Columbine Mill

t 5798 South Rapp Street sits one of Littleton's oldest and most historic buildings. Today, it is 5280 Roadhouse and Brewery. For most of this century it was known as simply the Columbine Mill.

Voluteer Fire Department practice at the Columbine Mercantile Co., 1924.

It was never actually named the Columbine Mill, that's just what everyone called it. Originally built in 1901 on land that had been homesteaded by Littleton's founder, Richard Little, it was intended to be a storage and shipping facility for the Rough and Ready Flour Mill, which had originally been built by Little in 1867. In 1918, the building was acquired by the Columbine Grange of Littleton and organized as the Columbine Mercantile Company.

In 1920, the Mercantile absorbed the Arapahoe Milling and Elevator Company, which had acquired all the machinery for a flour mill but not the building. The Arapahoe's equipment was installed in the Mercantile building and the "Columbine Mill" began operation. Soon the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad ran a spur line to the elevators and the Mercantile thrived. At least 64,000 bushels of wheat were shipped in 1921.

The Columbine Mill Brewery, 1997.

In 1934 the business' name changed to the Columbine Fuel and Feed Company, showing an expansion of services and confirmation of the growing reliance of Littletonites on fossil fuels. By 1958, probably due to competition from specialized oil companies, a new owner reverted to the old business and changed the name to the Littleton Flour Mill. The Littleton City Directory listed the Mill as a feed company from 1961 to 1971, but by 1975, after a series of owners, the building was left vacant.

Next, beginning in 1979, a series of restaurants occupied the old mill building, each with varying degrees of success. There was Professor Plum's Restaurant and Lounge, Gustie's Little Italy, Rappscallion's, and the Columbine Mill Brewery and Pizza Company. Finally, in 1994, the City of Littleton designated the old Columbine Mill as an historic landmark, acquired a grant from the State Historic Fund for restoration and, with new owners, converted it into the current micro brewery and restaurant. 5280 Roadhouse and Brewery honors the city's founder and original owner of the mill land with one of its labels, Little's Lite.

Bibliography

Littleton History Museum. "City Boards and Programs: Historical Preservation Board: Columbine Mill, South Rapp Street". Littleton: The Museum, 1992.

____. Photographic Archives.

____. Vertical File: "Columbine Mill".

Littleton Independent. Littleton Independent Publishers, 1888- .

Lobato, Rudolph. An Architectural and Historical Building Survey: Inventory and Evaluation, Littleton, Colorado. Littleton: Littleton Area Historical Museum, 1972.

Photographs courtesy of the Littleton Historical Museum, unless otherwise noted; to order copies, contact the Museum at 303-795-3950.

Compiled by Pat Massengill

Updated January 2004