A Grand Junction Landmark is on its last few days. The iconic blue house located across Patterson from St. Mary's is about to be torn down. Take a walk through before it's demolished.

The home's main claim to fame is the fact it used to belong to Daily Sentinel publisher/editor Walter Walker. If you've been around the valley for long, you can remember a time when everything was named in his honor. A few examples which come to mind would be the Walter Walker Fine Arts Center at Mesa College and Walker Field (the airport in Grand Junction).

I remember visiting my Grandpa, Daily Sentinel photographer Robert Grant, during a stay at St. Mary's. From the window of his room you could easily spot this house. My grandpa and Walter Walker had been friends and co-workers for decades. According to my grandpa, he had planned to buy the home from Walker. He, instead, pursued an opportunity to purchase a home on Little Park Road.

According to my grandpa, the home's interior was far more impressive than you might think. As a matter of fact, the house was a little more than he was looking for. According to him, the price was more than reasonable. It was simply too much house.

As you can see in the video at top, squatters have been using the home for some time. There's evidence that several people have lived in the home recently.

Personally, I didn't see much I would consider salvageable. Believe me, I love antiques. Given the choice of a modest old house, or a pristine new house, I would take the older home in an instant. Aside from a few light fixtures, there's not much capable of being reused.



This really is a charming house. The next time you're driving down Patterson, make the effort to take one last look. Don't take too long, the house won't be there much longer. According to KKCO 11 News, Grand Junction Well Aged Pacific plans to put in a 48-unit assisted living and memory care center on the site. Groundbreaking will begin on March 10, 2018.