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The Tierney Mercantile Store building in Basalt
Basalt, CO – Historic
The Tierney Mercantile Store, also called the Sloss Store and American Legion Building, is an old building on West Homestead Drive that is part of the Basalt History Tour in Basalt, CO.
153 West Homestead
Mrs. Ella Tierney built The Tierney Mercantile Store in 1898. She moved her mercantile business from Main street to high street into the large brick building. She passed on this business to Elbert Gray and his son E.H. Al Gray who ran it as a family business until 1905.
In 1905 James Filmore Sloss and his son Melvin purchased The Tierney Mercantile Store from the Gray’s and continued to operate it as a mercantile store until 1918. From around 1918 until 1945 the building was leased by the school for basketball games, roller skating and other functions. At one time a thrift store was operated in the building.
In 1945 the American Legion William B. Lucksinger Post 184 and Unit 194 of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary, purchased the building from the Gray family. The Legion organization held their monthly meetings in the building and sponsored the bimonthly town dances. They also held raffles, carnivals and other community events. During the 1970’s a preschool was run in the buildings’ basement and the upstairs was home to a dance studio.
Charles Cole purchased the building in November of 1993. The Coles refurbished the outside and interior of the building, establishing a residence upstairs and an interior design store, “The Verandah Collection”, in the lower level.”
