Restoring the Jewel of Fort Collins: The Avery Block Building

The Avery Block Building on the corner of College and Mountain Avenues has been called “the height of Fort Collins' Victorian architecture.”   Conceived by Franklin Avery and designed by Montezuma Fuller, this distinguished building is a landmark in Fort Collins history, and now it is being restored.


As the project unfolds, the storefronts along College Avenue will be reconstructed to more closely resemble their original appearance. Stores facing Mountain and Linden will receive lighter restorations. The building’s lovely exterior brick and stone masonry will be painstakingly restored. All exterior woodwork and metalwork will be repaired and re-painted. And finally, a reproduction of the original cornice will be installed just below the level of the second floor windows.

The fully restored Avery Block will provide an elegant home for many local businesses, a vivid reminder of our proud past and a boost for our economy. Recent research has shown that every $1 invested in preservation projects yield an economic return of $6 for the local economy.

The bank portion of the Avery Block Building was ornate. On the corner entrance facing southeast, look for the Romanesque arch and the beautiful image of a lion’s head carved in stone just above the doorway.   (Fort Collins Local History Archive H09642)

A panoramic birds eye view of Old Town Fort Collins, looking north up College Ave (left) and Linden Street (right) in 1904. (Fort Collins Local History Archive H01814)

From concept to creation, the Avery Block Building came to life over a period of about 15 years. The final design was conceived by architect Montezuma Fuller, shown here in his office in the Avery Block Building.

> Avery Restoration
      Partners

> Avery Restoration
       Intro

> Avery Restoration
      Blog Index

   Avery History
   > Franklin C. Avery
   > Life on the corner
       of Main & Main
   > Avery Murder Trial
   > Battle of the Banks
   > Preserving
       Fort Collins