Daniel S.
Yelp
Once upon a time the tallest building in Denver and west of the Mississippi River stood at the northeast corner of 16th and Arapahoe Street. It is the Daniels & Fisher Tower (abbreviated D&F Tower) which towers above this very corner today. The D&F Tower story began in 1911 when the Architect Frederick Sterner's workers completed it. Standing at 325 feet (some sources state it is 330 feet), Frederick Sterner designed the tower after the Campanile (also called the St. Mark's Bell Tower) in Venice, Italy. The D&F Tower would tower over the Campanile by two feet. Although it would be the tallest building west of the Mississippi for a few years and in Denver for forty years, on December 3, 1969; the tower made National Register of Historic Places status and is a historic landmark today. For over a century its Renaissance Revival architecture has been an inspiration to History and architect buffs. From the top of the flagpole at 375 feet above the 2 & 1/2 ton bell to the Denver soil, the twenty story D&F Towers resemblance to the Campanile is astonishing. The similarities include terra cotta and brick, four faces of Seth Thomas clocks, and cornices. As the story goes, Frederick Sterner did not design D&F Tower for philanthropic reasons. The owners of Daniel & Fisher Department Store commissioned him to design the tower as part of their new location. In 1910, when the attached 400,000 square foot department center part opened, commerce was shifting from Larimer to 16th Street. Up until 1957 the department store stood at this location. In this time May Department store took over. They were looking for greener pastures south on 16th Street. They would relocate to Zeckendorf Plaza. It looked like a bad ending for D&F Tower. The urban renewal movement was sweeping across the country. Its weapon the wrecking ball had already demolished the attached department store. The wrecking ball threatened D&F Tower. Thanks to preservationists, D&F Tower was saved and it has lived happily ever after.
From reading the previous paragraph, I need not mention that I am a city historic landmark aficionado. I cherish spending time just admiring historical and charming landmarks such as the D&F Tower. Whenever I strolled down the 16th Street Mall or perpendicular Skyline Park, I was captivated by the Campanile of Denver. The Renaissance Revival architecture is a striking contrast to the modern towers surrounding it. It reminds me of the time I spent by the Water Tower in Chicago taking in this charming historic tower surrounded by modern skyscrapers. Living in Las Vegas, it reminds me of the Campanile at the Venetian Resort & Casino. It also reminds me of Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom. Just like the famous Magic Kingdom landmark, the majority of people experience D&F Tower by looking at it instead of going inside. From my understanding, there is limited access for the general public to go inside. Based on my post-vacation research, April is the prime time to visit the observation deck and throughout the year, private reserved tours are the other means. On account of the limited accessibility, I did what I have done by Cinderella's Castle. I walked the surrounding sidewalks concurrent to snapping away at my camera. The best views are from the miniature golf course at Skyline Park. It is a neat sight taking in a 325 foot D&F Tower rising above a miniature Union Station and State Capitol Building framed by pine trees. The best time of day to capture D&F Tower is at sundown when the upper levels illuminate purple.
The time that I spent taking in D&F Tower added to my quality of vacation time in the Mile High City. Speaking of quality time, there is a nearby Starbuck's off the 16th Street Mall that has an outdoor patio overlooking the tower. However, if you are not up for quality coffee, there are several quality eateries in the shadow of the tower. It is only two blocks southeast of Larimer Square that is home to some quality eateries and offthe 16th Street Mall that is home to several. It towers above a prime downtown location close to many of the city's attractions and the Union Station light rail lines making it convenient to many visitors. When in downtown Denver, I highly recommend setting aside some time to take in the charming and historic architecture of the Campanile of Denver.