historic denver chapel to be repurposed as office space

A Victorian Gothic style church in Denver, first opened in 1882, may soon be getting a new life as an office.
The church, which for years has been known simply as Smith’s Chapel, is located at 910-912 Galapago Street in the city’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, roughly two miles to the south of downtown Denver.
Named after local entrepreneurial legend John W. Smith, who helped build the city’s first water ditch system in the late 19th century, the building is listed on the Colorado Register of Historic Places.
Preservationists say that, with the exception of an addition to the building in the 1920s which doubled the structure’s size, the chapel in many ways looks the way it did when it was opened, with pointed arched windows, a pitched gable roof, sandstone window frames, and a bell tower.
Although the building’s function as a chapel ceased more than a decade ago, it has in recent years been used as classroom space for a local non-profit.
Now the Denver-based Galapago Commercial LLC has purchased the site for $1.1 million with plans to keep the historic structure intact, while also taking on some interior renovations and upgrading.
Galapago Commercial is a new entity that was put together by Matt Slaby, a professional photographer and the owner of Lucero, a Denver agency specializing in animation, cinematography, and photography.
Slaby said it was his intention to use a part of the chapel structure as space for Lucero. Other parts of the building are expected to be converted into office space for area businesses.

By Garry Boulard

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