Longmont’s oldest downtown building, the fully restored Emerson and Buckingham Bank at 321 Main Street, is on the market as Longmont’s downtown district’s revitalization accelerates. 

Jon and Peg Schallert bought the 1875 structure that housed Longmont’s first bank and took 21 months to restore, preserve and enhance its historic charm. The Schallert Group, which provides destination marketing training to businesses and used the building as its headquarters, is transitioning to online delivery. 

Kimberlee McKee, Executive Director of the Longmont Downtown Development Authority, says the building is well-positioned to anchor continuing growth and development in the district. 

“This is a fantastic building that is full of character and really is what a lot of users are looking for – something that offers charm and the ability to still have a walkable urban destination where people can have meetings over coffee and go to lunch and go shopping,” she says. 

“The Schallerts did a great job on that block adding upgraded building stock to our city’s downtown environment. I think it’s a fantastic building for a new user. We’ve seen a lot of new and diverse investment over the last five to ten years in downtown Longmont.” 

         For Jon Schallert, the investment was a way to practice what he preaches to independent business owners.

“It was important to us to be part of our city’s downtown development as we brought business owners from across North America to Longmont and taught them how to reinvent their communities,” he says. “Now our business, like many others, is entering a new internet-based phase as the economy evolves.”

“We expect that this building will attract the kind of individual or company that will complement the wealth of shops, restaurants, breweries, and offices that are within walking distance. This is certainly a special place.” 

The 4,851-square-foot two-story building is equipped for business use at street level and business or residential upstairs. The building includes its own garage (one of the few in the downtown), along with an updated second floor with a new entry, bath, and modern kitchen. 

The couple’s renovations on the main level uncovered marble penny tile flooring, wooden beams still marked with hand-written, charcoal builders’ notes, brick interior walls that revealed two additions, a tin ceiling, two coal chutes, a skylight, and a fireplace of cast iron and marble. 

They added a rustic wet bar of Oregon birch and a 450-pound New England beam for a bench as well as modern amenities such as separate heating systems for the two floors, updated wiring and plumbing, HDMI transmission cables, and fiber for high-speed internet.

Those interested in learning more about the history of the building and seeing photos of its restoration can find more at the building’s Facebook page: Facebook.com/EmersonBuckinghamBuilding

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