 A photo looking north from a hogback, dated 1924, shows Colorado Avenue (left to right in lower part of photo) and the T-intersection of 32nd Street (middle). A greenhouse and garden were just east of 32nd (unchanged in present times, except that the corner lot is now a clothing store), while just west of 32nd was the home of Fred Barr. Ira Current photo; courtesy of Old Colorado City Historical Society
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Dave Hughes of the Old Colorado City Historical Society (OCCHS) traced the property back to 1926, when the Grandview Greenhouse was operated by Edward and Earnest Ripley, and an Ira Current photo in the OCCHS collection shows the greenhouse in a photo dated 1924.
Beverly Michels, a cousin of the Ripleys, said she recalls “enjoying myself” there when she was about 6 years old. “It was quite wonderful,” said Michels, now 73. “I remember running down and playing with the wind chimes.”
The site takes up two lots now (totaling 27,000 square feet), but it had three lots back then - including, just to the west, what's now the Burlap Bag clothing store at 32nd and Colorado. Fred Barr, for whom the Barr Trail is named, lived on the other side of 32nd Street, according to Mel McFarland, a long-time Westside historian
“Over the years it [the nursery] has been threatened quite a few times,” he added, noting that the business nearly closed in the 1960s.
The Fisher brothers, Tom and Wayne, bought the nursery and one of the two lots (leasing the other) in 1977. Wayne split off in 1998 to start Good Earth Garden Center, 1330 N. Walnut St.
The leased lot has the retail building and greenhouse. However, the Husser family, which owns that property, decided not to renew the lease, leading to the upcoming closure. Plans for future use of the property have not been announced.
Westside Pioneer article