Name:  Preston-Townley House, a/k/a A.M. Preston House

Address:  314 Bross St.

Landmark Designation: 1985

Construction Date: 1905

Architectural Style: Vernacular Wood Frame

The house was originally owned by Alexander M. Preston, who operated it as Preston's Boarding House.

Jones Townley was the son of John Lawrence Townley, the first elected treasurer of the Chicago-Colorado Colony which founded Longmont in 1871.

Jones Townley was active in the affairs of the community and in 1908 he ran for and was elected to the Boulder County Board of County Commissioners. In order to better perform his duties, he moved his family into the city and purchased the house from Mr. Preston. Mr. Townley was a county commissioner from 1908 through 1916. This was a period when the automobile was coming into increasing use in Boulder County, and Mr. Townley, as commissioner, was active in the planning and development of roadway improvements throughout the county. He reportedly provided roadway gravel at no charge from a pit on his farmland north of the community.

After Jones Townley completed his tenure as county commissioner, he continued to live in the house until his death in 1936.

Reference
HPC 1985-8