Crossan’s Market, built in 1903, is an excellent and remarkably intact example of a small-town mercantile building that reflects the development of Yampa and the surrounding agricultural economy. For generations, it served the community with everything from groceries to hardware and stood at the heart of local life.
When Crossan’s Market closed in the mid-1960s after a competing merchant purchased the business and building, it became a remarkable time capsule. Shelves stocked with merchandise from the era remained in place, and calendars on the walls were still open to 1964, preserving a vivid snapshot of an earlier time. Regular building maintenance also largely ended in the 1960s, and over time the structure suffered significant deterioration.
A later Historic Structure Assessment identified more than a dozen critical and serious deficiencies, including a failed foundation that was causing the building to shift and lean. After the City of Yampa took ownership in late 2006, a dedicated group of local volunteers, the Friends of the Crossan’s M&A Market, began the long effort to save the building. Despite Yampa’s harsh climate and the limited financial resources of a town with only about 500 residents, these advocates contributed more than 500 hours to the cleaning, research, and stabilization work need to save this historic treasure.
The Crossan’s Market mercantile building offered tremendous potential for community reuse. Proposed uses included exhibit and archive space for the Yampa-Egeria Historical Society, offices for local organizations, a visitor center, and the Yampa Town Hall. Historic Routt County became a strong advocate for the project and served as fiscal agent for State Historical Fund grants. With support from Historic Routt County, the State Historical Fund, and numerous partners, more than $1.2 million was raised. Exterior restoration was successfully completed in 2018, marking a major milestone in the building’s rehabilitation. CPI and History Colorado both recognized the project with awards, and it has become a shining example of a successful, grassroots-led preservation effort in a small rural community.
Today, Crossan’s Market is recognized as a “Saved” resource and is once again an active part of community life. The lower level serves as a visitor center and interpretive space with displays on local history, while the upper floor houses the Yampa Town Hall. Advocates for the project believe the rehabilitation of Crossan’s Market demonstrates how preservation can support economic development, strengthen community identity, and provide an important model for other small, isolated rural towns working to save their historic building stock.