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In 1892 Charles Mow of Missouri was invited to visit his aunt and uncle in Carbondale, where they introduced him to his future wife, Madora Farris. They married in 1893 and settled on a farm on East Mesa, southeast of town. The home at 389 Sopris Ave was probably built in 1901 to house their family which included a son and daughter. Charles was seriously injured in the 1905 Fourth of July fire that destroyed half of the commercial district, but continued to farm outside of town. In 1920 they purchased the Big 4 Ranch two miles from Carbondale. It is likely that this home "in town" was used during the winter months when the children were attending school, and then later became a full-time residence. The home stayed in the family until 1972. This small I-House originally had a "t"-shaped plan and was altered at an unknown time. Lots 15 and 16, now the yard to the east, were purchased from William Dinkel in 1911 for $100.

389 Sopris Ave

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75 S 3rd St is one of the older homes in town, built in 1888. According to records, the original structure on the lot belonging to C.H. Scheu, may have burned in the town fire of 1893. This home was moved from the mining camp near the Marion mine sometime before 1905. The camp, west of Carbondale, employed 231 miners and was the largest of three in the area; it had numerous homes and several community buildings. The mine was shut down in 1895. Homeowners of note over the years include Price Wickliffe, James Legget, and Frank Dempke. This Late Victorian wood frame house is a typical form found in many local mining camps, and the original portion of the home is the "box shape" with a central door. The impulse to relocate the structure from the closed mine site shows the entrepreneurial sensibility of at least one of the early inhabitants.

75 S 3rd St

86 S 3rd St was built around 1900, and records show that Ward Tucker, an expressman on the railroad. owned the property at that time. Ward owned a herd of pack animals that were widely engaged in projects around town, The Tuckers were quite active in Carbondale society, and their names appear on every list of dances and meetings. Ward sang in the church choir and served as Carbondale's mayor in 1901 and 1902. W. M. Dinkel owned the home from 1905 to 1907. This modified Foursquare style home exhibits the characteristic "boxy" design with four rooms to a floor, as well as the hipped roof and wide porch. Typically 2 1/2 stories high, the shape provided a maximum amount of interior room space, and used the lot to its best advantage. The outbuilding on this property is most likely one of the early garages in town.

86 S 3rd St

156 Garfield Ave changed hands twice before Alice Cummings from Maryland aquired the lots in 1892. Alice had married John Cummings, who was killed by being thrown from his horse. She passed away 20 years later and was buried next to him in Glenwood Springs' Pioneer cemetery, sharing the same marble gravestone. In Carbondale, Alice's husband was Irish immigrant, Timothy Hayes. They built this home in 1893 and owned it through at least 1917. Alice became part of the small group of founders of the National Bank of Carbondale in 1907. Hamlin and Mary Edgert (sometimes shown as Edgarton or Edgerton) purchased the home in 1920 for $2500. In the 1930's Hamlin raised bees and sold honey in town. This home represents a small group of higher style Carbondale homes from the turn of the century. A few of the Queen Anne Victorian details include the complex roof form, the vertically proportioned double-hung windows set into segmentally arched openings, the brick detail, and the decorative posts and brackets.

156 Garfield Ave

First appearing on record in 1905 was 104 Garfield Avenue - also sold to Hamlin Edgerton in 1920 by Alice and Timothy Hayes. Evidently, the Hayeses had a substantial source of income, as they built and sold at least these two homes (in the 1910 census he was listed as a farmer, a laborer, and a funeral worker). Mary and Hamlin Edgerton had seven children and owned additional property in town, including farm land in the Weaver Addition to the north. Subsequent homeowners would include Caroline Vagneur of the extended early ranching family in the valley. Late Victorian architecture is evident here in the steep front gable roof, the decorative details visible on the side porch, and the fish scale shingles..

104 Garfield Ave

Built in 1893, 211 Euclid Ave was the property of several influential Carbondale figures. Daniel Edgerton, transferred it to his son Hamlin, who transferred it to his brother, Julian. According to records, in 1915 Edward Tandy, the town drugstore owner, transferred the property to his wife Kate. Edward served as Mayor of Carbondale several times spanning the period from 1895 to 1918. Notable locals Frank and Edna Sweet owned the property from sometime before 1931 through at least 1935. Another subsequent owner of note in 1967, was Edward Meredith of the local Meredith ranching family. Built in the Late Victorian style, this was an unusually large home for this point in time, and it has more decorative features than similar buildings found in the community. The substantial quality and the design demonstrate a willingness to invest in the growing community, and an interest in the prevalent style of the day.

211 Euclid Ave

Built in 1899, 251 Euclid Ave was owned by Ward Tucker, possibly as an investment. Ward originally settled in Saguache, CO where he ran a hotel, but moved to Carbondale after marrying his wife, Medora (Dora) Wilcox. He was the railroad depot manager and then a contractor and freight hauler, and he built the large brick home around the corner at 3rd and Garfield. According to one publication, "He operated large camps of men, did business loosely, lived well, and enjoyed life." In 1905 the home was sold to W. M. Dinkel Mercantile Co. and was possibly a rental property for the next 20 years. Subsequent owners would include Lucas, Holcob, Whitbeck, and Baumli. This single-story variant of an I-House and has been slightly expanded with wood-framed additions to the "t" shape. The garage in back was probably built in the '20's.

251 Euclid Ave

Benjamin Hill, one of the founders of Carbondale Town &amp; Land Co., probably built the home at 297 Euclid Ave around 1895. Benjamin was a locomotive engineer, and later a deliveryman, most likely for Dinkel's Mercantile. The Hill family sold the home to Albert and Orsola Cerise, descendants of the Val d'Aosta Cerises, in 1938. Albert was the manager of the Carbondale Potato Growers Cooperative Warehouse. The home would later belong to Oscar Berthod, of another Italian immigrant family that farmed the valley. This Late Victorian was built in an "L"-shaped plan, with the north wing enlarged sometime between 1900 and 1907. Originally, there was a rear yard that abutted the alley - the log building was probably moved to the property sometime after 1912.

279 Euclid Ave

Constructed around 1888, 195 S 3rd St was originally part of a large group of lots co-owned by William Dinkel and Reese Tucker. Reese sold his half-interest in the lots in 1914 for $2,000 to William, the owner of Dinkel's Mercantile and an early settler of Carbondale. It is likely that this remained a rental property, and its ownership passed to William's only daughter Anne Margaret who lived across Euclid with her husband Wallace DeBeque. The property stayed in the Dinkel-DeBeque family until 1972. This Late Victorian home was an "L"-shaped plan by 1900. It has been updated and altered extensively over the years. Like the other nearby 1880's homes, when built it did not sit on a foundation. It retains the original roof shape and some of the early details.

195 S 3rd St

Denver investor David C. Beaman sold the property at 235 S 3rd St to William Dinkel in 1911. In 1914 William and his wife Sallie (Dunlap) bequeathed this plot of land and the newly constructed home as a wedding gift to their daughter, Anne Margaret and her husband, Wallace DeBeque. The two lived in the home with their children, Wallace and Marie. Anne died in 1963 and the home stayed in the family until 1987. This excellent example of a Craftsman bungalow exhibits the characteristic rectangular plan with 1 1/2 stories, a wide open front porch, and overhanging eaves with exposed rafter ends.

235 S 3rd St

259 Sopris Ave was built in 1897. Carbondale's "fairy godmother" Mary Jane Francis donated this plot of land to the First Christian Church of Carbondale. The church was built and gradually completed via a series of social fundraisers over the next year. After 46 years, the building was transferred, giving Lewis Thompson, president of the school board, the opportunity to use it for the school district's hot lunch program from 1945 to 1968. It was then sold back to Lewis and converted to a private residence. This Late Victorian style building has been altered at the stoop, and the main entry doors and windows have been replaced.

259 Sopris Ave

The original owner of the parcel at 464 S 3rd St was Mary Jane Francis, who purchased it from School District 12 in 1890.In 1893 she sold the property to her friend and business partner William Dinkel for $1.It is likely that the home was built in 1904 - William Dinkel's effort to impress his Southern bride Sallie. William was one of Carbondale's original settlers and the proprietor of Dinkel's Mercantile in the heart of town. Sallie Dinkel was also a key figure, pushing for the arrival of electricity in Carbondale. Their daughter Anne Margaret and her husband Wallace DeBeque would later live just two blocks away, and she would eventually run the store. Details regarding the original lot owner, Mary Jane Francis, include the fact that she lived south of town at her property "Bide-a-Wee". From a wealthy Philadelphia family, she was either widowed or divorced at a young age and came to Carbondale to invest in mining and the town. She originally provided the land for the school district, and evidently bought some of it back. Mary appeared in the census with Henry or Harry Van Syckle. In 1900 he was referred to her ranch manager, and in 1910 as her nephew. Upon her death in 1914 it was revealed that he was actually her 15-year-younger cousin and husband. Scandal aside, Mary Jane Francis was know as Carbondale's "fairy godmother", donating land and funding both for the school district and the Odd Fellows Hall. She was also known for assisting the poorer people in the community. Historic sketches by Anne Margaret Dinkel show that the Late Victorian shingle style home once had a two story enclosed porch on the south side. Indoors, the grand scale of the parlor with ornate woodwork, as well as the large red stone fireplace, provide insight into the importance of this home and its owners. Records show that the home was originally white, and there are early photographs of William with his Collie in front of this iron fence.

464 S 3rd St

It is likely that Joseph M, Silver built the home at 275 S 4th St in 1913, however, by 1920 influential town members Frank and Edna Sweet had control of the property. The Sweets were originally from Connecticut and had three children - Walden, Dorothy, and Harold. Frank was listed as a farmer in the census of 1910, and had filled in at the post office in 1890 when the postmaster died. That same year, he was asked to run for mayor due to his outstanding reputation as "an obliging gentleman, made of the right kind of stuff", according to the newspaper. They sold the home to the Fender family in 1936, who also owned a large ranch that has passed through generations in Carbondale. The Craftsman style is recognizable in the deep-set porch, exposed rafter tails, and large built-up brackets. This home is a well-preserved example of the Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements.

275 S 4th St

Property investor Channing Sweet sold 225 S 4th St to Charles Sewell who built this home in 1898. Charles and his wife Clara Thompson purchased her father's farm along Thompson Creek and had two children. This was likely their "town home" in the winter, offering a reprieve from farm life difficulties, and making it more convenient for the children to get to school. The home stayed in the family until 1937 when William and Ella Bolton purchased it. In the 1920's they owned a nearby hotel, but appeared to be retired by the time of this purchase. In 1958 Eddis and Olla Fender purchased the home and it remained in the family into the early 1990's. The historic portion of this Late Victorian, with clapboard siding and fish scale shingles, is an "L"- shaped plan that includes the north side-gabled portion, along with the gabled extension to the south. The historic wood frame shed to the northwest was built sometime in the 1920's.

225 S 4th St

The lots at 378 Euclid Ave changed hands several times before being sold to Wilson and Allet Needham, who constructed this home in 1912. Wilson was originally a farmer from Kansas and his wife Allet was an immigrant from Holland. They signed the home over to their son Fred Needham in the 1920s. Before being drafted into WWI, Fred was a truck driver for a Bert Hinkle, the owner of the Carbondale livery stable. Needham sold the home in 1936 to Gerald Bennett, who in turn sold to Antoine ("Tony") and Rosine Usel - both Italian immigrants - who purchased the home after selling their ranch in the El Jebel area. The couple resided in the home for the next 30 years. The original structure is Late Victorian, and did not include the dormers or the enclosed front porch. At one time this address housed a bed and breakfast.

378 Euclid Ave

Early investors in Carbondale, William Gelder and George Arthur Rice, purchased these three lots, with 174 S 4th St in the middle, from the Carbondale Town and Land Co. in 1888. According to the 1880 census George worked as an assayer, and served as a senator. His partner William was a prominent member of Glenwood Springs who served as a county judge, and was also a partner in Hotel Glenwood as well as president of Glenwood National Bank. Gelder and Rice bought several lots, including these three that at one time had matching homes. As real estate investors, the two had a reputation as "townsite sharks", according to the local newspaper, the Avalanche. Lawyer David Beaman, and later drug store owner Edward Tandy would at one time own an interest in these properties. Tandy served as Mayor of Carbondale in the early 1900's. Characteristic of this Late Victorian style is the clipped front gable roof. Originally, the three homes would have had a single window on either each side of the central door, turned wood posts, coved lap siding and decorative fish scale shingles. In the early days, Victorian homes were of a dark color or natural, possibly stained, wood. 

174 S 4th St

Built in 1888, 162 S. 4th St sits on one of the smallest lots in town at 3000 square feet. The home itself is 782 square feet with a small addition on the northeast side. Homes of this style were heated with a central stove, as seen by the remaining original chimney. This house represents a pattern of development where a number of identical buildings were developed by a single investor on a single group of lots, typically as rental properties. Historical archive photos show that there were several mining camps across Colorado that had a series of identical homes.

162 S 4th St

370 Garfield Ave was part of a series of lots that passed from the Carbondale Town & Land Co through several real estate speculators. Owners Herbert and Louise Wilkins originally lived in a home built on the east end of the lots. They sold to George Sievers, who owned a cattle ranch along the Roaring Fork River. Originally from Holstein, Germany, George and his wife Johanna had the existing home built around 1918. In 1926, the home was purchased by Susan Doll Barthell whose husband Pete had served in the Spanish-American War in the 1890's. In Carbondale, Pete was a clerk at the Dinkel Mercantile Co., mayor of Carbondale, district water commissioner, ran a wholesale produce brokerage, and simultaneously ran for state senate. Although altered significantly, this home was built in the Late Victorian/Queen Anne style. It appears to have been expanded to the rear in the 1980's with a two-story addition, and the windows were replaced. Like many others in town, the garage is likely to date back to the 1920's.

370 Garfield Ave

Built in 1888, 326 Garfield Ave was in the Dinkel family for over eighty years, possibly as a rental property. The original owner, successful retailer and town pioneer W.M. Dinkel, first held the property with Ward Tucker's brother Reese. Reese Tucker was a silver miner in Aspen, and served as Carbondale's second mayor from 1888 to 1889. He sold his half-interest in the block 13 lots to William Dinkel in 1914. This Late Victorian home has a "t"-shaped floor plan that was later expanded with rear additions which appear to be over 50 years old. The home exhibits a good degree of architectural integrity, and conveys its historic age in design details.

326 Garfield Ave

Like the investment properties across the street, 410 Garfield Ave belonged to William Gelder, and then to investor David C. Beaman. Later, Eugene Prince, an early rancher, taxidermist, store owner and carpenter owned this property with Arthur J. Edgerton, a miner in Marble. In 1903 the town marshal, James Legget, probably had the building constructed. He sold to the Boyle Commission Company, which was in the business of buying and selling produce. This may explain why the 20' x 40' Late Victorian/Queen Anne wood-framed building once had doors and ramps at each end. Later the building was expanded on the south and west sides. The fish scale shingles are consistent with the decorative detail of the era. In 1927 Bert and Clio Hinkle, took over the property - he owned the livery stable and hauled goods for a local coal and feed store. Records show that Paul and Mary Jessup converted the building to a residence in 1961. Paul served on the planning board and town council, and they operated the Mountain Air Hotel for over a decade. The property would later belong to Ernest Strong who owned the Strong Saw Mill in Aspen with his brother.

Carbondale Historic Architecture Tour 2

389 Sopris Ave

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