Hess/Stanislawski Block Building

Today the Ouray Hotel with 15 rooms for rent and several retail shops occupies the building originally known as the Hess Block Building. The first building was a two story wooden structure built by Theodore Hess in 1880. Soon it housed a billiard hall, a wine, liquor and cigar store and city offices. In 1884, an addition at the rear of the building housed the Ouray County Court. That building burned in 1892. The next year Mr. Hess built the brick structure you see today. The brick came from the Ouray Brick Yard that was located where today we have the hot springs pool. In 1911, the Hess Building escaped a large block fire that destroyed four buildings between it, the Scott/Humphry building and the Beaumont. This building features both Queen Anne and Romanesque structural design. In 1972 Casimir Stanislawski bought the building and added his name to the parapet.