Ballpark District in Denver in Denver County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Merchandise Mart
1930
Lower Downtown Walking Tour
Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 28, 2016
1. Merchandise Mart Marker
Inscription.
Merchandise Mart. Built in 1930-31 as a multi-tenant warehouse, 1863 Wazee Street is representative of the final building period in Lower Downtown until the boom of the 1980's. Architect Montana Fallis used the modernistic style to establish this building as Denver's first "Merchandise Mart." Fallis distinguished himself in architecture by specializing in the structural engineering problems of large buildings. His work ranged from metallurgical industry designs for smelters and refineries built all over North America to carious Neoclassical and Art Deco buildings built in Lower Downtown, including the Oxford Hotel Annex. This building's art deco elements reveal a radical departure form the provincial and often conservative architecture of the time. Sensuous lines, sumptuous ornamentation, and European influence can be seen in the brick masonry of this building. Polychromatic brick, jagged point triangles, chevrons and the use of a variety of materials - from brick, stone and terra cotta to metal and opaque glass - were characteristically used in the Art Deco style of architecture to enhance and enliven the lines of structure.
Built in 1930-31 as a multi-tenant warehouse, 1863 Wazee Street is representative of the final building period in Lower Downtown until the boom of the 1980's. Architect Montana Fallis used the modernistic style to establish this building as Denver's first "Merchandise Mart." Fallis distinguished himself in architecture by specializing in the structural engineering problems of large buildings. His work ranged from metallurgical industry designs for smelters and refineries built all over North America to carious Neoclassical and Art Deco buildings built in Lower Downtown, including the Oxford Hotel Annex. This building's art deco elements reveal a radical departure form the provincial and often conservative architecture of the time. Sensuous lines, sumptuous ornamentation, and European influence can be seen in the brick masonry of this building. Polychromatic brick, jagged point triangles, chevrons and the use of a variety of materials - from brick, stone and terra cotta to metal and opaque glass - were characteristically used in the Art Deco style of architecture to enhance and enliven the lines of structure.
Erected by the Lower Downtown Historic District.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture
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• Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Art Deco series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1863.
Location. 39° 45.239′ N, 104° 59.801′ W. Marker is in Denver, Colorado, in Denver County. It is in the Ballpark District. It is at the intersection of Wazee Street and 19th Street, on the right when traveling north on Wazee Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1863 Wazee Street, Denver CO 80202, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Colorado’s Front Range. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 31, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,167 times since then and 65 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on August 31, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
