Cortez in Montezuma County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Office Outpost (J.C. Penney Building)

circa 1953

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 10, 2020

1. Office Outpost (J.C. Penney Building) Marker

Inscription. The building was built by the Anna and T. Gai family in 1953 and housed the local J.C. Penney's store from 1953 until the late 1980’s.

The building is representative of the 1950's chain store prototype using modern extruded aluminum storefront construction with full display glass and broad Mainstreet frontage. The closure of the Penney's retail store reflects a major shift in downtown retailing in rural communities. The big box style retailers are typically locating outside of downtown areas near the fringe or edge of communities. The building was purchased by the Curtis and Stockdale families in 1996 and the Office Outpost store was relocated to this location that year.

Caption: This two-story concrete block structure is clad with pinkish brick on the upper story and purplish marble on the street level.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1953.

Location. 37° 20.922′ N, 108° 35.142′ W. Marker is in Cortez, Colorado, in Montezuma County. Marker is on West Main Street west of North Market Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 20 West Main Street, Cortez CO 81321, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Wilson (Stone Block) Building (a few steps from this

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marker); Cortez Post Office (a few steps from this marker); Cortez Travel (Duncan Beauty Shop) (within shouting distance of this marker); Charles Duff Mercantile (within shouting distance of this marker); Citizens State Bank (within shouting distance of this marker); Marshal W.G. Clucas Residence (within shouting distance of this marker); E.R. Lamb Mercantile (within shouting distance of this marker); Montezuma Valley National Bank (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cortez.

Office Outpost (J.C. Penney Building) Developer Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., October 14, 2020

2. Office Outpost (J.C. Penney Building) Developer Marker

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 10, 2020

3. Office Outpost (J.C. Penney Building) Marker

Office Outpost (J.C. Penney Building) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., October 14, 2020

4. Office Outpost (J.C. Penney Building)

Credits. This page was last revised on November 15, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 22, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 128 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on July 22, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on November 15, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 3. submitted on July 22, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on November 15, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.