Armstrong Hotel

249, 251, 253, 257, 259, 261, 263 S College Avenue

I need to put a photo here.

What was here before the hotel? 

Armstrong Hotel

“Work To Be Started Soon, Is Indication; Hotel To Be Of 36 Rooms and Three Stories; Cost Not Announced; Jones Is Architect Orton Davis, a well-known Fort Collins contractor, will be awarded the contract for the building of the new Armstrong hotel at the corner of South College avenue and Olive street, it was indicated Tuesday after bids from contractors had been opened. Exact figures on the building cost are being withheld for a few days by the architect, L. L. Jones. The building will have a front of 96 feet on College avenue and one of 127 on Olive street. Work on excavation and building will be commenced as soon as practicable, it is understood, and some building material, such as joists and rafters, already has arrived from the Pacific coast and is stacked on the ground. The hotel is to be of thirty-six rooms, and will have three stories, including basement, in which will be a barber ship. Some difficulty has been experienced in getting a sewer with fall enough to take in the basement, and this difficulty is not yet surmounted, the city not having been able to agree upon deepening and enlarging that in the first two blocks on South College avenue, south of West Mountain avenue. A. P. Tingle and Charles Mantz are financially interested in the building.” (Fort Collins Courier, May 31, 1922)

“The brick work on the new Armstrong hotel is laid nearly as high as the first story.” (Fort Collins Courier, August 17, 1922)

“Armstrong Hotel to Have Commodious Lobby & Dining Room Thru the efforts of Ora E. Long, contractor and superintendent in charge of the new Armstrong hotel building, the revised plans have been so changed that a large, well lighted lobby will be located in the southeast corner, occupying a frontage of 45 feet on College avenue and the same on Olive street according to the original plans as drawn by L. L. Jones. It had been planned to have a small lobby in the northeast corner of the building. A large dining room 28×46 will be located just back of the lobby along the south side of the building. Adjoining it will be located a small dinroom and a number of sample rooms, which could be used for banquet halls if needed. The two north rooms on the ground floor will be used for store rooms, ready for occupying January first. The Armstrong is to be a real hotel, in every sense of the word and one that Fort Collins can be proud of. It is being erected by Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Mantz of Denver, pioneer residents of Fort Collins.” (Fort Collins Courier, October 27, 1922)

“The brick work on the new Armstrong hotel is completed and the caping in place. The building is large, good looking, and there is no reason why the hotel there should not be a winner from the start.” (Fort Collins Courier, November 4, 1922)

“Iron fire escapes have been placed upon the new Armstrong hotel building at College and Olive street.” (Fort Collins Courier, January 4, 1923)

“Hotel Armstrong to Open April 1, Dever and Behling in Charge The new Armstrong hotel at the corner of College avenue arid Olive street has been leased by J. L. Dever of Fort Collins and Carl F. Behling of Los Angeles, both, experienced hotel men, and will be opened about April 1 according to an announcement made Tuesday night by Mr. Dever. The hotel has eighty rooms, all outside rooms, forty-four of them being connected with bath. It is complete in every detail with elevator service, banquet hall, rooms for card parties for the ladies, and will be a small community in itself with a barber shop in the basement, cigar stand and all the modern accoutrements of the first rate hotels. The rooms will be finished in mahogany and the beds will be of mahogany to match. Everything in the new hotel will be of the best including the service which the new managers contemplate offering to the travelling public. The new furnishings have all been purchased according to Mr. Dever and, he adds “They were all bought in Colorado,” The new hotel is on the D-L-D highway and is one of the best hotels in northern Colorado. The managers have excellent records for the past and promise the best in the future that can be given.” (Fort Collins Courier, January 24, 1923)
“The Betty Jane Millinery has moved into the north storeroom of the New Armstrong hotel. The next room south will be occupied by Smith’s Sweet Shop, March first.” (Fort Collins Courier, February 3, 1923)

“A permit was authorized for the construction of an outside stairway on Olive street at the new Armstrong hotel building, College avenue and Olive street, this to accommodate the Griffith cigar store and pool room which is to be located in the new hotel. A license for a pool room was also allowed the Griffith pool room.” (Fort Collins Courier, February 10, 1923)

“Street Numbers for New Hotel Building The city engineer’s office has just furnished the official street numbers to be used at the new Armstrong Hotel building, corner of South College avenue and Olive street. The numbers start at the sales room occupied by the Betty Jane millinery parlor, this having the designation of 249. The other numbers for the building are 251-253-257-259-261-263. Two numbers are allowed for each of the twenty-five foot lots in the block.” (Fort Collins Courier, February 13, 1923)

“The Mountain States Telephone company has a force of men at work installing a ninety-branch private telephone system at the new Armstrong Hotel building.” (Fort Collins Courier, February 21, 1923)

“The Edie flower store, at the new Armstrong Hotel building, was formally opened for the Easter trade.” (Fort Collins Courier, April 2, 1923)