1300 Pearl Street was built in 1910 for owner James H. Clarke. A Denver Post article in 1910 regarding the property mentioned that James Clarke worked at the sheriff’s office and a Denver City Directory confirmed this, recording him as the deputy sheriff at the court house.
The businesses in the Clarke Block have been diverse and intriguing. The Howard Drug Company operated in one of the storefronts from 1910 until 1976. Other businesses included tailor shops, a branch of Model Cleaners, the Militant Book Store, several tattoo shops, and Cliff’s Meats, a butcher shop.
