The McLaughlin Block was built in 1891 in the Victorian Eclectic style with Romanesque features. The building was erected in dedication to Michael McLaughlin, who died in 1888. Originally constructed as a multi-purpose building, it contained a hotel and in the commercial area two saloons, two restaurants, a barbershop, and a shoe shop. Before 1921, there was a garden level in the front of the building that was never unearthed after the flood later that year filled the area with mud and debris. This three-story building was a vital structure in Pueblo’s Union Avenue Historic Commercial District. The Union Avenue area was placed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
A new owner purchased the property in late 2021 with plans for rehabilitation. CPI continues to assist with preservation efforts and publicity and seeks to discuss a potential SHF grant or tax credits with the owner as a way to reinvigorate the building.