GOLDEN • Chris Cone gets one question more than any other.

“I get asked about the pool all the time. Twice already today,” he says here at the Buffalo Rose, his bar and restaurant in the heart of downtown Golden. “Everyone’s like, ‘What? There was a pool? Where is it?’”

It’s in the basement, now unfilled and offering convenient storage. The event space is just above, a wedding reception now getting underway — representing the new life of one of Colorado’s most historic commercial locations.

The pool represents a life from the 1930s. The Golden Plunge was but one enterprise that sprouted here since 1859, since the founding of this town against the foothills west of Denver.

The graffiti around the pool represents the decades-long life of the Buffalo Rose before Cone bought the place in 2016. Since the 1980s, the Rose had been a place for rock ‘n’ roll shows and occasional biker brawls.

“It would’ve been almost laughable to have a wedding reception at the Buffalo Rose before 2016,” Cone says. “But this year, we’ll do 72.”

The local developer’s vision has produced memories beyond such private gatherings. Now tourists and families make the Buffalo Rose their stop for lunch or dinner — or maybe for just a beer (30 on tap) or cocktail (18 specialties listed).

They feast on classic, Western fare with an elevated touch to match the rustic, elegant atmosphere: clearly historic, warped wood and crumbled brick, with the addition of leather, fancy light fixtures and a bar with a retractable roof.

Try to imagine “Buffalo” Bill, one of Golden’s celebrated characters, sipping his whiskey there at the “sky bar.” It’s easier to imagine him around the saloon-like interior, filling up on the bison meatloaf (wrapped in bacon, topped with crispy onions and gravy) or the striped bass (pan-seared, topped with mango pico de gallo, Spanish rice and creamed corn) or any of the other house specialties, from steak to enchiladas.

The imagination runs wild in the room upstairs.

“This is my favorite part of the whole building,” says Derek Giulianelli, the general manager.

Here’s the place’s original, wooden bar, circa 1902. This is the State Room, fittingly named for the official business said to be done here once.

The two-story building in 1859 was said to be the biggest in Golden City, as the dusty capital of the territory was known then. Upstairs, some of the first laws of the land were said to be decided.

It is also said some of the most notorious lawbreakers of the day met their demise here, the likes of “Heartless” Edward Franklin and the Musgrove Gang. And then there were dignitaries like Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman.

This was the Overland Hotel, most famously overseen by Edward Louis Berthoud. The military officer, statesman and engineer also left his mark by leading the establishment of the Colorado School of Mines.

After Berthoud’s death in 1910, the corner of today’s Washington Avenue and 12th Street would see buildings rise and fall and businesses come and go. There was the International Bowling Saloon. There was Churches Garage, which sold some of America’s first automobiles. There was a meat market, drugstore and a barbershop.

Commerce prevailed at this corner before a man named Adolph Coors started a brewery a couple of blocks down in 1873. The corner provided the “pulse” and “lifeblood” for the town that would grow, reads a historical booklet prepared for today’s Buffalo Rose.

“This is the story of the Buffalo Rose,” reads the introduction, “but more importantly for the people of Golden, Colorado, it is our story.”

That idea appealed to Cone in 2016. The purchase was a business move, “but it being part of the fabric of Golden was part of the discussion for sure,” he says.

He tapped his brother-in-law as general manager. Giulianelli grew up in Golden through the 1970s and ‘80s, long before the town became the destination it is today for creek floating, hiking and brewery-hopping. The town “was a dump,” he recalls — kind of like the old, rambunctious Buffalo Rose.

“It was a dumpy building where families didn’t want to go,” Giulianelli says. “I never wanted to go in there. It was a scary place.”

He sees the latest transformation as meeting the new moment in Golden: something modern and comfortable that still honors the past. The renovation was complete with plaques posted all around that recount old stories here.

And fittingly, the town’s signature arch rises just above the front door: “Welcome to Golden, Where the West Lives.”

On the menu

For starters, the Buffalo Rose purveyors recommend the green chile artichoke dip, a warm blend of the Pueblo speciality with three cheeses and house-made tortilla chips. Other popular shareables ($14-$17): Southwestern egg rolls, tuna poke wonton nachos and Devils on Horseback, another unusual pairing of bacon-wrapped dates with goat cheese over a whiskey-brown sugar glaze.

The bison burger is a go-to, along with the buffalo chicken wrap and slow-roasted pork sandwich, drenched in a house barbecue sauce and topped with bacon. Other sandwiches ($17-$19): a tofu banh mi, a cheesesteak and a lightly-breaded chicken breast with a touch of Japanese mayo and spicy soy ginger glaze.

The bacon-wrapped, gravy-splashed bison meatloaf is a star among the entrees ($20-$28). Another favorite is the pan-seared salmon, rubbed with chimichurri and complete with a special puree and truffle oil. The New York steak and striped bass are on the American side, while the Rose also prides itself with a Latin side. The menu includes takes on ropa vieja and chile relleno to go with a smothered burrito and chicken enchilada.

There are several salads, including one medley of grilled shrimp, tomatoes, green beans, peppers, onions, queso fresco and cilantro over quinoa.

The creamy coconut flan stands out on the dessert menu ($6-$8). Also a peach crisp with bourbon butterscotch ice cream, creme brulee and cinnamon roll bread pudding.