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In 1904, the Harding Brothers had C.C. Rittenhouse design the Acme Block for an estimated $12,000 construction cost.

It was a 19th Century commercial structure with the front of the building done in cut red sandstone from the Harding Quarries west of Cañon City. The rest of the building is brick. Iron pillars were made by Hassell Iron Works of Colorado Springs. The second level had 3 suites of 5 rooms and one of 4 rooms. The rooms were “elegantly furnished and contain every modern convenience of sanitation and comfort.”

Lebbeus L. Harding Jr. and Theodore Marsh Harding were brothers who came to Cañon City in the 1870’s and opened a hardware store on Main Street. Leb Harding was a real estate developer. T.M. also owned the quarries.

The building has housed offices and businesses of doctors, dentists, photographers, land developers, insurance agencies, furniture suppliers, auto supplies, recreation and bicycles. Some of the more notable include: Dall DeWeese, developer of Lincoln Park, the DeWeese Dye Ditch and the DeWeese Reservoir.  Charles Fredrickson was an oil man and the insurance businessman. One oil well produced nothing but hot water. That “well” supplied hot water to the local swimming pool for many years. John Skoglund Sr. came from Sweden. He started a business supplying local gas stations for Texas, Shell and Phillips oil companies.