Best Towns 2009
Our 10 favorite adventure burgs
Salida, Colorado
Think
of Salida (pop. 5,000) as a ski hub without a resort—the nearest hill
is the underrated, overpowdered Monarch Mountain, 20 minutes away. Which
means residents of this unpretentious, bike-friendly town can take
advantage of 12 nearby fourteeners, the Class III–IV Arkansas River,
which runs through town, and epic mountain biking on the Monarch Crest
Trail—without Aspen home prices.
US News and World Report named Salida one of the Best Affordable Towns to Retire:
Salida, Colorado
Skiers may want to schuss into this Rockies retreat
Salida,
Colo., is home to the famous First in Boating kayak race on the
Arkansas River, which, at 26 miles, is the longest whitewater downriver
race in the United States. But when November hits, Salida's Chaffee
County, in a valley bordered on all sides by the snow-capped Rocky
Mountains, turns into a ski lovers' paradise. It boasts more 14,000-foot
mountain peaks-"fourteeners" in local parlance-than any other county in
Colorado.
Photos of Salida, Colorado, including the Historic Downtown, the Arkansas River, and the surrounding mountains.
Slideshow of scenes from and around Salida, Colorado
History of the Savoy Building
The Savoy building on 119 E. 1st Street was built in 1887. The architect and builder are unknown, and the original owner was J.P. Bowne, a Salida pioneer and one of the city's first firemen.
By 1889, it was known as The Palmer House with fine dining on the first floor, and an elegant sixteen room hotel on the second floor. The hotel became the Kansas House in 1903, and finally The Savoy House in 1909.
The Dairy Days parade passes in front of the Savoy in the early 1900's
Notice the upstairs tenant and the "Pool" sign
By 1890, a saloon was opened on the east side of the building while the restaurant continued on the west side. By 1893, the saloon was replaced by a clothing store, followed by a pool hall five years later. In 1898, the restaurant was replaced by a drug store.
By 1909 an elegant billiard parlor flourished on the West side, and a “moving picture” theater called “The Isis”, featuring a live orchestra opened on the East side. Later known as “The Photo Play”, the theater operated until 1930.
In 1951, it was Glenn’s Billiards, and by 1961 it was the Woods Billiard Parlor which operated alongside Salida Wholesale Tobacco and Candy.
The building became vacant and fell into disrepair and was used for storage until purchased by Milagro Design, LLC, in 2007. This group has fully restored the building from top to bottom including a new foundation and roof. There are three commercial spaces on the ground floor, and four residential condos on the second floor.
Renovation of the Savoy
Some of the objects found during the demolition...
A Silver Dollar from 1907, bottles and cans from the early 1900's..
An orchestra pit was also excavated, apparently used when the Savoy housed a theater during the silent movie era.
and
During the Demolition and Renovation.....
The stucco was removed from all of the interior walls, exposing the original brick
.
The Dangerous Collective
Owners Bill and Laura Donavan moved their high tech marketing and research firm, The Dangerous Collective, into the alley side of the Savoy Building, designing one of the more unique, contemporary spaces in Salida. Their offices are a stunning blend of the spirit of the old Salida downtown and modern efficiency. Their space boasts a television station, publishing for The Salida Citizen, conference facilities and a brain trust for some of the most progressive thinkers in the area.
Our team:
General contractor:
Dan Thomas of Natural Habitats, Salida, CO,
email: dthomas@naturalhabitats.biz
http://naturalhabitats.biz/ 719.539.4481
Design:
Tom Pokorny of Natural Habitats,
email: TPokorny@NaturalHabitats.biz,
Project Management and Principal:
Lee Hunnicutt 843 696-2401
email: lee@leehunnicutt.com
