The Story Behind 1950 Ford Street: From Historic Golden Church to Event Venue
Tucked into the heart of Downtown Golden, Colorado, a building with nearly eight decades of history is about to begin its next chapter.
1950 Ford Street was originally built in 1942 as a chapel at Camp Hale, the World War !! encampment of the famed 10th Mountain Division. After the war, it was dismantled as surplus, and the then-new Lutheran church here in Golden got it and rebuilt it on this site in 1947-1949; they added a brick veneer and new windows, doors, and styling, and reopened it as St. James Lutheran Church. Its architect was Byron H. Kaufmann, and I do have his architect's illustration of it. Its yellow leaded glass windows, as well as the lantern hanging above its front doors, were hand crafted by Ruben Hartmeister of Golden, best known for his work in saving the Astor House and behind the scenes helping perfect the aluminum can at Coors. Although many of its windows have been replaced, the building remains well preserved.*
After the congregation moved on, the building continued its life as a gathering place under a different name: Foothills Wedding Chapel, and later Horizon Christian Fellowship. In other words, this building has been hosting life's biggest moments (think: weddings) for the better part of eight decades, long before "event venue" was ever part of its name.
A Building With Character
Spanning approximately 4,135–4,500 square feet on nearly half an acre, the property offers something increasingly rare in the Denver Metro area: a space with genuine architectural character, right in a walkable downtown setting. High ceilings, thoughtful proportions, and a layout built for gathering people together aren't details you can add after the fact. They're baked into the bones of a building like this one.
From Sacred Space to Community Space
There's a natural throughline between a building's original purpose and its future as an event venue. Churches, by design, were built to hold people for milestones, for grief and celebration alike. That same DNA is what makes adaptive reuse projects like 1950 Ford Street so resonant. The building isn't losing its purpose; it's expanding it.
The Golden History Museum's archives even hold a record of a wedding ceremony held at the church decades ago. A small reminder that this building has been part of Golden love stories long before it had "event venue" in its description.
This kind of adaptive reuse also matters for a city like Golden, where preserving historic structures, rather than demolishing and starting over, helps maintain the character of downtown for the next generation of residents and visitors.
Looking Ahead
Over the coming months, the space will transform yet again into a premier event destination supporting everything from intimate weddings and rehearsal dinners to nonprofit fundraisers, corporate gatherings, and community celebrations.
We'll be sharing more of the building's story — including historical photos and details — as we get closer to launch. If you're a Golden local with memories of this building in its earlier life, we'd love to hear from you.
*Thank you to Rick Gardner, Gardner History