I & M Building

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 7, 2021

1. I & M Building Marker

Touch for directions.

Plains.

West,

Plains,

Plains.

America,

Hemisphere,

World,

Anglosphere.

Purchase.

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From the National Register Nomination prepared by Lydia F. Vandemoer and Langdon Morris, 4/1980:
The I & M Building is a two-story brick and limestone commercial building with Georgian Revival detailing. The ground floor of the building is composed of native limestone with large plate glass windows. The upper story is composed of brick laid in common bond on the west facade and in header and mosaic patterns on the north facade. The west facade is divided into twelve bays with pilaster divisions on the ground floor. The north facade has three bays with a large square central bay and flanking arch windows. The I & M Building is significant because of its fine architectural design and its association with two prominent Colorado businessmen, W.C. Harris and George Henderson.
W.C. Harris was born May 22, 1870, and came to Sterling with his parents in a covered wagon in 1875. He was

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 7, 2021

2. I & M Building

Looking east along Main Street.

in the first graduating class of Logan County High School in 1890. He first taught school, clerked in a store, bought and sold produce, gathered and sold bones for fertilizer, and then entered the cattle business in 1906.
His fortunes grew and by 1914 he entered a partnership with Ora Haley of Denver and formed the Haley-Harris Co., a business of farming, ranching, and cattle feeding. It was a merger of extensive ranch and farm holdings in Colorado and Wyoming primarily and was recognized as one of the largest feeding operations in the United States. This partnership period lasted until 1920 and was dissolved due to the death of Ora Haley in December 1919. New companies were formed in the name of W.C. Harris Grain Company and W.C. Harris Cattle Company with holdings of grain elevators in Colorado, Nebraska, Illinois, Montana, Idaho, and California.
During this time of great prosperity, W.C. Harris began the building on May 20, 1919, on the corner of 3rd and Main Street. It was a two-story structure with the possibility of adding more stories. The architect was Eugene Groves of Denver, Colorado, and was to be earthquake and fireproof. With the many business ventures that W.C. Harris had undertaken it was necessary for him to borrow considerable amounts of money from the bank of Mr. George A. Henderson.
It was through a transfer of accounts that Mr. Henderson purchased

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 7, 2021

3. I & M Building (northwest corner detail)

From the National Register Nomination:  A unique feature of the building are the decorative carved limestone panels on the northwest and northeast corners of the ground floor which include such unusual motifs as eagles, Indian heads, buffalo heads and sheafs of wheat.

the partially constructed building on November 11, 1920. He named the building the I & M Building for his two daughters, Isabel and Mildred. Mr. Henderson finished the construction of the building and located his investment business in the corner office. The I & M Building remains one of the outstanding buildings in Sterling because of its superb construction and has been unaltered from its original appearance.

(by Thomas J. Noel)  Excerpt:  Isabel and Mildred, daughters of banker George A. Henderson, were celebrated by this beauty, a two-story commercial building a half block wide and 20 feet deep. The first floor has large expanses of glass between classical limestone pilasters. Limestone bas-reliefs at the northeast and northwest corners contain images of an Indian, an eagle, buffalo, cattle, and wheat sheaves under a balustraded second story faced in brick. A wrought iron and glass awning tops the main entrance. Second-story brickwork on the narrow north facade is in mosaic patterns. The interior retains its marble floors, oak woodwork and wainscoting, ornate cast plaster ceiling, and the original elevator. Sound as well as beautiful, the building was designed for possible expansion

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 7, 2021

4. I & M Building Marker

Looking south along South 3rd Street. The marker is mounted at eye-level on the northwest corner of the building, facing Main Street.

to five stories.

Excerpt:  This 1920 two-story commercial building, with Georgian Revival detailing, was designed by Denver architect Eugene Groves.