Central in Denver in Denver County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
C. S. Morey Mercantile Building
1896
Lower Downtown Walking Tour
Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 28, 2016
1. C. S. Morey Mercantile Building Marker
Inscription.
C. S. Morey Mercantile Building. Constructed in 1896 for $75,000, the Morey Mercantile Building was the first notable warehouse to be built after the 1893 silver crash. Designed by Gove and Walsh, the structure included a spice grinding mill, roasting plant, extract laboratory and print shop. Unusual but practical features of the building include a second story main entrance built for direct access to and from the old 16th Street viaduct (demolished in 1944), a double wide alley between this building and the Henry Lee Building, and train tracks in the front for easy transfer of goods. These functional attributes were essential for a thriving, eclectic distributor like Morey, who manufactured, packaged and marketed all manner of food products, as well as brooms, writing tablets, matches, snuff, chewing tobacco, and cigars. From its founding in 1884, Morey Mercantile grew into an empire, becoming the largest wholesaler in the Rocky Mountain Region until its sale to Continental Foods in 1956. Even today, "C.S. Morey Mercantile Company" remains cut in stone above the second-story door on 16th Street.
Constructed in 1896 for $75,000, the Morey Mercantile Building was the first notable warehouse to be built after the 1893 silver crash. Designed by Gove & Walsh, the structure included a spice grinding mill, roasting plant, extract laboratory and print shop. Unusual but practical features of the building include a second story main entrance built for direct access to and from the old 16th Street viaduct (demolished in 1944), a double wide alley between this building and the Henry Lee Building, and train tracks in the front for easy transfer of goods. These functional attributes were essential for a thriving, eclectic distributor like Morey, who manufactured, packaged and marketed all manner of food products, as well as brooms, writing tablets, matches, snuff, chewing tobacco, and cigars. From its founding in 1884, Morey Mercantile grew into an empire, becoming the largest wholesaler in the Rocky Mountain Region until its sale to Continental Foods in 1956. Even today, "C.S. Morey Mercantile Company" remains cut in stone above the second-story door on 16th Street.
Erected by the Lower Downtown Historic District.
Topics.
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This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.
Location. 39° 45.103′ N, 105° 0.06′ W. Marker is in Denver, Colorado, in Denver County. It is in Central. It is at the intersection of Wynkoop Street and 16th Street Mall, on the right when traveling east on Wynkoop Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1628 16th 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 September 2, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 2,898 times since then and 206 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on September 2, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
