Montezuma (Montie) Fuller was one of Fort Collins’ first architects. He designed many of the buildings that we tend to think of as embodying the history of this city. You can read more on the man himself in my last article, Glimpsing Montezuma Fuller Through His Great Grandson. But in today’s post, I want to focus in on some of the houses he designed. I have somewhat randomly selected five buildings that we’ve lost and five that are still with us today. It was the loss of some of these structures, among others, that galvanized the historic preservation movement in the city during the 1960s and 70s.

Montie was a prolific worker and designed close to 100 buildings (both commercial and residential) not only in Fort Collins, but in Loveland, LaPorte, Wellington, Windsor, Denver, Easton, Greeley, and Gunnison as well. Though there are some similarities that appear over and over again in his work, he was also capable of branching out into styles that were utterly unlike what he had done before.

I’ve only chosen 10 residential properties to share today, which means I still have several buildings to share in similar posts in the future. Where houses have been removed, I’ve done what I can to dig up an archived photo. But I’ve also taken a picture of what stands in that location today.

Lost

415 Remington Street, the home of Senator William A. Drake. Built 1907-8. (Photo from the Fort Collins Archive – H02742.)

The approximate location of 415 Remington Street today.

Senator W. A. Drake was a Republican. He served in the Colorado State Senate from 1902 to 1910. And he lived in a house designed by Montezuma Fuller at 415 Remington Street, right about at the southernmost end of where the Safeway building stands today.

260 W. Mountain, the house of C. O. Hunter, owner of a local jewelry store. The house had been built in 1901. (Photo from the Fort Collins Archive – H11083.)

The site of 260 W. Mountain today.

The site of C. O. Hunter’s house is a parking lot today.

This is where 316 S. Howes street used to be. It was the H. R. and Narsa Lovett House, built in 1924.

There used to be a brick house in this location according to Margaret Fuller Hazelton, Montezuma’s youngest daughter. This is 320 S. Howes Street. The house had been built in 1904.

As best I can figure, this is where 318 W. Laurel used to stand. The house had been built in 1905.

Saved

The A. A. Edwards house is a Bed & Breakfast today, owned by Curt and Nancy Richardson. Curt is the founder of Otterbox. This house stands at 412 W. Mountain and was built in 1903.

Montezuma Fuller doesn’t seem to have been involved in the building of the Avery House that’s now a museum. But he did design a house for Franklin Avery’s son, Edgar. This house stands between the Avery house and St. Joe’s Church, hidden by large evergreen trees at 316 W. Mountain Avenue. It was built in 1901.

The Peter Anderson house stands at 300 S. Howes Street and now houses Liley, Rogers & Martell, Attorneys at Law. This house was built in 1901.

The Dr. A. W. Roth House – Portner House stands at 322 W. Laurel Street and was built in 1905.

The building at the corner of Howes and Magnolia is an apartment building that Montezuma Fuller built right next to his own house. It was built in 1905 and prior to that point, the land was used by Montie’s children as a yard where they would play such games as Pump, Pump, Pull Away.

Even this small selection of buildings gives a sense of Fuller’s artistry as well as a sense of some of what Fort Collins has lost over the years. The buildings that remain to us are beautiful examples of the craftsmanship and style of early Fort Collins.

For a list of properties that Montezuma Fuller was involved in, check out this bio on the History Colorado site (pdf).