A one-story historic brick building in the town of Dolores, Colorado that once housed a grocery store and meat market may soon see a significant upgrade.
Located at 315 Central Avenue, the former Exon Mercantile Building was built around 1907 and has been on the town historic register list since 1998.
Now the owners of the Kokopelli Bike and Board bike shop, which operates out of one half of the structure, are working with town officials to restore the building. To that end, building owners Scott Darling and Pete Eschlier are applying for a grant of up to $50,000 to underwrite the effort.
If approved, the grant will be come through Colorado’s State Historical Fund.
Originally called the Exon and Rush Meat Market and Mercantile building, the structure some fifty years later served as the home for the offices of the Dolores Star newspaper.
The building, named in honor of early Colorado settler and businessman William Exon, is notable for its decorative corbels extending across the front exterior, and side walls that slightly decline towards the rear of the property.
By Garry Boulard
