THE INFLUENCE OF MONTEZUMA FULLER ON THE BLOCK OF 100 SOUTH WHITCOMB
Fort Collins, Colorado
In 1979, Elizabeth Bacon wrote a treatise on the body of work of Montezuma Fuller,
presumably as a Master’s Degree project. “Monty” is, arguably, the most famous architect of
Fort Collins’ first Century. Fuller designed homes throughout this City, as well as regionally.
Except through Newspaper articles of the time, actual listings of work done by
Architects, Contractors, Carpenters and Masons were very sketchy. Early permits are not on
file before 1900. Although Montezuma Fuller was very active from the 1880’s to the mid
1920’s, many records of his work are missing or nonexistent. Parts of Bacon’s research
included speculation into how many buildings Fuller designed. Her findings lead to this
comparison of Montezuma’s known work and seven homes on the block of 100 South
Whitcomb Street.
Montezuma Fuller is known for his many styles, of which the “Queen Anne” is one of
his signatures. On the 100 Block of South Whitcomb Street, eight Queen Anne style homes
are found: four of brick and four of wood (one recently demolished). The wood homes are on
the East side of the Street, and the brick ones are found on the west.
An explanation of the Queen Anne Style can be found on the Fort Collins Museum’s
website called “History Colorado” . In a subsection listed as Fort Collins History and
Architecture, The Railroad Era, Colorado Agricultural College, and the Growth of the City,
1877-1900, Queen Anne Style is described below:
“American architects during the late nineteenth century, inspired by the nation's
centennial, were obsessed with finding an American style and looked everywhere for a
model. The work of English architect Richard Norman Shaw was discovered and
popularized. Shaw specialized in a style that supposedly was based on construction during
the eighteenth century reign of Queen Anne. Shaw's work was seized upon by American
architects as a source of inspiration for a new style. Noted American architect Henry
Hobson Richardson designed the first Queen Anne style house in America in Rhode Island.
The architectural pattern books of the day popularized the style, which was widely utilized
from the 1880s through the first decade of the twentieth century.
“The Queen Anne style emphasized ornamentation through a variety of shapes,
patterns, and building materials, made accessible to the public due to advances in
technology and transportation. Queen Anne houses had vertical lines with steep gables
and angles to catch the light. "Towers and bays projected, verandas and niches receded,
chimneys surged skyward." The style favored a variety of building materials for a single
building, including brick, stone, wood, stucco, tile, shingles, and stained glass. The newly
invented turning lathe ensured that turned porch supports and spindlework would be a
significant element of the style.
“The Queen Anne style was immensely popular as it could be adapted to any size
home, and any lot, rural or urban. Queen Anne could be had by the common man, who
might not decorate his home with stained glass, but could afford decorative shingles or a
turned spindle support on the porch. Since large plate glass panels were inexpensive and
available, colored glass was often limited to small panes bordering large expanses of clear
glass.”
Elizabeth Bacon, in her Appendix on Architectural Styles and Construction Methods
and Materials Used by Fuller continues to talk of Montezuma Fuller and his influence on
Queen Anne styling of Fort Collins:
“Adaptions of these styles are prevalent in Fort Collins. For example, three other
noticeable dwellings have brick and wood details very similar to those of the Fuller House.”
These three are the Baker House (304 W Mulberry St.), the Andrews House (324 E Oak St),
and the Laupa House (1003 S Remington St). She continues: “While it has not been positively
determined that Fuller built or designed these structures, if it was not he then it was
someone who felt his strong influence.”
These are three of the most famous Queen Anne homes in Fort Collins. The History
Colorado article continues to list others attributed to him. Later in the same article, the
timeline including the Silver Crash of the 1890’s is discussed. The article suggests that Fuller
did better than most during this time by designing small homes in Fort Collins. This is found in
a short biography in the article (below):
“Montezuma W. Fuller arrived in Fort Collins in 1880, lived there until his death in
1925, and was the city's first licensed architect. Fuller was a native of Nova Scotia, where he
worked as a ship carpenter. His first recorded work in Fort Collins was the remodeling of a
barn on the college campus into a lab and scientific classroom in 1883. In the same year,
Fuller enrolled as a special student at the college. By 1890, Fuller had established a successful
practice and was hired by banker Charles Andrews to design his $10,000 stone residence at
202 Remington. During the depressed economic period following 1893, Fuller designed many
small cottages in and around Fort Collins.”
Bacon reports: “1892 was a profitable year for Fuller; the building report credited him
with over $38,000 worth of work”, proving him to being busy at this time. Bacon points out,
“He was listed in the Colorado State Business Directory in 1892 & 1893, and 1895 until his
death, designated as an architect, contractor, superintendent, or combination thereof.” This
suggests that he could have had more than design influence on the homes.
In Connecting this to the neighborhood of the Block of 100 S Whitcomb St, we find the brick
homes are built during this time period, and the frame home at 128 S Whitcomb St. is built at
this time too. These can be seen on the Willets 1894 map of Fort Collins. Since the Loomis
Addition was platted in 1887, These homes are likely built between 1887 and 1894. His
adaptation to doing small residences during the depression of the 1890’s may have given us
the gems we see on the west side of the street. These were all finished by 1894 (Willits map
of 1894), although only three are illustrated (Library of Fort Collins) in the fly-over map of Fort
Collins published in 1899.
Figure 1: 1894 map showing Loomis Addition and existing homes
Getting back to Elizabeth Bacon’s work on Montezuma Fuller’s work, Bacon suggests a
need for comparison of Fuller’s known work to other homes he is thought to have influenced.
She estimates that: “Therefore, during his career as a contractor, builder, and architect in Fort
Collins from 1885 to 1925, Montezuma W. Fuller helped to produce a total of 400 to 500
commercial, residential, religious and institutional structures.
Fuller’s history as a ship’s carpenter is thought to have allowed him to create many of
his architectural details within his own shop.
Our Hypothesis, then, comes from the information above. This Hypothesis includes:
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Fuller was busy designing, if not building homes during the time period that these
homes were built, on 100 S Whitcomb St.
Fuller had some profitable years during this time, although all his work cannot be
established.
Fuller was known to have constructed or designed many (if not most) of the Queen
Anne style homes in Fort Collins.
Many of Fuller’s designs and buildings are not substantiated by record.
It is thought that many of the details on known homes, were designed and
manufactured by Fuller, himself.
What is left is for us to attach more significance to these buildings, to Montezuma Fuller’s
known style.
STYLE POINTS
To show actual design or construction by Montezuma Fuller, of the homes on the 100
Block of Whitcomb Street, is not feasible at this time. I will attempt to show definite
similar design points and influence of Fuller, on the builder of these homes. It is noted
that the South Whitcomb homes were starter cottages, and had toned-down exterior
trim.
Foundation
In an article in Carpentry & Building Magazine (May 1902), Fuller describes a
foundation for a house he designed: “All stone walls and footings are to be laid to grade
line with a good quality of gray rubble stone laid in the best of lime and sand mortar,
pointed tight both inside and out. All walls above grade on exposed fronts laid in parallel
courses of hammer dressed rubble stone from selected rubble; rear exposed rubble
work”. 117 South Whitcomb is the most pristine of the brick homes. The foundation on
117 S Whitcomb is similar to the one described, with finish stone on front and sides, and
rubble on the rear bonus room. Surviving walls on other homes show dressed walls.
Shallow stone walls seemed to be the standard of the time.
Flooring also meets his requirements, with 7/8” x 5 1/8” Colorado white pine
matched, called for inside and blind nailed 7/8” x 3 ¼” “Texas” vertical grain flooring on
the front porch.
Figure 2: Fuller Residence Foundation
Figure 3: Side foundation on 117 S Whitcomb St.
Interior Trim
Interior trim, on most houses, was a variation on the same theme, with similar
rosettes, plinth blocks and trim. These would differ in exact style. The only building that had
exceptionally different trim was Montezuma Fuller’s own home. Here the massing of the trim
was a bit smaller, with an added outline on the outer and inner edge. Was this to
differentiate his home from his designs?
Figure 4: Fuller Home with smaller rosettes and outer/inner trims, supporting simpler casing.
Figure 5: Trim found in 117, 129 and 125 S Whitcomb St
Figure 6: Trim in 324 E Oak St
Figure 7: Trim in Laupa Home (1003 Remington)
Dormers
The styling of the dormers is very similar throughout. All the dormers have medallions with
fluted facia boards. The fluting stays the same, though medallions sometimes change. Dormer
windows often copied the styling of the interior trim. Note also that the front dormers on 226 E
Magnolia, 324 E Oak & 1003 Remington are larger than those on Whitcomb St. This is because the
formers are true one-and-a half story homes, while the Whitcomb homes started out as one story.
Figure 8: facia and decoration on Fuller home dormer.
Figure 9: Front gable, 129 S Whitcomb St.
Figure 10: Front Dormer, 117 S Whitcomb St. Fluting existing, but hard to see. Note window trim with rosettes, casing and
plinth blocks.
Figure 11: Front dormer, 121 S Whitcomb St. Note rosettes, casing & plinth blocks on window.
Figure 12: Front Dormer 127 S Whitcomb. Fluting apparent & old cut-out for longer window noticable.
Figure 13: Front dormer on 1003 Remington St. Note different medallions.
The trim on the exterior of the Fuller House dormer window is similar to the 324 E Oak interior trim, and
could be leftover trim from one of these jobs (figures 15 & 6). The dormer windows on 121 S Whitcomb
and 324 E Oak St have similar rosettes on top center (figures 11 & 14).
Figure 14: 324 E Oak Dormer detail
Figure 15: 226 E Magnolia (Fuller Home) Dormer window detail. Trim is similar to interior trim on 324 E Oak.
Chimneys & Brickwork
During this time period, two masons were known to work in Fort Collins. It is not known whether
these homes were made by the same Mason or the two. Their work was most likely similar. Bacon
mentions that Fuller liked to have detail on his chimneys, and most of these chimneys have such
markings. Brick on the Fuller home seems to be of a higher quality than that used on S Whitcomb St
and Remington St. Figures 15, 16 &17). 324 E Oak has been sandblasted and cannot be compared.
Figure 16: Fuller Residence chimney.
Figure 17: Cross found on both 117 and 121 S Whitcomb St. Note lines of original dormer.
Figure 18: Mason decoration. South chimney, 117 S Whitcomb St.
Conclusion
The time-line fits and the style fits. I stop short of saying these are his designs, but
think these are as true to his designs as 1003 Remington and 324 E Oak. They are meant to be simpler
cottages with the feeling of larger homes.
We can keep finding similarities in parts such as interior and exterior doors, rosettes used and
other stylistic parts, but these may be what was available at the local lumber yard too. The overall
style of dormers, bays, interior layout, and the Queen Anne overall style may be the largest clue to
Fuller’s influence on these homes. Fuller liked to include Eastlake hardware and door styling in his
design, and this is found in all these Queen Annes. The doors of the more expensive homes included
stain glass circling the clear. This is missing in the cheaper (Whitcomb) homes, but the signature
carving or appliques are still in lower panels.
If one can ascertain what parts were easily available versus pieces most likely hand-made, this
would tend to show more of a likelihood that Fuller may have also been the builder, on such homes.
Turned posts, similar to the ones on 324 E Oak Street once adorned the original porch on 117 S
Whitcomb Street. The ghost is still visible on 117’s brick, and a post has been found as a supporting
part of one of the back sheds. The dormer window “rosette” on 324 E Oak Street and 121 S Whitcomb
Street look like custom trim made locally. The style of dormer windows being trimmed with interior
casing is consistent. It is obvious many of the same hands worked on these homes in the 1890’s
If another builder, who had worked for Montezuma Fuller, could also draw up plans, there is a
possibility they could have designed the Whitcomb properties, but only with heavy influence from
Fuller. These may have been a simpler design, by Fuller, that were some of his missing “cottages”
from that time period. It is understandable that he could oversee construction, as he was building his
own house, not far away, during the same period. Fuller built a small home to fit his family (wife, 3
boys, 4 girls). Was he practicing on smaller designs on Whitcomb?
Kevin Murray
Empire Surveys
PO Box 245
Bellvue, Colorado 80512