1301 Arapahoe St., Golden, Colorado. County/parish: Jefferson.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places December 18, 1978. NRIS 78000860.
1 contributing building.Also known as:
The Colorado National Guard Armory, known commonly by locals simply as the Armory, is a landmark in Golden, Colorado. Unusual in its construction, it was at one time the largest cobblestone building in the United States. It was built in 1913 by the Colorado National Guard as an armory, quarters, mess hall and auditorium for the Guard's Company A of Engineers. When it was completed in 1914, the Company was housed in this building's second and third floors while the first-story garden level was available for rental to the public. The Armory's original uses included: Golden's Post Office (northeast first-level storefront); photo shop (northwest first-level storefront); barracks, mess hall, weapons storage and drill hall (second level); auditorium (third level, known as Armory Hall); and map room (tower). Its engineering company served with distinction and under fire in France in World War I and remained in service here. In subsequent years the building served in part or whole as a hotel, offices, industrial bank, and student housing. During the influenza epidemic of 1918 the building became an emergency hospital for ill patients used by the Red Cross, and in 1933 it became the local headquarters of the Civil Works Administration, the federal depression era agency which created several area improvements. Armory Hall was open to the public and served the community for social gatherings, fundraisers, sports (one of the oldest basketball keys in the world, painted in 1914 just 23 years after the sport was invented, is still painted on the floor), and was the early home of Golden's American Legion post. Calvary Episcopal Church is the current property owner.
Today the Armory houses Cafe 13, a local coffeeshop, on the first floor. The second floor is Colorado School of Mines student housing which is administered by the church. The remaining first floor, third floor, and fourth floor tower are home to Connects Workspace, Golden's only coworking space.
(read more...)National Park Service documentation: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/84130843