History of the Great Western Depots
Remember the small white, wooden buildings sitting vacant on Monroe Avenue and 10th Street? Many people are aware that Loveland’s Great Western depots are in danger of being lost. Some non-concerted efforts have been made to save the depots over the years since they were closed up in the mid-1980s. The Loveland Historical Society got serious about the buildings’ plight five years ago.
​
The Great Western passenger depot was built by the Great Western Railway in 1902, the year after the sugar factory opened. The factory was the first Great Western Co. sugar plant in Northern Colorado, although three other sugar processing plants had previously been built in the state. The sugar factory drove our economy for eight decades and grew
Loveland’s population by 300% the first decade of operation! It was a major contributor to the area’s economic success and remains a very important piece of our history and heritage. All the next generations in Loveland deserve a chance to know and appreciate the Great Western legacy.
​
The Great Western Railway’s main purpose was to transport beets from outlying farmers’ beet dumps, as well as refined sugar, molasses, coal and lime rock, but it also operated passenger service from 1917 - 1926. Before and after passenger service years, it was used as the railroad agent’s central office. In the 1980s GWRy offered popular rail excursions, and school classes rode cabooses for years, but the railroad never got back on its feet. The passenger depot was closed in the mid-1980s. The little freight depot to the east was built in 1942.
​
OmniTRAX, Inc. is the current owner of the railway system. In 2012 LHS started working to save the depots, feeling that it was better for them to have a new home than to have them demolished. The depots were happily claimed by the Moffat Railroad Museum in Granby, who planned to fundraise and take the buildings apart to move them over the mountain. LHS reluctantly agreed. But after four years, and no movement, LHS formed a committee that redoubled its efforts to save the depots in Loveland. OmniTRAX has worked with the GW Committee, and the City of Loveland reached an agreement to preserve the depots (2024). We don’t want to lose that part of our history.
The Loveland Historic Preservation Commission and a new county-wide preservation non-profit, Historic Larimer County, are supportive of the efforts to save the depots, offering invaluable knowledge and expertise. The depots were a finalist to the 2018 Colorado’s Most Endangered Places list, run by Colorado Preservation, Inc. in Denver. We will need to fundraise approximately $86,000 to cover assessments, abatement of hazardous materials, the cost of moving the buildings, and a new foundation. Then we will seek various restoration grants. The buildings are eligible for listing on the State and Local Historic Registers, but only if they are kept in their historic context near the sugar factory. Without a historic registration, grants would not be available.
​
We are working with the city to move the buildings just south of their current location. Once saved, restoration will have to be accomplished in phases, as with the Milner-Schwarz House. Plans for reuse could include a GW museum, model railroad, coffee shop or some other income-producing retail enterprise, or all the above! We have begun taking donations and in-kind support. Look for “Save Loveland’s Great Western Depots!” on Facebook and follow us for updates!. To donate online, click HERE. To donate by mail, send to: Save the GW Depots! PO Box 7311, Loveland, CO 80537.
​
​
Update February 2025:
​
The Great Western Sugar Company Railway Depots have been generously donated to the City of Loveland by OmniTrax. They have been moved a few yards south of their original location to City property, where they will be under the prevue of the Loveland Police department. This preservation drive was made possible by the collective efforts of Northern Colorado people and the City, who recognized the depots' rich significance in Loveland's history. With the arrival of Great Western in 1901, the little berg’s population more than tripled and the economy bloomed for nearly a century. It is fitting that these symbols of a long golden age for Loveland be saved and restored. The Loveland Historical Society’s Save the Great Western Depots Committee has been diligently raising money for this project since 2017. For the first phase, LHS donated $55,000 to the City, covering hazardous material mitigation and relocation. An additional $9,500 will be allocated at a later date to support the completion of phase one. The passenger depot will sit on beams waiting for restoration funds to be raised and the freight depot will remain on its stilts in its new location, probably for two years before the reuse is decided. The SGWD Committee will continue fundraising for Phase 2 for restoration, including a new foundation for the passenger depot, maintenance, and landscaping with commemorative bricks they are selling, so that the town’s history can be enjoyed by current and future generations. Thanks for your help, donors!
Part of the Depot Comittee on Move Day
Loveland's Great Western Railway Depot (City of Loveland YouTube video)
Loveland historian Ken Jessen on the Great Western Railway Depots (video)