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Union Colony Square -
802-04 9TH ST
 Print Listing
Historical Name -
Williams Building/Greeley Commercial College/Smith Dry Goods
Style -
Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements/Commercial Style
Built Year -
1903
State ID -
5WL4140
Description -
Two-story, rectangular, brick commercial building with flat roof and projecting metal cornice with brackets, dentils, and paneled frieze. Plain frieze with corbelled brick underneath, as well as rectangular panels. Walls composed of brown brick, with brick wall piers with sandstone bases enframing bay at west end of building. Second story features three large arched openings with triple windows; single narrow arched window at the west end. The window openings have gauged brick lintels and arched transoms surmounting center single-light windows flanked by narrow 1/1-light double-hung sash windows. There is a continuous sandstone sill course. The first story of the building has been remodeled, with a continuous band of clerestory windows across the façade above inset entrances and display windows. The ceiling is supported by poles set in stone bases. The basement level is exposed, and there are steps to the basement enclosed with metal and wood fences at each side of the entrance area and a wood board floor leading to the center entrance of the first story. The western enframed entrance has a stone threshold and a door with large rectangular light surmounted by a transom and glazed overdoor, and the window of the upper story has a segmental arched transom and an inset brick panel above.
The rear of the building has a full-height brick chimney and a full-height metal chimney. Windows and doors on the rear wall are segmental arched and have mostly been covered up. Windows have stone sills. There is a set of metal stairs leading to a second story center entrance. An old wall sign on the rear reads "The Greeley Commercial College."
Historical Background -
Sanborn maps, historic photographs, and city directories indicate that this building, erected about 1903, originally housed two businesses on the first story and other enterprises on the upper floor. The 802 storefront housed a dry goods business, Nelson Demorest, ladies’ outfitter, from about 1906 through 1917. The 804 storefront was occupied by the Star Grocery in 1906-1910. In 1913 C.D. Frazier, confectioner, had a short-lived business here, while in 1917 the Phoenix Bakery was in 804. By 1918, the Bull-Housh Dry Goods Company was here, utilizing both spaces. The J.V. Smith Dry Goods Company conducted business in this building from 1920 through at least 1970.
The upper story of the building was the longtime home of the Greeley Commercial College (1906-1960). The college was reportedly the oldest commercial college in Colorado. David W. Elliott was the founder of the school. A 1912 advertisement for the college in the files of the City of Greeley Museums advertised courses such as Bookkeeping, Arithmetic, Penmanship, Commercial Law, Banking, Real Estate, Farm Accounting, and Typing. The school offered day and night classes, and noted that it had $2,000 worth of equipment. J.W. and Edith Adrian were listed as proprietors of the school.
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