Montrose City Hall and Elks Lodge

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The Elks Lodge building in 2008 following restoration work.
Photo courtesy City of Montrose.

Montrose City Hall and Elks Lodge

433 South 1st Street

Montrose, CO

Website:  City of Montrose

The Treasure:  Montrose City Hall and (across the street) the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge are handsome mixed-style buildings representative of the eclectic architecture of the area in the early years of the 20th century.

Accessibility:  Both buildings, Montrose City Hall and the Elks Lodge, are actively used by the City of Montrose for city business.

Background:  The City of Montrose is located on the high desert lands of the Uncompahgre Valley. For centuries, the Ute Indians regularly moved through this area, enjoying its good hunting grounds and artesian springs. In those days, the weather was not appropriate for the establishment of long-term farming settlements because the climate was semi-arid, averaging only nine inches of rain annually. The summers were hot, the winters were cold, and all seasons were dry.

Nevertheless, a town grew up here in the 1880s, with growth spurred by its status as a stop for the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, a narrow gauge train line running between Denver and Salt Lake City, Utah. Montrose emerged as a transportation hub serving the local mining communities. One of the town’s founders, Joseph Selig, suggested the name Montrose for the town, based on the character of the Marquis of Montrose in Sir Walter Scott’s popular novel The Legend of Montrose.

Gunnison Tunnel arch for the 1909 dedication ceremonies.
Source: Wikimedia Commons

The opening of the Gunnison Tunnel in 1909 changed the character of Montrose. A major engineering project of the Bureau of Reclamation, the 5.8-mile Gunnison Tunnel was the longest irrigation tunnel in the world at the time of its opening. President William Howard Taft attended the opening dedication ceremonies.  Diverted from the Gunnison River, the irrigation water from the Gunnison Tunnel enabled Montrose to take advantage of the fertile valley soil and position the town as a regional agricultural center.

Architect J.H. Antrobus was selected to design both the City Hall building and the Elks Lodge in 1926. Located practically across the street from each other, the two buildings share many similarities. Like many architects of the time and the region, Antrobus picked and chose from a smorgasbord of architectural styles. The dominant style of both buildings is Art Deco, but there are also prominent features representative of Mission Revival, Pueblo Deco, and Late Gothic Revival.

Notes from the Editor:  It takes a lot of work to restore an aging historic building! It’s not just a matter of returning the large public spaces to their original handsome appearance, but can also require major upgrades to make spaces handicapped-accessible and to deal with requirements for hazardous material abatement (in the case of the Elks Lodge, issues of asbestos and lead-based paint needed to be addressed). To restore Montrose City Hall and the Elks Lodge, important tasks included roof repair; plumbing upgrades; foundation stabilization; door and stairway restoration; structural stabilization; fire escape upgrade; window rehabilitation; historic plaster repair; historic wood floor refinishing; addition of fire sprinkler systems; mechanical upgrades; electrical upgrades; masonry restoration; and millwork.

Historic photo of the Elks Lodge, circa 1928.
Photo courtesy City of Montrose.

The lobby at Montrose City Hall during renovation in 2007.
Photo courtesy City of Montrose.

The restored lobby at Montrose City Hall in 2008.
Photo courtesy City of Montrose.

Other Recommended Sites:  The City of Montrose is a gateway to the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park. The park’s south rim entrance is 15 miles east of Montrose. The scenic park is famous for its awesome sheer cliff faces carved out by the Gunnison River over the past 15 million years.

In addition to the National Park, Montrose boasts three museums that explore different facets of Colorado history. The Montrose County Historical Museum focuses on the settling and pioneering of the region. The Museum of the Mountain West displays 500,000 artifacts in old west historic buildings that have been reconstructed on the site. Located three miles south of downtown Montrose, the Ute Indian Museum offers an introduction to the history of American Indians in Colorado and exhibits an impressive collection of Ute Indian artifacts. 

The renovated city council chambers in Montrose City Hall.
Photo courtesy City of Montrose.

Tour America's History Itinerary

Friday’s destination:  Museo de las Americas

© 2012 Lee Price