1 - Old Church
801 Harrison Ave.Formerly the location of the Presbyterian church in Leadville, this building was dedicated Dec. 22, 1889. The English Gothic structure was built by Eugene Robitaille, an architect and carpenter of French descent. Robitaille also built the “House with the Eye,” 127 W. Fourth St., an intriguing private residence-turned-museum in town.In 1972, the Lake County Civic Center Association designated The Old Church for local cultural events. It has been used for a number of performing arts events in Leadville and also by several church congregations.
2 - Odd Fellows
721 Harrison Ave.The International Order of Odd Fellows constructed this building in the fall of 1890 and has occupied the upper floor since then. The order, established in Leadville in 1880, is one of the oldest in the state. The Cloud City Rebekah Lodge, which also meets in the hall, was established in 1897.
3 - Herald Democrat
715 - 717 Harrison Ave.The Kostitch Block, which houses Leadville’s Herald Democrat newspaper, is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is one of the few one-story commercial buildings on Harrison Avenue, although the building has a substantial basement. The building’s facade boasts a central triangular pediment with a decorative molding with urns and scrolls. Originally, this building housed Nelson Undertakers when it was first constructed in 1895.After housing the undertaker followed by a wallpaper and paint store, the building became the Herald’s permanent home in January 1924. The Herald Democrat began as two individual newspapers in 1879 and 1880 at different locations in town. The Leadville Democrat was owned by W.A.H. Loveland and John Barrett, and the Leadville Herald was owned by H.A.W. Tabor. The two merged with the Leadville Chronicleafter publisher C.C. Davis bought the Democrat in 1893.A historic restoration of the building’s facade financed in part by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Main Street: Open for Business program was recently completed in 2022. The project included masonry repair, doorway and window improvements and new paint, bringing the three storefronts back to their original 1895 appearance.
4 - Tabor Grand
711 Harrison Ave.Architect George E. King designed the Tabor Grand. King played a significant role in local architecture – his name appears a number of times in the Leadville walking tour, and you may be able to recognize his style throughout the city. King constructed the Tabor building in the Second Empire style. Note the French mansard roofs, central towers, roof cresting, segmentally arched windows and the molded surrounds. When it first opened, the Tabor had the most modern of conveniences, including the only hydraulic elevator in town.Construction began on this building in 1884. King was among those guaranteeing the $33,058 needed for construction of the Tabor. Business in Leadville slowed later that year, andcompletion of the project appeared in doubt. H.A.W. Tabor stepped in, made a donation to complete construction, and the building was finished in 1885. The Tabor has also been named the Maxwell, the Kitchen Brothers Hotel and the Vendome.By the late 20th century, the building was in danger of collapse. The northwest section of the building had disintegrated and fallen into the adjacent parking lot. Marcel Arsenault and his company the Santa Fe Land Co. began renovations in 1989. It reopened in 1992 with retail shops on the bottom floor and subsidized housing on the upper floors. The building was renovated a second time in 2012 for $9 million and continues as subsidized housing, shops and offices today.
5 - Masonic Lodge
619 Harrison Ave.In 1901 the Leadville Masonic Building Association purchased a deteriorating building on this site. By 1909, enough funds had been raised by the group to demolish the structure and construct a new lodge facility. The dedication of this building was held on Feb. 6, 1911.The first floor currently houses Matchless Treasures Thrift Shop, while its second floor has been in continuous use since 1911 as a meeting place for all Masonic organizations in the community.One of the lodge rooms holds historic artifacts of the Kokomo Lodge. A marker on Fremont Pass describes the community of Kokomo, which was abandoned and eventually buried by the tailing ponds of the Climax Molybdenum Mine.
6 - Stickley Building
613 Harrison Ave.The Stickley Building at 613 Harrison Ave. was built in 1877 and is a classic clapboard retail building. This building was home to the Stickley Insurance Agency in its early days and continued to house insurance concerns through the 1980s. Protection of deeds and claims from fires and theft was a major concern of the insurance agency, and for this reason the Stickley building has four very fine safes that date to approximately 1880. Detailed in gold leaf, hand-painted designs and pinstriping, these safes are fine examples of state of the art 1880s boom town office equipment. The building is now home to Aspen Traders.
7 - Davis Drug
601 Harrison Ave.This wooden balloon-frame building was constructed in 1897 and originally housed a drugstore and saloon operated by Robert and Charles McKensie. From 1902 until 1943, the building was occupied by Davis Drug. It is one of the few commercial clapboard structures still standing within the historic district. Today it is the location of Harperrose Studios.
8 - Courthouse
505 Harrison Ave.The Lake County Courthouse was built in 1955. It was rebuilt after a fire in 1942 burned the upper floors of the original brick building. The original structure was built in 1879, another example of King’s architectural work. What was left of the original building — the first floor — was razed in 1952. When the original courthouse was constructed, it was said that it “would do credit to many cities of 10 times the population.” It was a beautiful local landmark, and some residents still remember watching it burn.
9 - Western Hardware
431 Harrison Ave.An explosion and fire destroyed the Simmons Hotel and Stapleton’s Garage in the block south of Western Hardware in 1962. Still standing is the Western Hardware building, which opened as Manville and McCarthy Hardware in August 1881. The operation became Western Hardware in 1919. After closing for several years, it reopened in 1990 as an antique gift shop, retaining many of its original interior features.
10 - Silver Dollar
315 Harrison Ave.“The Dollar,” as it is affectionately known, is housed in the Clipper Building, which was built in 1879. Among other things, it boasted the first tile floor in Leadville, portions of which remain inside. The Clipper Building was another creation of architect King.The building first opened as the Board of Trade saloon. The Silver Dollar has occupied the space since 1935.The Dollar, a gathering place with Irish flair, has an ornate bar complete with rare diamond-dust mirrors.
11 - The Famous
311-313 Harrison Ave.Completed in late 1879 or early 1880, this building originally known as the Bush & Trimble Block housed businesses of all kinds, including drug stores, clothing and shoe stores, mining concerns, restaurants and several insurance companies. Some of the property’s most noteworthy early-day tenants include Callaway Bros. & Co., a china and glassware dealer owned by brothers John, George and William Callaway who would go on to open the Delaware Hotel at 700 Harrison; The Famous Shoe House, established in 1881, for which the current business is named; and the Carbonate National Bank of George Trimble and A. V. Hunter from about 1884 until 1924.Extensive restoration work began on the building in 2016 and was completed in early 2024. The restaurant The Famous opened in the storefront in 2024. The second floor contains employee apartments.
12 - Joslin & Park
309 Harrison Ave.Constructed in 1879, this building was once the pride of Leadville. The elegant store housed Joslin and Park Jewelers. No other jewelry store in the West had a more elaborate and valuable stock of diamonds, jewelry, watches, chains, charms, clocks and bronzes. In January 1880, the store offered one of Queen Isabella’s diamonds for sale for $10,000. The building now houses the Cycles of Life bike shop.
13 - Boettcher Block
305 - 307 Harrison Ave.Colorado financial giant Charles Boettcher’s fortune began to amass at this location, where he had the largest hardware store in the state. Boettcher’s supply store offered everything required to run a mine, and in 1881 he was earning $40,000 a month from this site.It was housed in a two-story building with a full basement and a tin shop. He also built a warehouse on West Fourth Street.Boettcher eventually moved on to Denver, where his business interests turned to the eventual creation of, among other things, Ideal Cement and the Great Western Sugar Co.
14 - Anheuser - Busch Building
225 Harrison Ave.The Anheuser-Busch Building was built in 1895. It housed Philip Kleinschmidt’s saloon and the office of Theodore Nollenberger, agent for the Anheuser-Busch and Zang Brewing Companies, on the first floor. The second story was occupied by the U.S. Land Office. Today it houses Leadville Outdoors and Mountain Market.Originally known as State Street, West Second Street one block beyond Leadville Outdoors was once home to Leadville’s infamous red light district.
15 - Pioneer Club
118 W Second StThe Pioneer Club was founded in 1878 on Upper Chestnut Street and moved to its current location on West Second Street during that first year. It originated as a drinking and gambling club, but by the time it closed in 1972, it was also the home of a brothel where prostitutes were supervised by Hazel “Ma” Brown. The Pioneer was fitted with billiard tables and two bowling alleys as well as various types of casino games. In March 1881, a fire broke out in a rear room of the Pioneer and destroyed the building, along with several others in the area. The Pioneer was rebuilt and back in business at that location three months later. Today it has been refurbished into apartments.
16 - Pastime Bar
The Pastime Bar was established in 1879 when space on Chestnut Street, the city’s main thoroughfare at the time, became full. The Pastime, one of 64 bars originally on this street,was known by many names in the late 1800s, including the Athenaeum and the Comique. The Pastime also saw many changes: It was a grand theater, a brothel, and held prize fights and wrestling bouts (including women wrestlers).During Prohibition, from 1920 to 1933, the Pastime never closed. Frank Seme owned the bar from 1938 until his death in 1976, when his son Roy and Roy’s wife Jerry took over. The bar has since passed out of the Semes’ hands. While inside the Pastime, check out the pride of the establishment: the Chinese-style back bar. Also note the individual booths with their diamond-dust mirrors.• One block south of the Pastime is Chestnut Street. It was Leadville’s first main street, and many early drawings of Leadville depict the booming businesses on this street.Please use caution when crossing to the east side of Harrison Avenue.
17 - Clarendon Lot
300 Harrison AveThe lot at 300 Harrison Ave. which now houses a convenience store and gas station was once the site of the Clarendon Hotel. Built by H.A.W. Tabor and W.H. Bush, the hotel opened on April 10, 1879 and quickly became a cornerstone for commercial ventures in the shift from Chestnut Street to Harrison Avenue.The hotel’s most discussed feature was its elevated walkway to the third floor of the opera house next door. The walkway intersected the opera house at about the fifth window back from Harrison Avenue.The Clarendon was used as a hospital during the great flu pandemic of 1918. After years of neglect, the building was bought by Myron Stapleton and was torn down in the 1950s.The alley which runs perpendicular to Harrison Avenue between this lot and the opera house is known as St. Louis Avenue.
18 - Tabor Opera House
308 Harrison Ave.Said to be the grandest theater between St. Louis and San Francisco, the Tabor opened in November 1879.Horace Austin Warner Tabor built the structure for about $40,000. It seated 880 within its luxurious interior, which featured red plush seats and a curtain depicting the Royal Gorge. The building’s interior embodies much of the grandeur of Leadville’s boom-era buildings. The opera house hosted many forms of entertainment and events, including appearances by boxer Jack Dempsey, author Oscar Wilde, magician Harry Houdini and John Philip Sousa’s Marine Band.The opera house was purchased in 2015 by the City of Leadville. Renovations on the exterior of the building began in summer 2020 and are expected to conclude in fall 2024. Restoration of the building’s interior will begin in 2025.A schedule of seasonal live music, theater performances as well as films take the stage throughout the summer and early autumn. Tours of the Tabor Opera House are available in both English and Spanish during the summer months. Visit taboroperahouse.org or call 719-486-8409 for more information..
19 - Hyman Block
314 - 316 Harrison Ave.The building at 316 Harrison Ave. was the Adolf Newsitz Saloon until 1882, when Mannie Hyman bought both 314 and 316 and opened “Hyman’s Place,” a saloon with distinction in the history books.A legend in the West, John Henry “Doc” Holliday dealt faro in Mannie’s gambling hall, known as the Club Rooms, and worked as a part-time bartender there. The only trial in Doc’s career as a gunfighter and gambler took place in Leadville in March 1885 following Doc’s wounding of Billy Allen on Aug. 19, 1884. The jury found reasonable doubt, and Doc was acquitted.The upstairs rooms were used originally as offices and later as a boarding house.In 1880, the building at 314 Harrison Ave. was a cigar store owned by M.A. Cahn and then by S. J. Warfield, who did great business with a saloon adjacent to it with a gambling hall in the rear. Hyman began construction of this block in 1885, and the pediments were installed, completing the building, in 1890. The pressed tin ceiling is complete and one of the few left in its original condition west of the Mississippi River.Jacob Sandelowsky, also known as Jake Sands, from Central City — Baby Doe’s “gentleman friend” before she met Horace Tabor — operated Sands Bros. Clothing here from 1894 until 1901 before moving on to Aspen. Today the Leadville Race Series operates out of this building.
20 - David May Marker
318 Harrison Ave.The inscription on the stone marker at this site details the beginning of retailer David May’s fortune. May, who founded May Department Stores, started out selling clothing from a tent in Leadville and then moved his operation to a building at 318 Harrison Ave. The original building was razed in 1914.
21 - Breene Block
326 Harrison AveConstructed in 1887 by Robert Murdoch, financing for the Breene Block was provided by Peter Breene, then lieutenant governor of Colorado. The original first-floor tenant of the Breene Block was Adolph Hirsch’s tremendously successful liquor store.An 1888 ledger book documents annual sales in excess of $300,000. Hirsch carried the state’s largest selection of whiskey, brandy, wine, beer and cigars and served not only Leadville, but much of Colorado. The building has also housed a saloon, a hotel and the American National Bank.
22 - Quincy Block
414 - 420 Harrison Ave.Construction began in 1879 on the Quincy Block another local landmark designed by architect King. It was completed in the late spring of 1880 by J.W. Faxon, a real estate and grocery businessman from Boston.The first floor was the home of the Leadville Telephone Company from 1886 to 1907. The building also housed professional offices, a liquor store, a drug store, a saloon and a clothing store.
23 - American National Bank Building / Visitors Center
460 Harrison Ave.An impressive three-story Romanesque Revival sandstone structure built in 1891 for $35,000, this building originally housed the American National Bank, which moved from the Breene Block at 326 Harrison Ave. to this site in 1892.The building was designed by Leadville architect H.C. Dimick and constructed by Jeramiah Irwin. The adjoining bank annex building at 105 E. Fifth St. was built in a Beaux Arts style in 1901. The bank served as the headquarters of the American National Bank until 1936.Both were restored by Tom Sprung with the assistance of the Colorado Historical Society and contain many of the original doors and woodwork. The site is now owned by Freeport McMoRan and Climax Molybdenum and home to the Leadville Visitor Center. It also provides long and short-term employee housing upstairs.
24 - Howell / Emmet Block
500 - 502 Harrison Ave.Built in 1880, the Howell Block has housed a variety of businesses. It was renamed the Emmet Block around 1898.
25 - Dee Hive
This building, constructed in 1879, was originally part of a 16-acre parcel owned by H.A.W. Tabor. 506 Harrison Ave.It has been home to many enterprises, including a miner’s union headquarters and the Leadville Improvement Co., which was formed by Tabor to develop Harrison Avenue. The most recent tenant was the Dee Hive.The building changed hands many times in its early years, sometimes every five to six days. The building is currently unoccupied.
26 - Gigi's
510 Harrison Ave.The original building occupying this location housed doctors’ and lawyers’ offices, saloons, a liquor dealer, an ice cream parlor and a dry goods store. Frank Tool, the first undertaker to occupy this spot, moved in in 1893, the same year that a massive fire burned several buildings in the 500 block of Harrison Avenue to the ground. A frame structure was built on this lot after the fire and housed several storefronts until construction on the current brick building began in 1902.The first occupant of the reconstructed property was Whipple Printing, Stationery & Mercantile Co., and the building would go on to house several other businesses until it was purchased by the Moynahan-O’Malia Undertaking Co. in 1935. The partners had extensive renovations done on the property, filling in most of the first floor windows and reopening it as the Moynahan-O’Malia Mortuary later that year.The building continued as a funeral home for 86 years until it was purchased by its current owners in 2021. Restoration work began right away, revealing the property’s iconic original cast iron columns that had been concealed by the 1935 brick infill. Today 510 Harrison has been restored to its original 1900s appearance, complete with the columns in their prominent position at the entry to the storefront. Gigi’s General, the current occupant of the storefront, opened in 2022.
27 - Iron Building
516 - 522 Harrison Ave.Built in 1893, this is known as the Iron Building, although the name on the corner pediment says Fearnley.After the Silver Panic of 1893, a newspaper editorial encouraged the people of Leadville to be thankful, not for the presence of precious metals in Leadville’s mines, but for the iron ore in the district, which had value and was an important part of the economic recovery of the city.The building was named, it is believed, in that spirit. The building’s trim is also composed of iron.
28 - Delaware Hotel
700 Harrison Ave.Delaware merchants William, George and John Callaway, who owned a succession of crockery stores in Leadville, chose this corner of Harrison Avenue to build this impressive building in 1886 for $60,000. The building was originally designed for stores on the front and side at sidewalk level, leaving the second and third floors for handsomely furnished rooms and offices. Steam heat, which was drawn under Harrison Avenue from the Tabor Grand, hot and cold running water, gas lights, baths and closets were among the amenities featured here.This building was another creation of architect King, who went so far as to specify the building be a whitewashed color with green and salmon-colored trim.The building underwent extensive renovations in 1992 and continues to evolve. The Delaware Hotel is still in operation and also hosts restaurant Mineral 1888.
29 - Fire House
704 Harrison Ave.This structure once housed the city’s fire station, the Harrison Avenue Hose House. After a devastating fire on East Chestnut Street in 1882, Leadville aldermen formed a paid fire department in the city. It was used as the fire station until 1974, when the current station at Ninth and Harrison was built.
30 - Golden Burro Cafe
710 Harrison Ave.Built at the end of the 19th century, this building originally housed Leo A. Klein Pianos and Organs and was the home to a number of businesses, including several bakeries and a hardware store.The Golden Burro Cafe and Lounge moved into this location in 1942 after getting its start as Roy’s Lunch at 612 Harrison Ave. It is said to be the longest continually operating restaurant in Lake County and is known to many current and former residents by its iconic neon sign.
31 - City Hall
800 Harrison Ave.Leadville City Hall is located in what was Leadville’s post office. This structure was built in 1905, and currently has a number of local history items on display inside the lobby.Plans are currently underway to rehabilitate critical infrastructure at Leadville’s City Hall thanks to generous grants from the Colorado State Historical Fund.
Special Thanks
This Historic Tour of Downtown Leadville, Colorado is brought to you by a unique collaboration of the following Organizations: The Leadville Historic Preservation Commission O'Rourke Media Group/Herald Democrat The Lake County Public Library The Leadville Mainstreet ProgramSpecial thanks to our Sponsors: The Lake County Community Fund Visit Leadville-Twin Lakes The City of Leadville
