The Eye: Northern’s age a matter of question

Just how old is the Northern Hotel in Fort Collins?

Well, that’s a matter of historical interpretation.

Some say the hotel is marking its 95th birthday this year, dating back to its grand opening under the name “Northern” in 1905.

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But according to the Eye’s inspection of Fort Collins Public Library records, the history of the ever-evolving structure could be said to go back to 1873, when the Agriculture Hotel was built by one of the town’s first sheriffs, a man named Marcus Coon.

The Agriculture Hotel was located at the southeast intersection of Mason Street and Mountain Avenue – a block west of where the Northern now stands, but then considered the edge of town. Coon sold the property to an Englishman named D.M. Harris in 1877. Harris renamed the hotel the Commercial and moved a portion of it to the Northern’s current location at Mountain and North College avenues.

There, Harris added to the structure and remodeled it. Samuel Clammer, one of the city’s first mayors, built a brand new, 80-room state-of-the-art hotel on the site and renamed it the Northern.

So, if you believe the Northern was created in 1905 when a new structure replaced the former one, it’s 95 years old. But if you believe the Northern can trace its roots back to the old Agriculture Hotel in 1873, it’s 127.

So much for birthdays. Whatever the case, the Northern has had a long run as a Fort Collins landmark. With plans to revive the structure one more time and convert it into affordable housing for seniors, it’s poised to add more pages to its colorful history and unusual origins.