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Home Light & Power Building; Buckingham Gordon Building -
810 9TH ST
 Print Listing
Historical Name -
Clough Furniture Company/Home Light & Power Co.
Style -
Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements/Commercial Style
Built Year -
1907
State ID -
5WL4144
Description -
Two-story flat roof brick commercial building with stone or terra cotta molded and corbelled cornice. Paneled brick frieze surmounts molded cornice above second floor supported by capitals of wall pilasters, which have garlands. Between capitals is dentil molding. Pilasters divide upper story into three bays, each with three three-part windows. Narrow pilasters between grouped windows. Molded cornice at sill level of second story windows has egg and dart molding and terminates pilasters of first story which create three bays. Eastern bay has inset double door entrance with transom and sidelight. Paneled and glazed door near west end. Square panels of black spandrel glass on first story. Rear wall has off-center, projecting glazed entrance bay toward east end of building and double height shed roof projection with glazed upper story toward west end of building. (See information on the building at 814-16 9th Street.)
Historical Background -
This building was erected by G.H. Gordon of Greeley and George W. Buckingham of Boulder in 1907. City directories indicate that the first firm to occupy the building was the Clough Furniture Company. The company was founded in September 1904 by John T. Clough. The company moved to this building in 1907 and operated here until 1918. The Clough Furniture Company became one of the city’s oldest mercantile establishments and was still family owned and operated when it was sold in 1960. The Neill Furniture Company was listed here in the 1922 city directory. The company was founded by Morton J. Neill, member of a prominent Greeley family whose parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Neill, moved to the area at the turn of the century. The furniture company moved to other locations in Greeley before Mr. Neill moved to California in the early 1930s.
In 1924 the Home Light and Power Company purchased the building from the Neill Furniture Company for $50,000. The utility had previously operated at 809 9th Street. The Home Light and Power Company began operation in late 1902 with a generator near the Normal School (University of Northern Colorado). In 1909 the company reorganized and incorporated. During 1935-1944 the company was a government-controlled corporation managed by the Western Light & Telephone Company of Kansas City, Kansas. In June 1944, local businessmen purchased stock to secure the independence of the company. The company produced and sold electricity as an investor-owned facility until becoming part of Public Service Company of Colorado. The company celebrated its golden anniversary in 1959 and opened a new service center at 6th Avenue and 15th Street in 1966.
In 1977-1978 Home Light and Power remodeled this building to resemble its original appearance while including energy conserving measures. A solar collector was added to the roof to heat water throughout the offices. The roof and front of the building were reinsulated and heat pumps were added to heat and cool the building. Innovative lighting was introduced to reduce electrical usage. “We’re excited about these conservation steps and we hope our customers will drop in and learn how these same measures can be applied in their homes,” stated Clark Ewald, president of the company.
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