CROOK’S PALACE SALOON
BLACK HAWK, COLORADO

Thorwald Crook was the proprietor of this famous Black Hawk saloon in the early 1900’s. Besides the finest selection of food and beverages in the area, Crook’s Palace was known for its beautiful wooden bar. It is rumored that the ornate wooden bar is from a saloon in St. Louis, Mo. where Billy the Kid once hung his hat. Despite a flood in 1910, the saloon continued to operate into the 1990s when gaming came to Black Hawk. White Construction Group, who specializes in historic renovation and restoration, was contracted to restore the ambience of Crooks Palace Bar in 2005. This project included the restoration of masonry, woodwork and painting of the building with a kitchen and dining room addition and the erection of a 35-foot stacked rock wall to create additional parking. An item that draws patrons to the bar is the replicated vintage wallpaper with hidden images that was created by utilizing computer software.

CLIENT
City of Black Hawk

ARCHITECT
PEH Architects
Boulder, CO

COMPLETION DATE
JULY 2006

SQUARE FOOTAGE
1,908 SQUARE FEET

CONSTRUCTION COST
$2.9 MILLION