Putting the Grand Back into the Grand Imperial

Al Harper, the owner of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is dressed in period clothes as he welcomes visitors to the celebration of the restoration of his Grand Imperial Hotel.

 On May, a blustery Saturday, we gathered at 10,000 feet above sea level to tour the newly restored Grand Imperial Hotel in Silverton, Colorado. What an impressive building, with granite carved block walls and a brick front. The rooms inside have been freshened up and the bathrooms are now up to modern standards, but the old hallways lit by sunlight from the atriums and the tall doors with the transoms still make you think of times long ago when passengers from the D&RG RR stayed here. Those of us who drove to Silverton joined the passengers from first Durango-Silverton train of the season and enjoyed some great street-dancing music from The High Rollers.  A Fun day!

Brr-Glad we brought our down coats.

 

New wallpaper and carpet in this glamorous lobby. Don't you love the portrait of

starlet Lillian Russell on the wall?

Tune Into KSJD on Friday

KSJD Public Radio broadcasts from the historic Montezuma Valley Bank and Store in Cortez, Colorado

UPDATE: If you missed the interview, you can hear it at http://ksjd.org/post/preserving-historic-buildings-cortez .


On Friday, May 6, KSJD Radio will air a short interview I did with Tom Yoder about historic preservation and the ongoing historic building survey in Cortez, Colorado. They told me the interview will air on Friday during a break in NPR's Morning Edition at 7:30am (MDT).  You can stream KSJD at ksjd.org . Click onto the Listen Live" button on their website.