Grand Imperial Hotel
Interior decorations at the Grand Imperial Hotel in Silverton.
Silverton
San Juan County
When it opened in 1882, the Grand Imperial Hotel was Silverton’s largest building. In addition to housing guests, the hotel also served as the county courthouse, city hall, post office, and home of the Silverton Standard newspaper. Unlike other mountain town hotels from this era, the Grand Imperial stayed open through the Silver Crash, the Great Depression, and both World Wars. The last major rehab project was undertaken in 1951.
In 2015, the owners began a $2 million renovation and restoration of the old hotel using $600,000 in State Historic Preservation Tax Credits and $400,000 in Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credits—effectively financing half the project! Guest rooms were repaired, renovated, and updated with modern amenities. Downstairs, the original hotel lobby was preserved and restored. On the exterior, historic brick, metal trim, and wood windows were carefully restored, while the old stone foundation was repaired and reinforced to keep the building standing for another 130 years.
1219 Greene Street, Silverton
Built in 1882
Project costs: $2,000,000
State Tax Credit: $600,000
Federal Tax Credit: $400,000
Sales tax: $222,500
Opened in 2017