Historic Loveland Armory awaits new chapter in long life

Historic Loveland Armory awaits new chapter in long life

Downtown building is on National Register of Historic Places

By Pamela Johnson

Reporter-Herald Staff Writer

POSTED:   11/06/2017 07:12:14 AM MST

The Rev. Jason Avant, pastor of Calvary Church, looks out a window on the third floor — the only level that has not been renovated — of the historic Loveland Armory building on Friday, Nov. 3, 2017. The church is housed in the downtown building, which was built in 1926 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Calvary Church bought the armory in 1993 for $75,000, and the churchgoers remodeled the dilapidated building themselves. Now, the church is looking for a larger building with more land and is selling the downtown building for $1.1 million. (Jenny Sparks / Loveland Reporter-Herald)

The historic armory building in downtown Loveland was built in 1926 as a community hub and military training center and has served many different purposes in its 90-year life.

After 35 years as home to a National Guard Unit, the iconic structure at 201 S. Lincoln Ave. also served as storage for Hewlett-Packard, school district headquarters, city offices and most recently a church.

The church, whose members in 1993 painstakingly remodeled and saved the aging piece of Loveland history, and had it listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is now selling the building.

"The building we are at, the location, really does not support the vision we have for our church," said the Rev. Jason Avant, head pastor of Calvary Church. The church is looking for a larger building and more land to house a gym, activity center and space for different classes and workshops.

So, they have listed the church for sale for $1.12 million and, at the same time, are looking for a new location for Calvary Church, which will rebrand itself as The Avenue, a United Pentecostal Church. The avenue is symbolic for the path to a better life it will support for its members through classes, support groups and community outreach, Avant said.

The church bought the building in 1993 from the city of Loveland, which bought it in 1979 and initially used it for parks and recreation and water department operations until the Loveland Civic Center opened in 1986.

In 1990, the City Council at the time, voted on whether to spend $50,000 to fix the roof, replace windows and secure the building, but with a 4-4 tie, nothing was done and the building remained in limbo.

The roof continued to leak on the 14,000-square foot armory, and by the time the church bought it in 1993, the interior was in disrepair. News articles from the 1990s describe rotted floor boards, windows smashed by vandals and paint chipping away from foot-thick concrete walls.

It was in such disrepair that, in a 1992 Reporter-Herald article, city officials estimated, it could cost as much as $350,000 to bring the Armory up to city code. Instead, the church members led by Pastor Daniel Johnson, gave new meaning to walking the walk and remodeled the building themselves, step by step, and turned the inside into a church, classrooms and offices.

"They definitely made it something of beauty out of the ashes," said Avant.

A community effort

In the early 1920s, when Loveland's population was about 7,000, the Loveland Civic Association, a predecessor of the Chamber of Commerce, began spearheading an effort to locate a National Guard Armory unit in downtown Loveland, according to the application for placement on the historic register. The unit would provide a community hub and boost the economy.

Clarence J. Morley, who was Colorado governor at the time, approved the request for the armory in Loveland, and the civic association bought the land for $800 with $200 down and plans to finance the rest, though the American Legion and Ladies Auxiliary stepped in and helped pay off the remaining $600.

The old Loveland Armory building, which was built in 1926 and is on the National Register of Historic places, is home to Calvary Church, seen Friday, Nov. 3, 2017, in downtown Loveland. Calvary Church bought the building in 1993 for $75,000 and the churchgoers remodeled the dilapidated building themselves. Now, the church is selling the downtown building. (Jenny Sparks / Loveland Reporter-Herald)With a design from Greeley architect Sidney G. Frazier, construction on the armory began in late 1926, one of two built in Colorado from identical plans.The cornerstone was laid on Nov. 22, 1926, and a time capsule inside contained photos of the time and a 1920 Lincoln penny, according to the historic application.During construction, the Reporter-Herald described the armory building as an "imposing structure and most valuable addition to our city." Construction was complete in early 1927, and the $50,000 building was dedicated that April.It served as the headquarters for Troop C of the 117th Separate Squadron Cavalry of the Colorado National Guard. In the 1930s, the National Guard converted its units from cavalry squadrons to motorized field artillery regiments, and the Loveland unit became Battery F of the Second Battalion, 168th Field Artillery, according to old news articles.For 35 years, the armory served as a training center for the Loveland National Guard unit, including during World War II as a training facility for artillery units that later deployed overseas to fight against Japanese troops.

An array of uses

The basement of the building still holds the old shooting range, a narrow room that, at one end, was reinforced with metal to stop bullets, according to the application. Avant showcased that area, now a hallway, during a recent tour of the historic building, which features a large area currently used for worship as well as a kitchen, offices and classrooms.The National Guard vacated the building in 1960, and the following year Hewlett-Packard began using the building for storage, a use that continued into the 1970s until the Thompson School District took it over as the district's headquarters building. The city bought the building in 1979, used it until the mid 1980s before it sat empty and fell into disrepair until Calvary Church bought and remodeled the historic structure.For the past 24 years, it has served as the church for worship, classes and many other purposes, the results of a labor of love. The building is now up for sale, and what it will be used for in its next life is still unknown. "It could be any number of things. The zoning allows for any number of uses," Rico Devlin, the Realtor handling the sale, said, mentioning churches, offices and even retail space.

The historic building's next chapter is not yet written.

Pamela Johnson: 970-699-5405, johnsonp@reporter-herald.com, www.twitter.com/RHPamelaJ.