Daniels and Fisher Tower, a Historic Piece of Denver

Today, with towering skyscrapers throughout the world, a 375-foot tower seems pretty puny.

But when Denver's Daniels & Fisher Tower, 1601 Arapahoe St., was built at that height in 1910, it was the third tallest in the nation. Built by William Cooke Daniels, a local department store mogul, the building was meant to bring national attention to Denver - then just a dusty cow-town - as well as Daniels' five-story store adjacent to the tower.

The tower was modeled after the bell tower of Saint Mark's basilica in Venice, a tall, brick column topped with a belfry. The tower also features 16-foot-high clocks on all four sides at the top of the building. In the building's heyday, tourists came from all over to visit the tower's observation deck, which allowed visitors to see as far as 200 miles in most directions. A gourmet dining room a few floors below offered spectacular meals with a breathtaking view.

As Denver grew, however, the tower fell into disrepair. In 1958, the May Company bought out Daniels & Fisher, forming May D&F, and the store vacated the building. In 1971, the vacant D&F store adjacent to the tower was razed, as Denver went through a period of urban renewal and reconstruction.

The city considered demolishing the Daniels & Fisher Tower as well. Citizens rallied to preserve the historic building, though, and it was renovated and re-opened in 1981 as an office building and tourist attraction. Many historic preservationists laud the effort as being among the first to stop the trend of demolishing Denver's historic building and, instead, preserving and creating new uses for them.

Today, the building is an attractive piece of downtown Denver's skyline. Open 24-hours, the general public can access the lobby of the building any time of the day. Materials there explain the tower's history. Visitors can also check out a display of the ashes of William Cooke Daniels, which were found in the fourth floor of the building during its renovation along with a will instructing heirs to keep a portion of his ashes in his beloved tower.

Most of the building's current tenants are office workers, but the building's basement now boasts Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret. The restaurant and club offers food, music, burlesque acts and magic shows throughout the week. Visitors who wish to get a better glimpse of the inside of the D&F Tower can also reserve the cabaret's 14th-floor viewing room for special events.

Sources:

Colorado Historical Society

http://coloradohistory-oahp.org/programareas/shf/articles/2004/oct.htm

High Stakes Preservation

http://www.coloradohistory.org/hsp/DFdescription.html

Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret

www.lannies.com