The Fort (Morrison, Colorado) Explained

The Fort
Nrhp Type:nrhp
Location:19192 CO 8, Morrison, Colorado
Architect:William Lumpkins
Architecture:Pueblo Revival Style architecture
Added:July 14, 2006
Refnum:06000585
Increase:July 27, 2020
Increase Refnum:100005379

The Fort is a historic restaurant in Morrison, Colorado. Construction of the structure started in 1961 and was inspired by Bent's Fort.[1] [2]

History

The adobe structure was built between 1961 and 1963 for Denver advertising executive Sam Arnold. A replica of Bent's Fort, the structure incorporates over 80,000 handmade adobe bricks and beams hewn with drawknives, foot adzes and hand planes.[3] Originally planned as a living history museum that would also be a home for the Arnold family, the Arnolds pivoted to finishing the first floor as a restaurant to secure Small Business Administration funding to complete the interior of the building.[4]

The 300-seat, Western-themed restaurant opened in the building's first floor on February 1, 1963.[5] Arnold developed menu items based on ingredients available in Colorado at the time of Bent's Fort and promoted frontier cookery with the public television series Frying Pans West. After marrying for the second time, Arnold sold the restaurant in 1973. The restaurant was returned to him in foreclosure in 1986.[6] The restaurant hosted President Bill Clinton’s state dinner for the 23rd G8 summit in 1997.[7]

Following the death of his second wife in 1998, Arnold's daughter Holly Arnold Kinney returned to run the restaurant with him until his death in 2006. Kinney also founded the Tesoro Cultural Center, a nonprofit that sponsors an Indian Market and Powwow and other cultural events at the Fort.

Cuisine

The Fort's menu features local ingredients and regional game, particularly bison, elk, and quail. Recipes are inspired by a 3,000-volume rare and historic cookbook library amassed by Sam Arnold,[8] with additions made through a semi-annual process that considers new ideas from the restaurant's kitchen staff.[9]

See also

External links

39.6289°N -105.1925°W

Notes and References

  1. Book: Noel . Thomas Jacob . Mile High City : An Illustrated History of Denver . 1997 . Heritage Media Corp. . Encinitas, California . 978-1-886483-10-1 . 448-451 . 13 February 2024 . en.
  2. Web site: The Fort Restaurant History's . https://web.archive.org/web/20121123055403/http://www.thefort.com/History.htm . 2021-10-04. 2012-11-23 .
  3. News: Inge . Arline . First, Catch Your Buffalo; History: Sam Arnold can tell you anything you'd want to know about Old West flavors--including that dash of gunpowder . Los Angeles Times . 2 May 1996 . 16.
  4. News: Davis . Jo . BizBeat: The origins of The Fort Restaurant in Morrison is a modern settler’s tale . 11 July 2024 . Jeffco Transcript . 28 June 2024.
  5. Web site: Browning . Kristen . The Fort restaurant in Morrison celebrates its 50th anniversary – The Denver Post . Denverpost.com . 2021-10-04.
  6. News: Harden . Mark . Daughter helps Sam Arnold hold down The Fort . 11 July 2024 . Denver Post . 29 October 2000.
  7. News: Kenworthy . Tom . LETTER FROM DENVER; World's Fare, Rocky Mountain (Oyster) Style . The Washington Post . 21 June 1997 . A 16.
  8. News: Farney . Teresa . The Fort, a landmark restaurant rich in history . 11 July 2024 . The Gazette . 1 July 2019.
  9. News: Martin . Molly . Waugh! The Fort Celebrates Sixty Years of Old West Wonder . 11 July 2024 . Westword . 31 January 2023.