Milestones Icon: The Imperial Hotel

After its construction in 1881, the Imperial Hotel (then called the Zweck Hotel) was lauded by the Longmont Ledger as “the greatest stride that this promising town has made,” and it was dubbed “the finest building north of Denver,” by the Rocky Mountain News.

It was an expensive distinction. The building’s owner, George Zweck, was a Prussian immigrant who was lured to the area during the Pikes Peak gold rush of 1858. Zweck spent more than $50,000 – a small fortune at the time – to build the hotel, which he did without the use of any building plans.

Zweck outfitted the…