Gardner Building Operations

Historic Quaintance Block

805 13th Street, Golden

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Quaintance Block was originally built right on the corner of 13th Street and Washington Avenue by Charles F. Quaintance in 1911. It was designed as a triple storefront building featuring the Quaintance Real Estate & Investment Company on the corner, the Quaintance Kodak Shop of Charles F. Quaintance on the 13th Street side, and the law office of his brother Arthur D. Quaintance on the Washington Avenue side. The Quaintance Block was designed and constructed by Golden-educated master architect James H. Gow and was the first and now ne of only 4 remaining known buildings built with the renowned experimental glazed bricks of the United States Glazed Brick & Pottery at Golden (the others, all on or eligible for the National Register, are the Maas Residence at 423 10th Street in Golden, and Union Station and the Byron White U.S. Courthouse in Denver). Since Charles was involved with other endeavors other businesses were simultaneously headquartered at the corner storefront, including the Castle Rock Resort overlooking Golden where one could get tickets here to ride burros or funicular railcars to the summit (1911-1921); Herold China & Pottery (earliest remaining intact headquarters of the now world renowned CoorsTek, 1912-1914); and Guy Hill Telephone Company (1912-1918). In 1923 the Quaintance Block was moved a lot west to make way for Golden's first standalone gas station on the corner, and in 1924 received a large blond brick addition to house the Brunswick Billiard Hall of the Jueck Bros. The place housed the Jefferson County Republican newspaper from 1933-1946 and the Golden Outlook newspaper in 1950. In 1946 the main level became home to the Golden Furniture Company of Ernest Waters, which continued to 1952, selling the first Zenith television sets in Golden. In 1953 Leonard and Patricia Dunn opened the Spudnut Shop, making yummy donuts made with potato flour from its national chain, which instantly became a beloved institution of Golden. After being part of the Jeffco Blueprints office supply store next door from 1984-1983 the Quaintance Block was beautifully restored to become once again an original and longtime use, law offices (the building has housed 13 attorneys through time including Judge Charles E. McCall, future Judge Jennifer Melton, and Golden's longest practicing attorney Conrad E. Gardner). Other tenants have included the Dunn Cigar Store (no known relation to the Spudnut Shop), Cusick Beauty Shop, Silver State Printers, and Rick's Golden TV Service. The Quaintance Block was designated on the National Register in 1994.