk through Historic Gunnison. Please remember our mountain air is thin, so pace yourself if you “feel” the altitude and wear sunscreen and/or a hat. Enjoy!

Walking Tour

Begin the Historic Walking Tour on the Southeast corner of Main Street and Tomichi Avenue: Click here for a map or stop by the local Visitor Center to pick up an informative brochure complete with tour map. Click on image to enlarge.

Gunnison Arts Center (1)
102 S. Main St.
A large, stone, Italianate commercial structure built in 1882 by local master stonemason Frederick Zugelder. The building once served as the US Land Office, the Denver and Rio Grande Railroads Railway Express Agency, then in 1898 as the Gunnison Hardware.

Quinn Building (2)
101 N. Main St.
A prominent, two-story, brick commercial building built in 1910 that was erected for the Gunnison Bank and Trust. The bank was in operation at this location until 1955, then was the Gunnison Liquor Store and later The Golden Aspen, a souvenirs and gift shop.

Hartman Block (3)
103 N. Main St.
A two-story brick structure built in 1881 by Alonzo Hartman, is one of the original buildings in the Commercial District. Its Italianate style is evident in the brick cornice, arch windows, and lintels along the second story facade. This building once housed the U.S. Post Office, was a bookstore, a saloon, then Walker Drugstore from 1920 to 1951.

Johnson Building Gallery (4)
124 N. Main St.
This late Victorian style structure was built in 1881. The original use was the Vienna Bakery, The Royal Cafe, then the Johnson Restaurant from 1920 to 1994. The Johnson Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

Circus Train & Buckhorn Trading CO (5)
125 N. Main St.
The two-story brick structure built between 1882 and 1886, has been covered with plaster and a wood shingle facade. The building was originally a hotel and bakery. Large brick ovens were located in the rear of the building. The hotel was replaced by Harry Fogge Clothiers then became the Endner Hardware which operated for 41 years.

Tune-up Bike & Ski Shop (6)
222 N. Main St.
A two-story, brick commercial building built in the mid-1880’s. Walls have decorative brick courses and diamond shaped insets. The building was once a dentist office, a doctors office, and then the chain department store, Golden Rule Store, which changed their name in 1912 to J.C. Penny.

Interiors (7)
229 N. Main St.
A three-story, brick structure with a rectangle floor plan was built in 1882. A decorated and bracket cornice and window detailing are typical of the Italianate style. The
building originally served as the Shilling & Co. Dry Goods Store. A second dry goods store was operated here by Herman Webster, a prominent civic leader. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Farrells’ Restaurant (8)
310 N Main St.
A wood frame, rectangle, two-story business block with bracketed cornice and course separating the two floors. Elaborately carved window surrounds and segmented arch, double-hung windows are visible in the second story. This structure is a rare example of the Italianate style executed in wood. The building was build around 1885 and was known as the Bojangles Restaurant.

317 N Iowa St. (9)
A Gothic Revival, single-story, brick structure with U-shaped floor plan. Details include: three gable dormers, with gables, bay windows, decorative lintels and brick chimney pots and wrought iron roof cresting.

200 E Virginia Ave. (10)
This three-story brick structure was built between 1880 to 1881. The bricks came from the Harland Brothers brick yard, that was located south of the city. The brick has since been covered with stucco. The original structure now forms the central nucleus of the present Courthouse complex. Several added wings and a series of remodeling efforts have significantly altered the appearance of the structure.

214 E Georgia Ave. (11)
A prime example of Gothic Revival architecture, this 1880’s house was an early showplace of Gunnison. The two-story, frame structure has multiple cross gables, oriel and bay windows, pierced aprons in the gables, decorative door and window surrounds, and a covered porch with turned posts and banisters, A pyramidal porch roof over the main entrance has been removed. By 1900, the house belonged to the Endner family, who started an early lumber industry in Gunnison. Presently, the house and grounds are surrounded by a cast iron fence and remains relatively unchanged.

515 N Iowa St. (12)
The 1882 structure is an example of Gothic Revival with corner boards. The cross gables, bracketed cornice hoods over the bay windows, and the pointed arch tracery (ornamental intersecting work in the upper part of the window panels) certainly identify this period.

601 N Taylor St. (13)
Build in 1885, an Italianate, two-story, rectangle structure with hip roof, bay windows, and decorative window and door surrounds. The porch roof is supported by four columns. The structure more recently served as the Mary Lawrence Inn, a bed and breakfast, and is now a private residence.

204 W Denver Ave. (14)
A two-story, stone, Gothic Revival structure built in 1882 by local master stonemason Frederick Zugelder. It has a steep gable roof with a single cross gable. A framed addition is located to the west. Decorative window lintels and segmented arch windows are visible.

601 N Wisconsin Ave. (15)
Two structures known as the Fisher-Zugelder House and Smith Cottage were completed in 1881. They were built by David Fisher, a local sandstone quarry owner who incorporated sandstone in the design of the house and the cottage. Fisher hired Frederick Zugelder, a well-respected stonemason and stonecutter to construct the buildings, which served as prototypes for subsequent stone construction in Gunnison.

606 N Wisconsin St. (16)
Built in 1882, this Gothic Revival, two-story structure has a steep gable roof and multiple cross gables. Decorative elements include: pierced aprons, bay windows, entablature, curved pediment window lintels and shaped window surrounds.

St. Peter’s Catholic Church (17)
138 W Georgia Ave.
This Gothic Revival style church with its gable roof, soaring tower and pointed windows was built in 1927. The first St. Peter’s Church was built in 1881 on Virginia Avenue, directly west of the railroad tracts to Crested Butte. The church was moved to this site in 1908 because the Reverend William Kipp believed the church was located “on the wrong side of the tracks.” Harry Endner purchased and moved the old church to Taylor Street.

St. Peter’s Rectory (18)
303 N Wisconsin St.
This Craftsman style dwelling was build in 1912. It has a broad pitched roof with exposed rafters and an unusual triple gable dormer. Decorative elements include brackets under the roof eaves, Queen Anne detailing in the dormer and a stone porch with tapered supports.

310 W Georgia Ave. (19)
A two-story brick structure with Italianate detailing, built in 1882. It has a rectangular floor plan with a large single-story addition to the rear and side. The main house has a very symmetrical design. A central porch with turned posts and decorative trim are flanked by two double sash windows. Window lintels are typical Italianate segmental arches. Carved wooden brackets are found under the roof eaves and brick chimneys are located at both ends.

316 W Georgia Ave. (20)
A framed, Italianate structure, built in 1882, which has since been plastered. The residence has a square floor plan with shallow hip roof and cupola on top. Decorative
elements include carved wooden brackets under wide eaves, segmental arch windows with arch lintels and a porch with turned posts and decorative trim.

317 W Virginia Ave. (21)
This one-story, stucco, Bungalow style structure was built in 1920. A gabled roof faces the street with gables forming a roof over the porch and over a square bay window. Wood strips form a decorative pattern on the gable ends. The multi-light windows form an unusual diamond pattern. The structure has a stone porch with tapered supports.

Church of the Good Samaritan (22)
307 W Virginia Ave.
A rectangular, stone structure built in 1882 by local master stonemason Frederick Zugelder. New additions to the east and a new vestibule have been added. Five triple sash, stained glass windows are located on the east and west side of the church. Windows have stone lintels and sills. This is the oldest existing church in the City.

Municipal Building (23)
201 W Virginia Ave.
The 1931 building has functioned since its opening as Gunnison’s primary municipal facility. Architecturally, the structure is a good local example of the Art Deco style as designed by Denver architects Mountjoy and Frewen. The stuccoed concrete exterior is accented with cast concrete Art Deco detailing. The City invites you to go inside and look at the many historic pictures located on the interior hallway walls and Council Chamber. The building was listed on the State Register of Historic Places in 1998.

U.S. Post Office (24)
200 N Wisconsinn St.
Built in 1937, the post office is associated with the New Deal programs and displays a mural sponsored by a Depression-era Treasury Department program, painted by Gunnison-area artist Ila McAfee in 1940. The mural is entitled “Wealth of the West,” and includes a background of mountains, cowboys, and cattle drinking from a stream. The painting is located on the south wall of the lobby. Ila McAfee attended Gunnison schools and Western State College and became famous for her paintings of horses, cattle, deer, and mountain lions.

Blackstock Building (25)
200 W Virginia Ave.
Built in 1927, this French Renaissance style building was designed by Denver architects Mountjoy and Frewen and was described as “one of the most up-to-date school structures in the US.” The new school was planned as a training school to be used by Western State College. The building is detailed with terra cotta ornaments, moldings, modillions, and dentils.

Gunnison Country Times (26)
218 N Wisconsin St.
This structure is associated with the history of journalism in Gunnison, built in 1946 as the Gunnison Courier and continuing as a newspaper office today. The Art Moderne style with its curved corner, flat roof, glass blocks, and curved hood sheltering the entrance.

118 S Wisconsin St. (27)
Built in the early 1880’s, this Second Empire style two story home is one of the few examples of French architecture in Gunnison. The French mansard roof is punctuated by eight gable dormers. Wooden lintels with brackets at the corners are located under the roof eaves. A large arched dormer is found in the front roof line.

303 S. Main St. (28)
This house was built in 1894 for Herman Mauer’s sister, Emma and her husband Albert Knowel. The style of the structure seems to be transitional from the Gothic Revival, popular in the 1890’s, to the more extravagant Queen Anne style that Mauer used later. Decorative elements include bay and oriel windows, scalloped shingles in the gables, pediment window lintel designs, and a veranda. At the rear of the property is a wood frame, two-story garage which was possibly a barn or carriage house.

116 E Gunnison Ave. (29)
A two-story frame structure with stucco exterior, L-shaped floor plan and French influence visible in the mansard roof and roof dormers. Alterations include a new addition to the west side and the stucco arcade.

221 S Main St. (30)
Herman Mauer built this house in 1905. The two-story, Queen Anne structure has multiple cross gables and a round corner tower and the porch has ionic column supports. Other decorative features include elaborate shingle patterning, iron finials on tower, and oriel and bay windows.

217 S Main St. (31)
This elaborate frame residence was built in 1903 for Herman Mauer’s sister Rose and her husband Joseph Howland. They sold it in 1912. The two-story, Queen Anne residence has been tastefully restored. Decorative elements include elaborate shingle patterning, pedimental design in window lintels echoed on the gable over the main entrance, pierced aprons, and decorative trim along the front porch and around the side door.

211 S Main St. (32)
Herman Mauer built this house for his sister Lu and her husband George Mu’ray in 1902. Murray was from Nova Scotia and owned Murray’s Saloon and Wholesale Liquor Warehouse, located on the northeast corner of Main and Tomichi. The two-story, Queen Anne structure has multiple cross gables and a round corner tower. A second tower provides an open porch and balcony above the main entrance. The porch and balcony have ionic column supports. Other decorative features include elaborate shingle patterning, iron finials on towers, oriel and bay windows, and an oval beveled window in the main door.

Red Light District (33)
The 100 block on the west side of Main Street was Gunnison’s early “Red Light District.” The Red Lion Inn, Oyster House and the Atlantic Gardens were three of the dance hall / saloon / brothels found here. The Adams House at 143 S Main St. (shown in picture) was the site of the Red Lion Inn. The Craftsman style house was built in 1916, and Mr. Adams was a prominent rancher and cattleman in Gunnison County.

OTHER HISTORIC POINTS OF INTEREST

Smith Opera House (34)
114 N Boulevard St.
This two-story brick building was built in 1880. The structure was closed during the winter of 1885-86. It was soon remodeled and renamed the Grand Apartments.

123 N Boulevard St. (35)
A Square frame vernacular with hip roof and central chimney. It has Italianate detailing around the cornice and its roof brackets. Built in 1881, this home was originally the residence of Louden Mullin.

320 N Boulevard St. (36)
This site contains two structures which span the camp and town phase and indicate the evolutionary trends in this area. The log cabin was built in 1880 and the stone structure was built in 1884.

The Edgerton House (37)
511 W Gunnison Ave.
This two-story frame structure was built in 1881 and was a hotel / boarding house. A second structure identified as the privy and lunch counter stands in front. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.






Western State College (38)
Taylor Hall
The initial structure of the Colorado State Normal School (now Western State College of Colorado) was the north section of Taylor Hall and was built in 1911. The south section was built to be used as the Gunnison High School, with the central section completed in 1930, connecting the two ends.

Leslie J. Savage Library
The library is an excellent example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style as executed by Temple Hoyne Buell, a prominent Denver architect, developer, and philanthropist. The building was constructed in 1939 on the campus of the State Normal School for Western State College with the aid of Public Works Administration funds.