DOD Virtual Tour: D&F Tower

Doors Open Denver Virtual Tour: D&F Tower

About the tour: This tour of the Daniels & Fisher Tower blends the history of the building with the history of Denver. Discover the man behind the Tower, the history of the department store and how the clocktower was spared from demolition. We’ll also explore the architecture of the site, the lobby, a converted office and memorabilia.

About the site: Daniels & Fisher was a large and thriving department store on 16th Street. Built in several iterations, the final piece is the only part that remains today. Completed in 1911, the clocktower was based on St. Mark’s Campanile in Venice. It is currently used for offices, and the top floors are used as event space.

About the tour guides: Robert Ehmann is a third generation native of Colorado, his great grandfather arriving in Colorado in 1882. In 1978, Robert graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a B.S. in Finance and a B.A. in International Affairs. After working in the corporate world for 6+ years, in 1988 Robert graduated from law school at Arizona State University. Robert had nearly 30 years in his dream job as a trial attorney, with 70-80 civil trials in the areas of medical malpractice and personal injury. In 2017, Robert retired, returned to his hometown of Denver, bought an 1890 Victorian and restored and renovated it, saving another home from the big scrape. Robert has been guiding tours as a volunteer for Historic Denver since 2019.

Diane Travis moved to Denver in the mid-90s and served as Job Captain for the Denver Central Library projects working with architects Michael Graves and Klipp Colussy Jenks DuBois. Diane served as Technical Director for the Rocky Mountain Masonry Institute for 17 years, where she spent much of her time researching solutions to complex masonry problems. She also lectured at educational seminars for architects and engineers on behalf of RMMI. Her role often asked her to review construction documents to catch mistakes before the project went out to bid. Today, she continues to serve as a technical consultant for the RMMI. She currently lives in her second 1892 Victorian brick home in the Swallow Hill Historic District.

Alison Salutz is the Director of Community Programs for Historic Denver. She has served in the role for the past four years, overseeing Historic Denver’s public programs, which include the walking tour program. Prior to her role at Historic Denver, Alison spent six years at History Colorado planning and implementing programs for learners of all ages. Alison’s interest in the history of places and the stories they tell began with Jane Addams’ Hull House, and she is still inspired when uncovering the many stories of places in Denver, her home for the past 17 years.

VERY IMPORTANT, READ IN FULL: This is an on-demand virtual tour; this is not a live virtual tour. Upon registering for this tour you will receive access to the online event page on Eventbrite. The virtual tour will be available through the online event page September 27 – October 17 on-demand.

You can access the online event page from:

• The confirmation email you receive after registering. Click on “View the event” (September 27 – October 17).
• The event listing on Eventbrite (September 27 – October 17, and after registering). Click on “Access the event.”

NOTE: You must be logged in with the Eventbrite account you used to register to view the online event page and video.