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Nicholas Building
Built in 1908, this three-story structure is commercial Victorian architectural style. Its facade remains intact with a corbeled cornice and rusticated stone pilasters. The original stone inscription, "Gomer A. Nicholas," as the leaded glass windows on the front of the building were badly deteriorated and have been replaced.
The Gomer A. Nicholas Building, as it was originally known, housed the Empire Rooming House on the second and third floors.
The Nicholas family ran a grocery store on the main floor and a tobacco shop occupied part of the basement. It was during this period of time that "25th Street" was the main street of Ogden, a thriving railroad center.
In 1934, Francis Nicholas took over the grocery store, changing the name of the "Nicholas Market." He remodeled the store and added a large sign to the front of the building. The upstairs later became known as the Reed Hotel.
The market survived the Great Depression and two World Wars, but eventually commercial decay overtook the neighborhood. Finally, in 1971, the Nicholas Market closed its doors, after sixty-three years of continuous operation.
The Nicholas Building was renovated in 1985 by Mrs. Janica O. Pantone. |