Out of Service (UPDATE on Albert Kahn)

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During the late 1980s the Public Library in Denver, Colorado was in need of some refurbishment. When the walls were pulled down this old Ford sign became visible. On this spot used to be a Ford Garage that began in the days of the Model T and was in use through the late 1930s into the Ford V8 era. This building was just south of the Civic Center roundabout near Broadway, an area of Denver that was filled with pre-war auto dealers. Some of the agencies were housed in fancy Victorian buildings. This one looks like an Albert Kahn designed garage from circa 1917. When the property was sold to the City & County of Denver, the Ford dealer was re-located and started selling Chevrolet. (text & photos Hugh Nutting) (RB)

Update: More on Albert Kahn by Hugh Nutting: ”Of the 1000 plus Kahn designed buildings done for Henry Ford, many were Ford Dealerships in both large and small cities in the US. One that I was in during the 1950s was the Kingsford Ford-Lincoln dealership (Henry's cousin) in Iron Mountain Michigan. It was truly a grand show place for being in the small U.P. town where the Ford woodies were built and near the town of Kingsford, a planned community for Ford employees. Kahn also did the Ford Assembly Plants throughout the country. A remaining one is in Denver, CO and is part of the Gates Rubber Co. complex. The best known Kahn building open to the public is the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI. It is a recreation of Liberty Hall until you get inside - then it is pure Kahn. I noticed this years ago and it was confirmed by the late Les Henry on one of my many visits. The interior looks just like the inside of the EE engineering building where Henry and Edsel Ford did much of their auto development thinking. There are lots of early Ford Photos in the Dearborn engineering building including those of the creation of Edsel's Continental in 1938/9. The car collection also has Edsel's 1941 Continental on display."

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