We'll begin the studio tour with some history ...
This is the logo of the former General Iron Works.
From 1924 to 1986 General Iron Works operated on this site of about four city blocks.
It was originally established as a cooperative production facility for
five individual Colorado firms who manufactured mining industry equipment.
General Iron Works was the largest business in Englewood,
employing 1,300 workers at the peak of its production during World War II.
In 2003 the Regional Transportation District cleared the site and
built a new light rail maintenance facility to the north.
The south end of the lot is now a storage yard for Robinson Brick.
An excellent history of General Iron Works prepared by Hermsen Consultants
is available in the reference section of the Englewood Library.
Photo credit: Roach Photos, Inc., Otto Roach, photographer, c1955.
This detail of the same aerial shows the studio location across from the
southeast corner of the General Iron Works site.
View on Google Maps.
This photo shows the studio before rehabilitation.
It includes a 1917 house and a corner store added in the 1920s.
The store was converted to a luncheonette to serve General Iron workers.
The removal of two layers of unfortunate siding revealed the store's original stepped roof parapet.
Original door and window openings facing General Iron also appeared.
This c1985 view shows the main gate and the pattern storage building and gatehouse,
two of the 29 buildings on the General Iron site.
Photo credit: Englewood Public Library online gallery of local history photos,
photographer unknown.
By 2006 the Gatehouse was the only surviving General Iron Works building.
The City of Englewood ordered its demolition because it was frequented by transients.
Instead, the owner contacted Ray, who had previously expressed an interest
in acquiring the building.
Here the Gatehouse is moved one block east to the studio via forklift.
For 62 years it guarded the entrance to General Iron Works.
Now retired, it serves as a tea house in the studio garden.
Check back! The tour of the studio will continue ...