Storage & Transfer Building (1906) - now the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art
The tour begins on the steps of the BMOCA Museum at 1750 13th street.In the late 19th century, Boulder was a supply town for mining in the foothills. New farms were developed to the east and north of downtown. This neighborhood was a mix of industrial, commercial and residential properties. Canyon was called Water Street, with railroad tracks running down the center. The present-day 13th Street Plaza was the site of the Coal Gasification Plant that supplied fuel for street lamps. There was a fruit distribution warehouse and lumber yard where the Atrium building is today. A spur train line curved from Water Street across the area where the Municipal building is now and ended at the new University. The area was heavily polluted, smelly and noisy, with constant traffic between the passenger and freight depots. Much of that early history has been lost; the tracks were removed by 1960 and the passenger depot was moved east to be restored and repurposed as a restaurant. The Storage and Transfer Building (now BMOCA) remains as a tangible link to that period of Boulder’s history. Built in 1906 as a warehouse for goods shipped by train, the City Storage and Transfer Company was established by Martin B. Larson, who lived with his younger brother Knudt on the property. The Larson Brothers operated this storage business until Martin’s death in 1938. The business continued at this location until 1961.From here walk across 13th street at Arapahoe Avenue and enter Central Park along the path paralleling Boulder Creek. Stop anywhere along the path. Be careful of fast moving bicyclists!
Central Park (1924)
From this point you are in the southern portion of Central Park. Over its almost 100-year life, Central Park has served as the primary meeting place for the community, supporting countless formal and informal activities including the celebration of holidays, family picnics, a myriad of arts festivals, musical offerings, and all sorts of political rallies.The design of the Park originated from the Olmsted Brothers, the premier landscape and planning company in the U.S. They were hired by a self-appointed group of business leaders, the Boulder City Improvement Association. The Olmsted firm worked from 1908 to 1925 designing city improvements throughout the town. Central Park opened in 1924. One of the Olmsted’s primary recommendations addressed flood mitigation along Boulder Creek to prevent another disastrous flood event such as that occurring in 1894. Olmsted’s recommendations advised the City to acquire the flood-prone areas along the Creek to prevent them from being developed. This resulted in the Boulder Creek Path, the multi-use paths along the tributaries, and park land in the civic area. Many of the design ideas of the park are intact today including the perimeter shade trees, the paths following the Creek, the flood mitigation measures, the multi-use open lawn spaces in the middle, and the views maintained to the Flatirons. In the late 1920's the Denver-based planner, Saco DeBoer was hired by the city government of Boulder to elaborate on the design of this area, shaping the civic use as we know it today. His ideas included identifying the area west of Broadway for the city hall and public library, the area east of Broadway for an outdoor theater space, and a connection to the south, to the CU campus.In popular culture Central Park has been mentioned in the books of several authors including a significant setting in the novel The Stand, by Stephen King and in films including Catch & Release (2006) and Elevation (2024).From here walk along the Creek path and stop just before the bridge that crosses the irrigation ditch. Again, be careful of fast-moving bicyclists.
Boulder 'Slough' (1871) - irrigation ditch
From this vantage point you can see a diversion channel that was engineered to bring irrigation water from Boulder Creek to the farms east and north of town. The Boulder & White Rock Ditch Company was incorporated in 1871 and this ditch was constructed shortly after. Remember that Boulder was the primary agriculture supply town for the mining activities in the foothills. The farms needed irrigation to survive. The irrigation channel continues to be owned and operated by three ditch companies today (the Boulder and White Rock Ditch and Reservoir Company, North Boulder Farmers Ditch Company, and Boulder and Left Hand Ditch Company).From here walk under the Broadway bridge to the next stop, a small area of bench-seating along the Creek.
Boulder Creek - north bank just west of the Broadway Bridge
From this point along the banks of Boulder Creek it is appropriate that we acknowledge that the location of this proposed historic district (and all of Boulder) is on the ancestral homelands and unceded territory of Indigenous Peoples who have traversed, lived in and stewarded lands in the Boulder Valley since at least 13,000 years ago. This ancient date is evidenced by the discovery in 2008 of a collection of 'Clovis-era' stone tools, found about a mile from this site, on a tributary of Boulder Creek. Sunsequently in this region there were many Indigenous Nations including the Arapaho, Ute, Cheyene, Apache, Comanche, Kiowa, Pawnee, Shoshone and Sioux.We honor and respect the people of these Nations and their ancestors. We also recognize that Indigenous knowledge, oral histories, and languages handed down through generations have shaped profound cultural and spiritual connections with Boulder-area lands and ecosystems —connections that are sustained and celebrated to this day.From here walk toward the library and stop at the back (west side) of the Municipal Building,
Site of a former residential neighborhood (1870 to 1924)
The area between Broadway and the present-day Boulder public library was once a small residential neighborhood that bordered the industrial area of town where ore from the mines was processed. Four of the properties in this neighborhood were located within the boundary of this proposed historic district. Because the area was regularly flooded and near dirty factories, it was an inexpensive place to live, attracting lower income and transient people. Recent research has confirmed that there were houses of prostitution and bootlegging, and short and long-term residents. Here are brief stories of a few of the residents:1) Mrs. Mollie Gordon moved to Boulder around 1890 and purchased the house at 1034 Water St. (now called Canyon Blvd.), according to the 1900 Census, Mollie was a Black woman born in Missouri in October 1844. A newspaper article from 1891 mentions a well-attended reception at her home on Water Street where she played the violin. Her occupation is listed as "laundress" in the 1900 Census and as a “domestic” in the 1903 City Directory. She lived here until her death in 1904. .It should be noted that 7 blocks to the east was the primary neighborhood settled by African American residents. It's known as the "Little Rectangle". There is a PocketSights tour of that neighborhood.2) Maryette Kingsley owned four properties in the area by 1896. She was a white woman born in 1860 in Scotland. She is listed in the 1900 census as a “fancy housekeeper,” a Victorian euphemism for “Madam” in a house of prostitution. This is quite possible, since she paid a fine of $34.30 in August 1894 for costs levied “against inmates of her house” (about $1,200 today's money). Maryette died on July 14, 1902.3) Emma Birge was born in Iowa in 1858, Emma, a white woman, came first to the community of Valmont and then to Boulder with her parents and siblings. Both of Emma’s parents died in 1898. Emma married twice and had one child, a daughter, who died young. The 1920 census revealed that she could neither read nor write and that she did “housework by the day.”Just a few words about the demise of this residential area.....there was once a train track that was installed right through this area to bring students to the CU Campus. It required the demolition of several homes. When the design of Central Park was approved in 1924, the city purchased the remaining properties and demolished them.Proceed to the next stop on the tour around to the front of the Municipal building.
Penfield Tate II - Municipal Building (1951)
You have arrived at the Sister Cities Plaza In front of the Municipal Building. The City of Boulder has 10 Sister Cities. For many years Boulder's Sister Cities program has developed meaningful relationships with communities internationally. This demonstrates Boulder’s innovative commitment to the importance of respect and cooperation between cultures that can sometimes seem worlds apart.Now look up at the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building which is the civic heart of Boulder. This location was envisioned as early as the 1920s as the site for the City’s first dedicated City Hall.The Municipal building opened in 1951 and, ever since, has been the primary place where policy decisions have been made that shape our community. It is designed in the very modern,International Stylewhich exemplifies the City’s commitment to being a center for progress and innovation. The initial building design was larger to house the city hall, library and a museum, but due to rising costs, the plans were reduced. The design was by the firm of James Hunter Architecture, that also created the nearby Boulder public library and the Museum of Boulder buildings. The design is inspired by the work of the famous French modernist architect Le Corbusier, demonstrating that our local architects were tapped into progressive international design ideas of the time.The building has a layer of more recent history, when it was renamed to honor Penfield Tate II, Boulder’s first and only Black mayor to date. Tate advocated for equality for all and took action to provide legal protection for the LGBTQ+ community.The tour proceeds to the east, crossing Broadway at Canyon Boulevard, and stopping in front of the Huntington Bandshell between the seating and the stage.
Huntington Bandshell (1938) and amphitheater seating
Next we’ll focus on the remarkable Huntington Bandshell. Saco DeBoer, a renowned planner from Denver, was hired by the City in 1927 to design more details for Central Park. These included the locations for this bandshell and amphitheater seating across from city hall.The bandshell was a gift from the Lions’ Club to function as the social and cultural center of the downtown area. It was designed by the architecture firm of Glen Huntington, who also created the County Courthouse on Pearl Street and Boulder High School. The bandshell opened in 1938 as a symbol of optimism for this town of 12,000 people, struggling during the Great Depression. Its rainbow-like, arching shape is a classic example of the innovative, Art Deco, design movement. Over the years the stage has hosted everything from political rallies to Santa Claus, from the celebration of Independence day to Beatnik poetry readings, and a myriad of cultural arts performances. These ranged from classical ballets, opera and orchestral music to pop culture music of the Big Band era, Rock and Roll, international tunes, and DJ Dance concerts.For the next stop on the tour walk to the east, crossing 13th street at Canyon Boulevard. Walk south along the Midland Saving / Atrium building and view the unique architecture, stopping at the plaza on the south side.
Midland Savings & Loan (1969) - Boulder 'Atrium' government office building
From the plaza between the Midland Savings / Atrium building and the Dushanbe teahouse you get a good view of this unique building. It has had two different uses over its 54-year life. The first, as a savings & loan, provided low-cost home mortgages for the working class in the 1970’s. Affordable housing spurred the rapid population growth of Boulder in the 1960’s, 70’s and 80's.The second use has been as a government office and policy center. The city government had to expand to meet the needs of the growing city. The former bank building was repurposed for government use and continues to this day.Also of importance is the unique architectural design. This unusual pyramidal-shaped building was a progressive and dramatic expression of the innovative nature that Boulder had been developing since the 1950’s. It was designed by the firm of Hobart Wagener, the most successful of the modern era architecture companies in Boulder. Some of their other designs include the Ball Aerospace headquarters, several churches, dormitories at CU, and schools, including Centennial, Southern Hills and Fairview.The final stop on the tour is the Dushanbe Teahouse. Walk to the plaza in front of the building.
Dushanbe Teahouse (1998)
This unique building was the result of a foreign relations peace initiative led by the ‘Sister Cities’ program. The nation of Tajikistan, a country in the former Soviet Union, built this teahouse and Boulder sent a 'cyber cafe' in exchange. The Teahouse is a physical manifestation of the innovative peace movement popular in Boulder in the last third of the 20th century. This ornately decorated building is one of the few examples of a Tajik Teahouse outside of Europe and its interior is a masterwork of hand-made, geometric decoration.You have now completed the tour of the proposed Civic Area Historic District. Historic Boulder Inc. appreciates you taking the time to view this remarkable neighborhood in the heart of Boulder. Please voice your opinions about this proposed district to the City of Boulder – there is a place on the City Planning Department project website to send comments until mid-January 2024. The Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, Planning Board and Landmarks Board will make recommendations to the City Council, who will decide in April 2024 whether to designate this area as Boulder’s 11th historic district. The project schedule and how to sign up to speak at a public hearing is also on the project webpage, https://bouldercolorado.gov/projects/proposed-civic-area-historic-district”
