The Golden Armory was built in 1913 to house the engineering unit of the National Guard. During World War I, various groups of soldiers were housed there. After the War, the building became a bit of a white elephant.
The School of Mines took over ownership of the building, but even they had some trouble finding good and consistent uses. In 1928, the school leased a significant part of the building to local hoteliers. The Mitchell Hotel offered a dining room and twenty guest rooms. It operated in the Armory until 1934, then moved half a block west to 910 13th.
