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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 01/21/2003 - SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 008, 2003, DESIGNA AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 15 DATE: January 21, 2003 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL FROM: Karen McWilliams SUBJECT : Second Reading of Ordinance No. 008, 2003, Designating the Giddings Machine Shop, 401 Pine Street, as a Historic Landmark Pursuant to Chapter 14 of the City Code. RECOMMENDATION: The Landmark Preservation Commission recommends adoption of the Ordinance on Second Reading. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The owner of the property, Douglas Mohrlang,President,Giddings Machine Company, and Equity Owner,Jon Prouty,President,Daemian Enterprises,initiated this request for Fort Collins landmark designation for the Giddings Machine Shop. Ordinance No. 008, 2003, which was unanimously adopted 5-0 (Councilmembers Bertschy and Tharp absent) on First Reading on January 7, 2003, designates the Giddings Machine Shop, 401 Pine Street, as a historic landmark. a x ORDINANCE NO. 008, 2003 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS DESIGNATING THE GIDDINGS MACHINE SHOP, 401 PINE STREET, FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 14 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 14-2 of the City Code, the City Council has established a public policy encouraging the protection,enhancement and perpetuation of historic landmarks within the City; and WHEREAS, by Resolution dated December 11, 2002, the Landmark Preservation Commission (the"Commission")has determined that the Giddings Machine Shop(the 'Property") has architectural and historical importance to the City,for its associations with the Giddings family, who played an integral part in the growth and development of Fort Collins; and WHEREAS, the Property is also significant for the Giddings Machine Company itself, a business that today is internationally known for its quality soil exploration equipment; and WHEREAS,the Giddings Machine Shop is important as a prime example of the factory-type commercial architecture of the 19th and 20th centuries; and WHEREAS,the Commission has further determined that said Property meets the criteria of a landmark as set forth in Section 14-5 of the Code and is eligible for designation as a landmark,and has recommended to the City Council that said Property be designated by the City Council as a landmark; and WHEREAS, the owners of the Property have consented to such landmark designation; and WHEREAS, such landmark designation will preserve the Property's significance to the community; and WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed the recommendation of the Commission and desires to approve such recommendation and designate said Property as a historic landmark. NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That the Property historically known as the Giddings Machine Shop,located on lands in the City of Fort Collins, Latimer County, Colorado, described as follows,to wit: The Southwest 140 feet of Lots 2 and 4, Block 3, Fort Collins Original Townsite, more specifically described as follows: Commencing at the Northeast Corner of Lot 2,thence Northwesterly along the Alley 90 Feet,thence Southwesterly Parallel with Pine Street 50 Feet,thence Southeasterly Parallel with the Alley 90 Feet, thence Northeasterly 50 Feet to the Point of Beginning (also known as 401 Pine Street). be, and hereby is, designated as a historic landmark pursuant to Chapter 14 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins. Section 2. That the Secretary of the Interior's standards and guidelines for the treatment of historic properties will serve as the standards by which alterations, additions and other changes to the buildings and structures located upon the above described property will be reviewed for compliance with Chapter 14, Article III, of the Code of the City of Fort Collins. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 7th day of January, A.D. 2003, and to be presented for final passage on the 21 st day of January, A.D. 2003. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading this 21st day of January, A.D. 2003. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 19 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL DATE: January 7, 2003FROM Karen McWilliams SUBJECT: First Reading of Ordinance No. 008, 2003, Designating the Giddings Machine Shop, 401 Pine Street, as a Historic Landmark Pursuant to Chapter 14 of the City Code. RECOMMENDATION: "^ , %+ The Landmark Preservation Commission1 co e#S adoptio f the Ordinance on First Reading. At a public hearing held on Deee`mbe1�200� the ark Preservation Commission unanimously recommended designation of this property as a landmark for its architectural and historical importance to Fort Collins. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The owner of the property,Douglas Mohrlang,President,Giddings Machine Company,and Equity Owner, Jon Prouty, President, Daemian me rises,=ale= ' iati this request for Fort Collins landmark designation for the giddings lvlachin Sl'R he o erty meets several standards for designation as a Fort Collins l ndmazk pecif1 Il §14-5(1) r the property's association with significant persons and trends, and §k4 S(e2��i thuilding' apresentation of a type, period or method of construction. The building is further individually eligible for designation on the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A, B, and C, and would contribute to the Historic Old Town District, a district that already has both National Register and Fort Collins landmark designation. The building has obvious associations with the Giddings family, a family who played an integral part in the growth and development of Fort Collins. The property is also significant for the Giddings Machine Company itself, a business that today is internationally known for its quality soil exploration equipment. Finally, the Giddings Machine Shop is important as a prime example of the Factory-type commercial architecture of the 19th and 20th centuries. HISTORY The Giddings Machine ShoFQran . iQinggs., S( r c structed its original owner, Frank Denis Giddings, Sr. (1872-1936). G . was the son of Loren and Elizabeth Giddings who moved their family to Colorado in 1883. Frank and his brother Ralph began practicing blacksmithing as boys on their family farm in Timnath. As a young man, Frank purchased a blacksmith shop in Fort Collins in 1893. In 1894 he moved the business to Livermore, where he enjoyed a thriving enterprise making spring wagons. Frank moved the business back to Fort Collins in 1901, opening his machine shop and foundry in a building on Jefferson Street near Pine Street. Concurrently, Giddings began construction of his building at 401 Pine Street and built it as his finances permitted. For a few years after 1902, the shop was located on Walnut Street. Finally, in 1908, Giddings Machine Company relocated to its permanent home at 401 Pine Street where it stands today. In 1900 Frank formed,the Western Steel Headgate Company to manufacture and market his patented steel headgate, used in farm irrigation. These headgates were manufactured at the Pine Street shop. In 1914, he patented and began manufacturing the Giddings Hay Shredder. After several modifications and improvements, he again patented the machine several years later, DATE: ITEM NUMBER: 19 this time as the Giddings Feed Grinder. All castings for the machine were made in Frank's own foundry. The shop also did a lot of work for the oil fields in the Fort Collins area during the 1920s. When Frank Giddings, Sr. died in 1936, his son, Frank D. (Dennie) Giddings, Jr. took over the company. Dennie continued to manufacture the feed grinders his father invented as well as a soil- sampling machine he himself invented. During WWII, he was contracted by the government to make machine parts for the military. In 1956, Dennie entered into a business partnership with Robert J. Swan. By this time the Giddings Feed Grinder had become somewhat outdated, so the business partners developed and patented a power soil sampler. The soil sampling equipment proved extremely popular with universities and government agencies. After Dennie died in 1967, Robert Swan continued to run the business on his own, purchasing the business from the Giddings estate in 1969. Mr. Swan operated the busine s until=1978 when he sold it to Herbert and Ron Mohrlang of Mohrlang Steel a d Fabricating 'Corporation.The Mohrlangs never considered changing the name of the business due to the great reputation the Giddings name had established. Under the operation of Herbert Mohrlang;and now-his son Douglas Mohrlang, Giddings Machine Company continues to manufacture a line of soil exploration equipment known the world over. Architecture - The Giddings Machine Shop is a great example of factory-style vernacular commercial architecture from the turn of the 20th century. Although he was neither a professional designer nor builder, the building's design and construction embody Frank Giddings' competence in those areas. According to Herb Mohrlang, the original building was designed and constructed by Frank D. Giddings, Sr.over a period of seven years,from 1901-1908. Construction halted when money ran out and resumed when„more money became available. The Giddings Machine Shop is a large rectangular building with a concrete foundation, briclt�-construction and a false front. The north end of the original building is one story tali while the'south end has two stories. The building's single-story north en$.has.a high roof that is almost even with the second-story roof on the south end. This high roof provided the vertical space necessary for the manufacturing equipment used in the shop. The roof of this section is best described as having a moderate to steep pitch,with a narrow flat deck running along the top. Atop this flat section of the roof are three large rectangular structures with hipped roofs, which appear to have been designed as light or ventilation shafts. The false front fagade has a triangular pediment centered atop the upper-story. The west end of the fagade has what might best be described as half of a stepped gable. The Giddings name is painted on wood cutouts in large block letters which span the fagade's upper level. The outlines of sealed windows are still visible behind the letters. The north elevation features a symmetrical stepped gable. The brick walls,now pa led"a'yellowisfypff lii air ut in all-stretcher running bond with fanned brickwork formin decorat�e arch**�n1 a ov he down. The lower level windows were long, vertical double-hung sash widtows it /9 lights d arched heads. The upper story windows appear to have been slightly smaller Versions ofe lower ones. Building permit documents indicate that several additions and alterations to the building have been made over the years. Despite the changes,the original building itself is relatively intact,and many of the additions and alterations are fairly easily reversed.