Gunnison History Tracker
116 Elk Avenue
The Kochevar House
Built in the late 1800's by Jacob Kochevar.
Purchased in 1968 by Dana Atchley, who re-habed the building with the help of a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
116 Elk Avenue is described in the town's historic records as "One of the more elaborately ornamented structures in Crested Butte, and is notable for its false front facade clad with hand-cut shingles, its decorative cornice with arched parapet, and its double-hung sash windows with ornamented surrounds."
This building was built by Jacob Kochevar Jr. for his parents Jacob Sr. and Marija.
The exact date of construction is unknown, but a building in this location that matches the description is on an 1893 fire insurance survey.
The front room and false front were thought to have been added in 1913.
According to an excerpt from Sandra Cortner's "Crested Butte Stories..." the house didn't have power or water until after 1934.
John Tezak documented his time living there as a young boy in the late '30's in his book, "Crested Butte: Return to My Avalon".
The house was purchased by Dana Atchley in 1968 after having been abandoned for ~30 years.
He began restoring it when he bought it and with the help of Robert William Wolf, Tap Dawson and other friends added a second story to the back part of the house in 1979/1980. In order to maintain its historic look, they had custom millwork for the siding and square nails made.
Dana's daughters, Megan and Gillian, own the house now and have recently completed another round of restoration.
