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History of the Great Western Depots
Remember the small white, wooden buildings sitting vacant on Monroe Avenue and 10th Street? Many people are aware that Loveland’s Great Western Railway depots were in danger of being lost. Some efforts were made to save the depots over the years since they were closed up in 1985.
The Great Western’s passenger depot was built by the Great Western Railway in 1905, (note date correction). The factory was the first Great Western Co. sugar plant in Northern Colorado, erected in 1901. The sugar factory drove our economy for eight decades and grew Loveland’s population by 300% during its first decade of operation! It was a major contributor to the area’s economic success and remains a very important piece of our history and heritage. Loveland’s next generations deserve a chance to also know and appreciate the Great Western legacy.
The Great Western Railway’s main purpose was to bring in sugar beets from outlying farmers’ beet dumps, as well as molasses, coal, and lime rock for beet processing, and to ship out refined sugar. But it also operated passenger service from 1917 - 1926. Before and after passenger service years, it was used as the railroad agent’s central office. In the 1980s GWRy offered popular rail excursions, and school classes rode cabooses for years, but the railroad never got back on its feet. The passenger depot was closed in 1985 along with the factory. The little freight depot to the east was built in 1942 and closed at the same time. It has the distinction of being the only remaining GW freight depot in the state.
After many valiant efforts to come up with ways to save the depots and keep them in Loveland, in 2012 LHS reluctantly agreed to let the depots go to the new Moffatt Railroad Museum in Granby, thinking gone is better than demolished. But by 2017, after four years of expecting them to be whisked away, LHS formed a committee that redoubled efforts to save the depots in Loveland where they belong.
The City of Loveland, the Loveland Historic Preservation Commission, and Historic Larimer County, a county-wide preservation non-profit organization, are supportive of Loveland Historical Society’s efforts to save the depots, offering invaluable knowledge, expertise, and some monetary support. The Save the Great Western Depots Committee (SGWDC) raised money to cover an assessment of the buildings’ condition, abatement of hazardous materials, and moving cost. We have thankfully received a grant from the Boettcher Foundation and are applying for other grants. The buildings are eligible for listing on the State and Local Historic Registers, but only if they were kept in their historic context on the sugar factory’s original land. Without a historic registration, state historical fund grants would not be available.
In 2023, after many months of red tape and a pandemic, Omni-Trax, owner of the railway and the buildings, agreed to donate the depots to the City of Loveland. By early 2025 both buildings were moved about 60 feet south onto city property (which was originally also GW land.). Yea! Phase One was completed! Loveland Historical Society and the SGWD committee donated $64,500 to the City towards the first move, including haz mat mitigation, chimney deconstruction (it will be reconstructed after the move onto a foundation), and various moving expenses.
But “moved” doesn’t mean “saved” yet. We still need the public’s help while we fundraise for Phases 2 and 3 over the next 3 – 5 years. Funds will cover site plans and permits, a new foundation, the second move to the foundation, restoration for a new use, maintenance, and landscaping. A new use will be decided by the City Police Dept. (whose land the depots are now on), with input from the Loveland Historical Society, the Loveland Historic Preservation Commission, and Historic Larimer County. A possible new use could be a meeting place for non-profit groups, with photos and artifacts on the walls. A future goal of the committee is a display of railroad rolling stock beside the depots. The goal is to preserve the rich history of the sugar beet industry and the railway for future generations to learn from, creating a place the public can enjoy.
Please add your donation today! Look for “Save Loveland’s Great Western Depots” on Facebook. Watch the LHS website for regular updates. To donate online, click HERE. To donate by mail, send to: Save the GW Depots! PO Box 7311, Loveland, CO 80537.
Part of the Depot Comittee on Move Day
Loveland's Great Western Railway Depot (City of Loveland YouTube video)
Loveland historian Ken Jessen on the Great Western Railway Depots (video)