Mel's Barber Shop - 916 8TH AV

 Print Listing Historical Name - Riley Photography Studio
Style - No Style
Built Year - 1901-06
State ID - 5WL4117

Description - Long, one-story, rectangular, corner commercial building with flat roof with brick coping. The façade has metal panels above a flat roof projecting metal hood that shelters the storefront. Center, inset entrance with two metal frame glazed doors with transoms; concrete threshold in front of entrance. Barber pole adjacent to south entrance. Plate glass display windows on either side of entrance. Painted brick walls on north and rear. Toward front are casement windows with brick sills. Raised section of building toward rear in location of original photo light has plastic covering upper wall. Lower section toward rear with wall pier. Rear wall inset on south end and has entrance with flush panel door. Segmental arch above entrance.

Historical Background - This building was erected between 1901 and 1906. The address first appears in the 1908 city directory, when it housed a millinery and fancy works. By 1909, the building housed E.E. Wallace, photographer. In the following year, George M. Stewart, photographer, occupied the building. The Riley Photography Studio operated here in 1912-44. Howard Riley was born in 1881 in Golden. In 1908 he bought an interest in F.H. Hildrith's Studio in Longmont, where he received his training. He sold his interest in that business and moved to Fort Collins, where he was affiliated with the Seckner Studio. He moved from Fort Collins to Greeley in 1912 and established his photography shop. He and Olive E. Bates were married in the studio in 1912. A 1914 building permit indicates that C.H. Mulford changed the front of the building which was used as a photographic gallery. Mr. Riley served in the army during World War I. He died at the studio in 1931. In 1950 Craven's Studio and Noe Insurance were located here. Frank Craven became proprietor of Riley's Studio. By 1960, Noe Insurance was still here, together with Jerry Tammany, photographer. The current occupant, Mel's Barber Shop, appears at this address in the 1970 directory, together with Gibbons Realty.