Golden – Investigators searched Thursday night for the cause of a fire that heavily damaged an 1863 building that once housed the Colorado Territorial Legislature.
No one was injured in the fire, which was called in shortly after 3:30 p.m. Dense smoke quickly enveloped the two-story brick building, at 1122 Washington Ave., and could be seen for miles.
Tenants include the popular Old Capitol Grill on the first floor, with a statue of Adolph Coors on the corner outside, and second-floor offices.
Flames danced on the roof, where men were working earlier in the day, said two Old Capitol Grill managers. A waitress noticed smoke coming out of a ceiling vent, and six customers and four employees left through the front door, said Josh Friesen, the manager on duty.
About three dozen firefighters from Golden, Fairmount, West Metro and Pleasant View waited 15 minutes while a propane tank on the roof was assessed before pouring water on the blaze, said city spokeswoman Sabrina Henderson.
A four-block area of the historic downtown was closed off as firefighters brought the fire under control in about an hour. The heaviest smoke belched from the second floor.
Henderson said no salvage assessment had been done, although it appeared there was heavy smoke and water damage. One concern is that the bricks could be soft because the building is so old. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
Golden used three buildings for the legislature during its 1862-67 stint as Colorado’s territorial capital. The other two have been torn down.
Businesses in the 1100 block of Washington Avenue – where the “Howdy Folks” sign arches across the street – were evacuated, but the Buffalo Rose saloon across the street remained open.
Staff writer Ann Schrader can be reached at 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com.
