Old Firehouse Books changes hands in Fort Collins

Revati Kilaparti and Teresa Steele purchased Old Firehouse Books, 232 Walnut St., from former owner Susie Wilmer at the start of the year, Kilaparti and Steele confirmed to the Coloradoan Jan. 29.

Wilmer has owned area bookstores for 40 years — starting out as a partner at the Book Rack and operating its Cheyenne and Greeley locations in the 1980s, she said. Wilmer and her late husband, Richard Sommerfeld, purchased the Fort Collins Book Rack in 2001 and moved it from Midtown to its current Walnut Street location in 2009.

Given the 1882 building’s history as Fort Collins’ first city hall and firehouse, Wilmer said they renamed the business Old Firehouse Books.

“I love that building and I thought other people would be interested, too. And apparently they were,” Wilmer said.

After four decades in the book business, Wilmer said she started making plans to retire last year.

“I’m 79. I’m ready to kick back, read books and let (Steele and Kilaparti) do all the hard work and make all the hard decisions,” Wilmer added.

Kilaparti had worked for Wilmer off-and-on for 17 years, starting as a part-time bookseller at the Book Rack and later working as Old Firehouse Books’ floor manager and, most recently, general manager, she said.

Steele started at Old Firehouse Books as a bookseller roughly a dozen years ago. In the last four to five years, she started doing some bookkeeping for the business, she said.

Since Steele and Kilaparti have been helping run the day-to-day of the bookstore in recent years, Steele said switching into an official ownership role “hasn’t felt too different.”

In their first year as owners, Steele said the pair plan to keep operations largely the same, with plans to possibly start implementing small changes later this year or early next, “depending on how things go.”

“I have complete faith that they will keep the store going as long as possible,” Wilmer said, noting that she’s witnessed plenty of independent bookstores close over the years.

“By starting with people who already know the business and are good listeners and good learners, I think that’s ensured the health of the store,” Wilmer said.

“That store is my baby,” Wilmer added. “I want to keep it around.”

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins’ Old Firehouse Books has new (and familiar) owners

Reporting by Erin Udell, Fort Collins Coloradoan / Fort Collins Coloradoan USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect