Local History: 504 N Garfield Avenue
On the corner of 5th and Garfield in downtown Loveland, there sits a one-story tan brick building with many large windows shaded by dark blue awnings. Since 2022, this has been the home of Parallel Financial, but we are only the most recent occupants of a building with a long history. Many Lovelanders may recall that the building had been a bike shop before Parallel, and since we moved in, we have heard quite a few additional stories from long-time Loveland residents about other businesses that once called 504 home.
Following extensive renovations, the storefront that was once wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling with bikes has become an open, welcoming space with lots of natural light where we meet with our clients and hold appointments. But it wasn’t always so – there remain a few traces of previous occupants and updates to the structure. Outside, you can see where the brick exterior meets a newer stucco wall – an addition that must have roughly doubled the size of the building. And on the southeast corner of the building where the parking lot meets the sidewalk, someone named Walter wrote his name into the fresh concrete in some long-ago July. And in our waiting area and conference room, the ceiling is a grid of joists and beams – a surprise uncovered during renovation, and one that couldn’t be removed without compromising the structural integrity of the roof. Rumor has it that these supports were added after a fire in the building years ago, though what business was here during that time is a matter of debate.
According to our clients and neighbors, this building has also been a printing shop, a pizza place, and even a small grocery. We even have a couple of photos of the place a client passed on to us, which you can see below. One, showing the interior, appears to be from the time when this was a grocery. Our best guesses place these photos somewhere in the 1940’s.
We love a good local history story – especially one related to our building! It’s interesting to think about all the things that have happened in what is now our office space. Let us know what you think – or if you have other stories to share.
