Stranges Grocery
Mesa County
Stranges Grocery in Grand Junction is significant in the areas of Commerce and Ethnic Heritage. The store is representative of the strong commercial center that helped establish Little Italy and kept it viable. Out of the four grocery stores that were located within the boundaries of Little Italy, Stranges is the only building that retains integrity. The Grand Valley experienced an influx of Italian immigrants around the turn of the twentieth century. Due to social pressure and discrimination as well as a desire for familiar cultural traditions the immigrants created a small social enclave where they lived, shopped, and socialized.
The period of significance begins in 1909 with the construction of the store and extends to 1963 when the store ceased operation. Stranges Grocery is also significant architecturally because of its association with stonemason Nunzio Grasso, as a rare local transitional style, and for its use of rusticated sandstone. The building reflects the transition between Italianate and Romanesque Revival styles with character-defining features including dentils, stringcourses, stone arches, symmetrical storefront, parapet and parapet detailing, stone date marker, and stone sills. The period of significance for architecture begins with construction in 1909 and extends until 1924 when the parapet, gable-roof, and chimney were added.