In 1863, a Black man who had escaped slavery via the Underground Railroad opened one of Denver's finest restaurants in a brick building on Blake Street — and served white senators and Black laborers at the same table. The Barney Ford Building at 1514 Blake Street is Denver Landmark #4, one of LoDo's oldest surviving commercial structures, and a monument to one of the most extraordinary lives in Colorado history.

⚠️ Editorial note: Some biographical details about Barney Ford's early life draw on Frank Parkhill's "Mister Barney Ford" (1963). More recent scholarship (circa 2023) has challenged certain claims in Parkhill's account. This post presents the well-documented record; details flagged as disputed are noted accordingly. Denver Historic Landmarks Map

Barney L. Ford was born into slavery in Virginia around 1822. He escaped — accounts of the exact route vary, and some details from the primary biography (Parkhill, 1963) have been disputed by later researchers — and eventually made his way to Colorado in 1860, after failed attempts to reach California and the gold fields during earlier migrations.

Ford arrived in Denver with little and built one of the city's most successful businesses through skill, determination, and a gift for hospitality. The Blake Street building, erected in 1863, housed his "People's Restaurant" — a restaurant and barbershop known across Denver for its impeccable food, service, and integrated clientele. At a time when most Denver establishments either refused to serve Black customers or segregated them, Ford ran a place where U.S. Senator Nathaniel Hill and laborers from the railroad camps ate side by side.

Ford's political influence extended far beyond his business. In 1866, when Congress was debating Colorado statehood, Ford successfully lobbied against a proposed state constitution that denied voting rights to Black men — a rare and remarkable political victory. Colorado did not achieve statehood until 1876, when the Reconstruction-era political landscape made equal rights more viable. A stained glass portrait of Ford was later added to the Colorado State Capitol rotunda. Denver's Oldest Landmarks

The Barney Ford Building is one of the oldest surviving brick commercial structures in Denver — a two-story Italianate commercial facade on Blake Street, now within the LoDo Historic District. Brick was a statement of permanence in 1863 Denver, where most commercial buildings were still frame or adobe. The original corbeled cornice elements are partially intact, and the building retains the character of the 19th-century warehouse district that defines LoDo's visual identity. Explore Denver

The integration of Ford's restaurant was not accidental — it was intentional and politically charged. Denver in the 1860s was a rough frontier city with pronounced racial hierarchies, and Ford's insistence on serving all customers regardless of race was a daily act of resistance backed by the quality of his food and the reputation of his establishment. Powerful men came to eat at Ford's restaurant partly because it was genuinely excellent.

Ford went on to open the Inter-Ocean Hotel on Blake Street in 1874, one of Denver's finest hotels of the era. He died in 1902. His stained glass portrait in the State Capitol — one of only a handful depicting a Black Coloradan — was added in the 1940s, four decades after his death.

<strong>Barney Ford Building — 1514 Blake Street, LoDo</strong><br/>Exterior viewable at all times; interior is private commercial tenant.<br/>Part of the LoDo Historic District walking tour.<br/>Nearest RTD: Union Station (A/B/C/E/W lines) — 5-minute walk west on Blake Street.

The Barney Ford Building is at 1514 Blake Street in LoDo, a 5-minute walk west from Union Station. Union Station is served by RTD's A, B, C, E, and W light rail lines as well as multiple bus routes. The LoDo Historic District is highly walkable; plan to combine a visit here with other Blake Street landmarks.

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