Downtown Boulder Historic District

The Downtown Boulder Historic District, in Boulder, Colorado, is a 48 acres (19 ha) historic district which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[1]

Downtown Boulder Historic District
IOOF building in 2009
LocationCO 19, Boulder, Colorado
Coordinates40.01911°N 105.27478°W / 40.01911; -105.27478
Area48 acres (19 ha)
Built byMultiple
ArchitectMultiple
Architectural styleClassical Revival, Late Victorian
NRHP reference No.80000878[1]
Added to NRHPDecember 3, 1980

It includes a surviving historic commercial area of Boulder, including Pearl Street between 9th and 16th Streets (part or all of what is now the Pearl Street Mall) and parts of Walnut, Spruce, and Pine Streets. It also includes the historic Boulderado Hotel.[2][3]

The township of Boulder was created as a supply center for miners in the Pike's Peak Gold Rush in 1858–59. About 70 cabins were built along Pearl Street in 1859, all of which were eventually replaced by more substantial commercial and other structures.

In 1980 the district was deemed "significant because of its association with the evolution and development of business and commerce in the city which has long served as the economic center of the Boulder Valley and surrounding communities. The district is also significant for its architectural features which manifest the salient characteristics of late nineteenth/early twentieth century commercial design."

Then, the 168 properties in the district included "125 buildings that contribute to the historic and architectural integrity of the district, 21 more modern structures compatible with the older fabric," and several intrusions, parking structures, and empty lots.[2] The National Register designation provided limited protection, however, and about 15 percent of the historic buildings were lost. In 1999 the district was designated a Boulder Historic District, providing further protection.[4]

Selected contributing buildings include:

Guided walking tours of historic downtown Boulder are available in summer months.[5]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. Susan Baldwin (December 1978). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Downtown Boulder Historic District / Downtown Boulder". National Park Service. Retrieved June 1, 2021. With accompanying 30 photos from 1979
  3. "Boulder Downtown Historic District". History Colorado. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  4. "Downtown Historic District" (PDF). Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  5. "Historic Boulder Itinerary". Boulder Convention & Visitors Bureau. Retrieved September 5, 2021.


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