36 N. 4th Street
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Constructed in 1888, this long rectangular building is designed in the False Front Commercial style popular in early western towns; the building is a brick version of the typically wood frame form. It originally housed the livery stable and when trains arrived at the depot, a two-seated buggy (called a “hack”) would be driven over to pick up the passengers and carry them the short (often muddy or dirty) distance to Main Street. This building served as a livery stable from its construction until the emergence of the automobile replaced the horse completely around 1920; around that time, it was converted to a mechanic’s shop.
Images
View east across 36 N. 4th Street
![Wheel, Building, Tire, Plant](https://storage.googleapis.com/clio-images/medium_1695852948077_The%20livery.jpg)
Circa 1978
![Building, Car, Window, Sky](https://storage.googleapis.com/clio-images/medium_1695853081214_Circa%201978.jpg)
Circa 1984
![Window, Fixture, Building, Rectangle](https://storage.googleapis.com/clio-images/medium_1695853116726_Circa%201984.jpg)
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
This property consists of several lots, only lots 9, 10, 11 and 12 are related to the original building. The Carbondale Town & Land Company sold the lots to Charles E. Perpau in 1887. He sold the lots to Frank E. Sweet in 1888. In 1889, Sweet sold the property to William Kopfer. In 1893, Kopfer sold the south 25’ of the four lots to William Johnson, who on the same day transferred the ownership to Ward Tucker and Price Wickliffe. Tucker and Wickliffe borrowed money from W. M. Dinkel a couple of months later and the promissory note referred to improvements at this time. By 1897, Tucker bought out Wickliffe’s interest in the property. Several other people had an interest in this property over the years, such as R. L. Sherwood, Cyrene Needham, and J. W. Watkins. By 1911, J. B. Wiggins was the owner and sold the property to L.L. Harrel & Bert Hinkle. Harrel and Hinkle ran the livery, ferrying people from the train depot across the muddy expanse to the town center. They likely served both the Denver & Rio Grande depot nearby and the Colorado Midland depot across the Roaring Fork. As the automobile overtook the horse, the livery gradually converted to an auto mechanic shop. In 1991 CDE Partners purchased the property from the Public Trustee, and they sold it to Valley Journal Partners in 1992. Charles O. Bishop purchased the property in 1999 and sold it to Dale Eubank in 2000. The current owner, James Collins, purchased the building in 2005. The building is currently used as offices.
Sources
Town of Carbondale Downtown Survey Project, 2006, Reid Architect's, Inc., Manuscript on file, History Colorado, Denver, Colorado.
Carbondalegov.org
Carbondale Historical Society
Garfield County, Colorado, Assessor's Records
Town of Carbondale
Garfield County, Colorado, Assessor's Records
Garfield County, Colorado, Assessor's Records