A century-old railroad hotel that sat empty for more than 50 years in downtown Colfax is finally being rebuilt, with crews stripping its interior down to raw wood framing as part of a sweeping multi-use renovation. The building at 10 E. Grass Valley St. is planned to include ground-floor restaurant and retail space, eight upstairs hotel rooms, and eight residential units for short- and long-term leases, according to municipal plans from the City of Colfax.
The project is the work of Wendy and Leif Lowery, who have previously restored other Gold Country landmarks, including the 1852 Dutch Flat Hotel and the Miners Camp in Foresthill, according to historiccolfax.com. Their daughter, Taylor Lowery, is serving as the project's architect, making real-time structural adjustments as walls come down to bare framing, as reported by CBS News. CBS News Sacramento also documented the family's effort in a video report detailing how one family is working to bring the building back to life after it sat empty for more than 50 years.
A Railroad-Era Landmark Built for Placer County's Boom
The building began as The Gillen Hotel, constructed in the winter of 1902 and opened on Grass Valley Street in March 1903. It was built by Daniel Gillen with 56 rooms, balconies and a restaurant, per the station's report. The hotel was originally conceived as a major lodging hub during a period of rapid growth in Placer County, the same account notes.
The hotel was part of Colfax's railroad-era history.
A Half-Century of Silence
The hotel closed in the early 1970s.
After it closed, the hotel sat empty for more than 50 years before the Lowerys took on its restoration, according to a YouTube video detailing the hotel's history.
City Lists Hotel Project in Preliminary Review
The City of Colfax's project page lists the hotel as being in Preliminary Review and describes a conceptual proposal, according to the City of Colfax.
Inside, the renovation isn't just about new drywall and plumbing. The developers have recovered a miniature statue of Gold Rush figure Claude Chana, CBS News reports.
Documenting the Rebuild for a Town That Watched It Sit Vacant
In August, the Lowerys held a public event at the Colfax Theatre to screen the first episode of a video documentary series chronicling the hotel's renovation. The screening reflected how closely local residents have followed the project after decades of watching the building sit vacant in the heart of downtown, according to historiccolfax.com.
With permits in hand and the family's architect making adjustments as the work unfolds, the Colfax Hotel's next chapter is now underway after more than half a century of sitting empty.
