Walker House on Patterson Finally Demolished
It's been coming for some time. The historic blue house across the street from St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction has finally been torn down.
The blue house with its red roof has been something of a landmark in this town for decades. It seemed a bit out of place with its large lot surrounded by more modern homes. Not only that, it was a residential structure right in the middle of one of the busiest intersections in Western Colorado.
My late grandpa, Robert Grant, spent a considerable amount of time in this house. According to him, the home's interior was far more impressive than you might think. He had considered purchasing it at one time. The house was a little more than he was looking for. According to him, the price was more than reasonable. It was simply too much house.
Take one last look inside the old house. I did a little walk through a few days before it was torn down. Most fixtures had already been removed and recycled.
Personally, I'm a little bummed. I really enjoyed seeing this house when driving down Patterson. Most people will tell you I'm too old-fashioned for my own good. That having been said, I honestly believe there is something special about preserving things when you can. Take a drive down 7th Street between North Avenue and Grand. Look at all of those amazing houses. Almost all of them are older than the Walker house at 8th and Patterson. They, of course, are still standing. As a matter of fact, most have been restored and are now part of a historic district. They provide shelter every bit as well as a newly built house.
I'm certainly not opposed to progress. Construction is about to begin on a new care facility at this site. That will be a good thing for a number of people. Nevertheless, I hated to see this house go.
Well, take one last look. The Walker family called this site home for some time. To my grandpa, it was a house for social events. Recently, it provided shelter to a number of squatters. Over the decades, this place put a roof over several peoples' heads. Before you know it, even the rubble will be gone and a new structure will stand on this lot.