The Red Onion
The Red Onion | |
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Restaurant information | |
Established | 1892 |
Owner(s) | Brad Smith and Michael Tierney |
Chef | Michael Fiske |
Food type | American |
Street address | 420 E. Cooper St. |
City | Aspen |
State | Colorado |
Postal/ZIP Code | 81611 |
Country | United States |
Coordinates | 39°11′17″N 106°49′9″W / 39.18806°N 106.81917°W |
Website | RedOnionAspen.com |
New Brick–The Brick Saloon | |
Architectural style | Late Victorian |
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MPS | Aspen MRA |
NRHP reference No. | 87000185[1] |
Added to NRHP | March 6, 1987 |
The Red Onion is a restaurant located on East Cooper Avenue in Aspen, Colorado, United States. It is the oldest restaurant in the city,[2] housed in a three-story red brick Italianate building dating to the late 19th century. In 1987 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "New Brick–The Brick Saloon", along with other historic properties in the city.[1]
It began as a saloon opened by an early city alderman; at one point its upper floors were reportedly home to a brothel. In its early years it was one of three dining establishments in Aspen. It retains much of its original interior, including a bullet hole in the bar.[3] As the city became a popular ski resort, it hosted musical performances by, among others, Billie Holiday and John Denver. It continued operating under various owners for 115 years until closing for structural renovations for three years in the late 2000s.
Building
The Red Onion is located on the north side of East Cooper, midway between South Galena and South Mill streets. That
Around the building, the surrounding neighborhood consists primarily of a mix of historic and modern commercial buildings, most one or two stories high. Rubey Park is to the west, a large open area between South Mill and South Monarch streets. The Wheeler Opera House, an Aspen landmark also listed on the Register, is around the corner at South Mill and East Hyman. A block to the southeast is the base station and gondola of the Aspen Mountain ski area.
The building itself is a three-
Three round-arched windows mark the second story. Their lower sections have one-over-one double-hung sash windows and black wooden sills. Projecting bricks form another modillioned cornice which serves as a springline for the arches, and goes around them.[4]
At the roofline is another modillioned and dentilled cornice with ornate
The side and rear facades are largely unfenestrated. Along the east side, "RED ONION" is written in golden vertical letters. The interior has its original pressed tin ceiling, bar and backbar, and clay tile floor. The latter is similar to that found at another Register-listed Aspen landmark, the
History
First settled in 1879, Aspen grew rapidly during the Colorado Silver Boom of the 1880s; by 1890, it had reached a population of around 10,000. Two years after that, alderman Tom Latta built the unnamed brick structure on East Cooper Avenue and opened a saloon (and possibly a brothel on the upper floors). At that time it was a standalone building, with vacant lots on either side.[8]
It quickly became popular. The early clientele were miners and other local men interested in then-popular sports such as bicycling,
After the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in response to the Panic of 1893, Aspen's prosperity rapidly faded. Many of its residents left town, and buildings from the boom era fell vacant. Many eventually succumbed to fire and neglect. The Red Onion remained open through a period now referred to as the city's "quiet years". In 1918 it was purchased by Tim Kelleher, who kept it open through Prohibition by serving sandwiches.[9]
Interest in Aspen as the site of a recreational
The veteran, John Litchfield, made the Red Onion the building's formal name and remodeled it. It became a popular place in the growing resort's
A new owner, Werner Kuster, built on this during the 1960s. He added a gourmet restaurant and performance space in a building next door. Many more musicians played the Red Onion during this time, as Aspen became a favored getaway of many Hollywood celebrities. John Denver, who would make Aspen his home and later wrote several songs about the area, was one performer.[7]
In the late 1970s East Cooper Avenue was closed to vehicles and converted into a
After several extensions, the building's owners terminated the restaurant's lease in 2006, and it closed early in the following year.[7] At that time the Red Onion had been serving food and drink for 115 years continuously, making it the oldest such establishment in Aspen. Efforts to reopen it began soon afterwards.
Scott DeGraff, another local restaurateur, assumed the lease and began renovating the interior of the closed building. That work stopped in late 2008, and the following year the lease was terminated as financial difficulties, including
Jennifer Colosi said they had no plans to change the name or use of the building. "Why would we take 100 years of branding and change it?" The menu is a largely
See also
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ "Aspen's Summer Season Brings New Restaurants, Art Galleries & Shops" (Press release). Aspen Chamber of Commerce. June 10, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Cooney, Tim (Summer 2010). "The New Old Red Onion". Aspen Sojourner. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
- ^ U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
- Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Archived from the originalon July 18, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
- ^ Norgren, Barbara (July 31, 1986). "Historic Resources of Aspen Multiple Resource Area" (PDF). History Colorado. p. 5. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
- ^ The Aspen Times. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
- ^ a b "About us". The Red Onion. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
- ^ a b c "#28 The Red Onion". Heritage Aspen. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
- ISBN 978-1-59921-098-8.
- ^ "Werner F. Kuster".
- ^ Lutz, Catherine (July 15, 2009). "Red Onion operator's lease terminated". Aspen Daily News. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
- ^ Aspen Times. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
- Aspen Times. November 21, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2010.