Last week, I posted two photos of the 1201 Washington Ave. building on Facebook–one from 1950 and one from 2018. I wondered when the overhang had been added, and some research led me to the answer of 1969. This got me started on quite a binge of Transcript reading, tracing the history of the covered sidewalks in downtown Golden.
Beginning in the 1950s, shopping centers became very popular in the United States. They severely eroded business in historic downtown shopping districts like Golden’s. By the late 1950s, Golden’s merchants were becoming desperate. Much brainstorming resulted in a plan by the Golden Chamber: they would market the entire downtown as a single shopping center, with coordinated marketing campaigns and a new, unified look. Western movies were very popular at the time, and they decided to give downtown some western flare by adding covered walkways. This was quite appropriate for Golden, and entirely in keeping with Golden’s actual historic look:
City Council approved a zoning change to allow the “canopies,” (as they were called) in June of 1960. The first canopy on Washington Avenue went up in August of that year, on the Linder building.
Foss Drug completed a big expansion and facelift the next year, which included about 75 feet of canopy of the west side of Washington, directly across from the Linder building.
Meyer Hardware, which was located in the 1100 block of Washington Avenue at that time, built their canopy in the spring of 1962, and other building owners in that block followed suit.
The Linder Building was largely demolished in 1962, and the replacement structure included a redesigned canopy with some jaunty peaks. By the end of 1962, downtown Golden had about 1000 linear feet of covered walkways.
Leo Stillman (Opera House/Ace Hi Tavern) built his canopy in 1968. The former bank building at 12th and Washington (shown at the top of the article–now Golden Goods) gained its canopy in 1969, and Eaker’s Department Store (now the Buffalo Rose Events Center) built theirs in 1970.
Some of the canopies have come down in recent years, but the entire 1200 block (west side) is still sheltered. Judging by the popularity of our downtown business district, being a western-style pseudo-shopping center is no longer the key to our success.
Many thanks to the Golden History Museum for putting the historic Golden Transcripts and Colorado Transcripts online, and many thanks to the Golden Transcript for documenting our history since 1866!
6-7:30PM There will be a meeting with RTD Director Natalie Menten tonight at the Library. RTD is having trouble hiring enough drivers for buses and trains, and this is affecting their ability to maintain service levels. That issue and others will be discussed at the meeting.
6:30PM The Planning Commission will have a study session (no public comment) in City Council Chambers. They will discuss the changing definition of a household. Historically a household consisted of people related by blood or marriage. The newer definition that they’re crafting involves various configurations of unrelated adults. They will also work on their 2020 goals. See the meeting packet for more details….
More Wednesday Events:
6PM Scurry and Hurry – Small Mammals of Jeffco
6PM Young Adult Lit Lovers (Y’ALL)
Wednesday Music:
5PM Dave Frisk at Rock Rest Lodge
6PM Open Mic Night at Cannonball Creek Brewing
6PM Peter Fletcher at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse
6PM Mike Heuer at Miners Saloon
6:30PM Open Mic Night at Smiley’s
Thursday Preview:
6-8PM Art on Tap – Ugly Sweater Decoration at Foothills Art Center (21+ event)
6-7:30PM Lecture by Dennis Potter at the Golden History Museum – A Ragged Rabble of Opportunists
6-7PM Science Sit-Down at the Library
7-9PM How Mines Students won the Solar Decathlon
