By Shannon Lukens.
Historic Routt County has received a grant for $250,000 to restore the Maxwell Squire Building. That’s the building at 9th and Lincoln which was damaged when a car struck the front corner of the building in January. The Maxwell Squire Building was built in 1908. It became a drug store in 1920, and is the home of Lyons Drug on the main level. The next phase of restoration will start later this summer and take about six to eight months.
Press Release from Historic Routt County; June 13, 2025.
HISTORIC ROUTT COUNTY WINS $250,000 GRANT TO RESTORE MAXWELL SQUIRE BUILDING – Repairs to Begin Late this Summer – Steamboat Springs, CO – The History Colorado State Historical Fund has awarded Historic Routt County (HRC) a quarter of a million dollar grant to complete the restoration of the Maxwell Squire building in downtown Steamboat Springs. An emergency grant of just under $15,000 was previously awarded to the owner through Historic Routt County to help with short-term exterior repairs to the building at 9th and Lincoln. In January 2025, a car struck the building facade, causing structural damage to the façade of the building.
“We are thrilled that History Colorado recognizes the significance of the Maxwell Squire building. The two-story structure, built in 1908, has played an important role in the commercial and economic development of Steamboat Springs. To this day, it houses our town’s longest continually operating drugstore. It was one of the last buildings in town to use native sandstone and bricks pressed by the Henry Trogler kiln near Fish Creek,” said Kristen Rockford, Executive Director of Historic Routt County. “It is a marvel to think about the plate glass windows being brought here by wagon, before the Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railroad arrived.”
The next phase of restoration is expected to get underway later this summer and could take approximately six-eight months. The goal is to repair the structure damaged by the accident back to its original design intent, following the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The scope of work also includes restoring windows to reflect historical accuracy, repointing and repairing brickwork, repainting, replacing light fixtures, and repairing and restoring exterior woodwork.
A local architecture partnership between Mountain Architecture Design Group and Hewitt Design Studio is working to provide historic preservation services as well as the design documents for the repairs to the building, ensuring compliance with local City Guidelines and the Secretary of the Interior Standards. Erica Hewitt, a local designer and owner of Hewitt Design Studio, is confident the restoration will not significantly affect the buildings’ business owners from remaining open; however, the front door to Lyon’s Drug will remain closed. The objective is to open the sidewalk as soon as possible while ensuring repairs are completed properly and historically accurate.
“The Maxwell Squire building is a cherished, iconic landmark on Lincoln Avenue. Not only is it one of the oldest remaining buildings in our community, listed on the local, state, and national registers of historic places, but its striking masonry represents the vision and craftsmanship of our region’s early builders,” according to Sonja Macys, Routt County Commissioner, District III. “This grant underscores the importance of preserving the vulnerable historic places we love and safeguarding our rural county’s identity, economy, and shared heritage.”
For more information on how you can support local preservation efforts, visit www.HistoricRouttCounty.org or call (970) 875-1305.
About Historic Routt County: Historic Routt County is dedicated to the preservation and celebration of Routt County’s rich history, ensuring that its historic sites remain an integral part of the community’s future. Through advocacy, education, and partnerships, the organization works to cultivate a preservation ethic in Routt County and protect the character and heritage of this unique Colorado region.
FAQs:
1) a) The History Colorado State Historical Fund fosters heritage preservation through tangible and highly visible projects for direct and demonstrable public benefit. History Colorado’s State Historical Fund fosters heritage preservation through tangible and highly visible projects for direct and demonstrable public benefit. https://www.historycolorado.org/about-state-historical-fund
b) Historic Routt County is the award-winning nonprofit voice for the preservation and recognition of Routt County’s historic places and cultural landscapes. The board and staff are dedicated and qualified to help preserve and honor the places loved by the residents and visitors to Routt County https://historicrouttcounty.org/who-we-are/
2) The $250K SHF grant award to HRC will fund the next stages of restoration of the Maxwell Squire building, 842 Lincoln Avenue, Steamboat Springs, CO. An emergency grant of just under $15,000 was awarded to HRC for emergency exterior repairs and restoration, following damage sustained when a vehicle struck the building in January 2025.
3) The principal restoration work will take place at the Lyon’s Drug portion of the building, located at 840 Lincoln Avenue, Steamboat Springs, CO. The adjacent structure, currently occupied by the Beard and Braid coffee shop, 116 9th Street, will be impacted minimally by the restoration of the primary Maxwell Squire structure due to window replacement, painting, and brick re-pointing.
4) HRC, similar to like-minded preservation advocates who have gone before, is committed to preserving the Maxwell Squire building, an architecturally and historically significant structure in Steamboat Springs. It is distinguished by clean lines, detailed design, and unique rounded arches. Built in 1908 by Henry Schaffnit, who lived in the Victorian home now located at 405 Oak Street, the building has been meticulously maintained and has remained in continuous commercial use since its completion. A portion of the first floor housed the United States Post Office between 1909, after the railroad arrived, and 1962. It also served as a local visiting center for residents.
Bricks were fired at Trogler’s Brickyard; window ledges and trim were of locally quarried sandstone. James P. Maxwell, a Boulder, Colorado surveyor and builder, platted the original townsite and hired Schaffnit to build the structure, originally called the Maxwell Building. The corner commercial space became a drug store in 1920 and continues to serve in that capacity. Frank Squire owned the building between 1946 and the early 1960s, hence the current name of a building that represents the economic development of Routt County and serves as a familiar visual feature of the community.
5) Early 20th-century commercial structures are generally one to five stories, and are usually made of decorative brick, especially along the cornice or parapet. Other common elements include recessed or flush entrances, translucent door and window transoms, and corbelled cornices. https://www.historycolorado.org/early-twentieth-century-commercial
April 29, 2025 —Maxwell Squire Building at 9th and Lincoln to receive at least one grant for repairs