In 2018, the City of Colfax purchased a historic downtown building that had been sitting vacant for a decade. The circa 1920, 7,300 square foot brick building was built as the Everett and Baker Ford Garage and dealership. The plan was to renovate the building into a permanent City Hall, Police Department, and Colfax Main Street Office that was ADA accessible.
The City used Local Option Sales Tax funds to acquire the building, and bonded $1.7 Million to pay for the renovation project. Major façade changes included the removal of midcentury brick window infill to restore the original window wells with glass, and replacement of stone and cement decorative elements (including the recreation of two sculptural winged wheel cartouches).
Because of 13 years of collaboration between the City of Colfax and Colfax Main Street, historic preservation of this building was a shared goal. On the interior, the original vaulted roof trusses were cleaned, repaired, and left exposed. The brick walls and plaster work also were left exposed. Since the building had been gutted, all of the interior plumbing, electrical, walls, and finishes for functional office space had to be installed. This project has also spurred on renovations and improvements to historic buildings next door!
