HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 5A - 891 12th St. LB Memo 12.4.2019
MEMORANDUM TO THE LANDMARKS BOARD
December 4, 2019
Staff
Jim Robertson, Comprehensive Planning Manager
Lucas Markley, Assistant City Attorney
James Hewat, Senior Historic Preservation Planner
Marcy Cameron, Historic Preservation Planner II
Clare Brandt, Administrative Specialist II
Michelle Mikoni, Historic Preservation Intern
Landmark Designation
Public hearing under the procedures prescribed by chapter 1-3, "Quasi-Judicial
Hearings," B.R.C. 1981, and consideration of the proposed designation of the property at
891 12th St. as an individual landmark per Section 9-11-5 of the Boulder Revised Code
1981.
Address: 891 12th St.
Owner: 891 12th St. LLC
Owner’s Representative: Michael Davidson, Johnson & Repucci LLP
Applicant: Historic Boulder, Inc.
Case Number: HIS2019-00227
Case Type: Landmark Designation
Code Section: 9-11-5, B.R.C., 1981
Site Information
Date of Construction: 1923
Zoning: RL-1 (Residential Low - 1)
Lot Size: 18,680 sq. ft. (Boulder County Assessor)
Building Size: 11,946 sq. ft. (Boulder County Assessor)
Staff Recommendation
That the Landmarks Board recommends designation of the property as an individual
landmark to be known as the SAE-ZBT-Marpa House to the City Council.
Recommended Motion
The Landmarks Board recommends to the City Council that it approve the application to
designate property at 891 12th St. as a local landmark, to be known as the SAE-ZBT-
Marpa House, finding that it meets the standards for individual landmark designation in
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Sections 9-11-1 and 9-11-2, B.R.C. 1981, and adopt the staff memorandum dated Dec.
4, 2019, as the findings of the board.
Findings
The Landmarks Board finds, based upon the application and evidence presented, that
the proposed designation application is consistent with the purposes and standards of
the Historic Preservation Ordinance, in that:
1. The designation of the property will protect, enhance, and perpetuate a property
and building reminiscent of a past era and important in local and state history and
will provide a significant example of architecture from the past.
2. The designation will maintain an appropriate setting and environment and will
enhance property values, stabilize the neighborhood, promote tourist trade and
interest, and foster knowledge of the city’s living heritage.
3. The designation draws a reasonable balance between private property rights and
the public interest in preserving the city’s cultural, historic, and architectural
heritage by ensuring that demolition of buildings important to that heritage will be
carefully weighed with other alternatives.
4. The property proposed for designation has historical, architectural or aesthetic
interest or value.
Alternative Motion Language
If the board votes to recommend disapproval of landmark designation to the City Council,
staff recommends the following motion language:
The Landmarks Board recommends that the City Council denies the application and
does not designate the property at 891 12th St. as a local historic landmark, finding that it
does not meet the standards for individual landmark designation in Sections 9-11-1 and
9-11-2, B.R.C. 1981 and adopt the following findings:
1. [Placeholder]
Summary
Pursuant to Section 9-11-5(C) of the Boulder Revised Code, the Landmarks Board is
required to determine whether the designation of the property at 891 12th St.
conforms with the purposes and standards of Sections 9-11-1, Purpose and
Legislative Intent, and 9-11-2, City Council May Designate Landmarks and Historic
Districts, B.R.C. 1981.
On July 19, 2019, Historic Boulder, Inc. submitted a landmark designation application
for the property.
Section 9-11-3 of the Boulder Revised Code provides that the Landmark Designation
process can be initiated by three entities: City Council or Landmarks Board, the
property owner, or a historic preservation organization. Historic Boulder, Inc. is a local
non-profit historic preservation organization founded in 1972.
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The owner, 891 12th St., LLC, is opposed to landmark designation.
At the July 18, 2019, Landmarks Board meeting, approximately forty people attended,
and nineteen people spoke in support of preservation of the Marpa House at 891 12th
St.
On Aug. 15, 2019, the Landmarks Board passed a resolution to initiate landmark
designation of the property at 891 12th St. pursuant to Section 9-11-3, Initiation of
Designation for Individual Landmarks and Historic Districts, B.R.C. 1981, finding that
it met the criteria for individual landmark designation.
This hearing provides the Landmarks Board the opportunity to make a
recommendation to the City Council on landmark designation of the property.
Staff recommends the Landmarks Board recommend landmark designation of the
property based upon its architectural, historic and environmental significance and the
feasibility of incorporating the building into redevelopment plans.
Property Description
The approximately 18,680 sq. ft. lot is located on the southwest corner of 12th Street and
Aurora Avenue, and within the boundaries of the identified potential University Hill
Historic District. The designated University Place Historic District is located two blocks to
the west.
Figure 1. Location Map, 891 12th St.
891 12th St.
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Area History
The 1992 Boulder of Historic Places Survey Report for the University Hill area includes
the following description:
Among the most significant influences on the built environment of University Hill
were the fraternity and sorority organizations. The Greek letter societies were
among the first to select sites in the neighborhood as a convenient location for
their chapter houses. Early chapter houses were built in areas immediately
adjacent to the university campus, such as the major thoroughfare of Broadway.
As the organizations expanded, chapter houses became larger and more
elaborate, and sizable lots within the neighborhood were selected. During the
period following World War I, a boom in the construction of these houses kept
pace with the expansion of family housing. Each organization hoped to build
substantial and architecturally significant chapter house which would represent
the group's image to the outside world. Glen Huntington designed a number of the
large houses built during this period, including: the Alpha Phi house at 888 13th
Street; the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority House at 909 14th Street; the Alpha Delta
Pi Fraternity House at 1019 14th street; and the Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority House
at 1015 15th Street. 1
Figure 2. 891 12th St., 2019.
1 Survey of Historic Places 1992: University Hill, Geneva Park, Grandview Terrace, Floral Park, 4th Street.
City of Boulder, 1992. https://bouldercolorado.gov/links/fetch/29782. Accessed 2 August 2019.
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Character Defining Features
• The three-story Mediterranean-Revival building is similar the Tuscan-Vernacular
architecture adopted by the University of Colorado in 1919 after a Campus
Development Plan developed by Philadelphia architect Charles Klauder who
coined the term “University of Colorado Style.”
• Character-defining architectural elements include the use of multi-hued locally
quarried sandstone, tile roofing, arched accents and a courtyard plan. The second
and third stories are clad in stucco.
Figure 3. 891 12th St., c.1920s.
Alterations
In 1956, an addition was constructed on the east (front) side of the building. It was
designed by Victor Langhart who worked in the office of local architect James Hunter in
the early 1950s. In 1956, Langhart established his own firm and the SAE addition was
one of his first solo commissions. In 1966, he partnered with John Rogers and Jerome
Nagel to form Roger Nagel Langhart Architects and Engineers (RNL). RNL remains a
prominent firm in Denver today.
The design of the 1956 addition replicates the hipped roof form, use of sandstone and
stucco, and divided light metal casement windows and recessed arch surrounds of the
1923 building. The courtyard, originally covered by an awning, was enclosed with arched
openings during the remodel, similar to a portico located on the south elevation visible in
a c.1930s view. A 2019 aerial view of the building shows the 1923 portion of the building
to be largely intact to its original construction (see Figure 4); the 1956 addition is lightly
attached along an approximately 20-foot section on the east elevation and the south
portico has been enclosed with windows in the original openings. The majority of the
original casement windows appear to be intact; two appear to have been replaced on the
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north elevation of the 1956 addition. Since 1977, the entry walk, originally a sweeping
curve from 12th Street to the entrance, has been reoriented to cut diagonally northeast
from the building’s entrance, turning to run parallel with Aurora Avenue and connect to
12th Street. Established gardens and landscaping are located around the building.
Figure 4. Bird’s Eye View of 891 12th St., East Elevation, 2019. Google.
Figure 5. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps showing 891 12th St., 1931 (left) and 1931-1960
(right). City of Boulder Planning Department. Not to Scale.
The 1991 Historic Building Inventory Form for the property notes that, “In 1956, this
building underwent a $100,000 remodeling. The building was altered by the removal of
an original gabled bay and the addition of a new entrance bay and a large, rectangular
wing” concluding that the “building is associated with the growth and development of
fraternities at the University of Colorado and the influence of fraternities in the
development of University Hill neighborhood. Alterations to the building have diminished
its historic integrity.”
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Based on aerial maps and an August 6th site visit, staff determined that the extent of
alterations was incorrectly recorded in the 1995 survey, and that the original gabled bays
remain behind the addition. The original entrance, with a sandstone surround, appears to
have been removed when the 1956 addition was constructed. Staff considers the
addition to have gained historic significance in its own right, based upon its 1956 date of
construction as an early example of the work of noted architect Victor Langhart during
the property’s ownership by the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
History
The property is associated with three significant groups: The Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Fraternity that commissioned the building in 1923 and used the building until 1968; the
Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity, a Jewish Fraternity that utilized the building from 1968 until
1977; and Vajradhatu (later named Shambhala International), an important part of the
Tibetan Buddhist community in Boulder that established the Marpa House co-housing
community in 1977.
The Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity was established in 1856 at the University of
Alabama. In 1891, a chapter was founded at the University of Colorado, becoming the
second fraternity at CU. The SAE enthusiastically described the building in a 1923
newsletter as, “Silhouetted against the Boulder foothills, our new home stands, like a villa
in the mountains of Italy…. To appreciate it, it must be seen in every detail and from
every vista; its striking exterior and charming home-like interior.”
The 1992 Boulder of Historic Places Survey Report includes the following:
Among the most significant influences on the built environment of University Hill
were the fraternity and sorority organizations. The Greek letter societies were
among the first to select sites in the neighborhood as a convenient location for
their chapter houses. Early chapter houses were built in areas immediately
adjacent to the university campus, such as the major thoroughfare of Broadway.
As the organizations expanded, chapter houses became larger and more
elaborate, and sizable lots within the neighborhood were selected. During the
period following World War I, a boom in the construction of these houses kept
pace with the expansion of family housing. Each organization hoped to build
substantial and architecturally significant chapter house which would represent
the group's image to the outside world. Glen Huntington designed a number of the
large houses built during this period, including: the Alpha Phi house at 888 13th
Street; the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority House at 909 14th Street; the Alpha Delta
Pi Fraternity House at 1019 14th street; and the Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority House
at 1015 15th Street. 2
The SAE occupied the building until 1968, when it traded houses with the Zeta Beta Tau
fraternity (ZBT). ZBT was established in 1898 and is the “world’s first and largest Jewish
Fraternity.”3 The establishment of the ZBT reflects the growth of Boulder’s Jewish
2 Survey of Historic Places 1992: University Hill, Geneva Park, Grandview Terrace, Floral Park, 4th Street.
City of Boulder, 1992. https://bouldercolorado.gov/links/fetch/29782. Accessed 2 August 2019.
3 About ZBT. https://zbt.org/about-zbt/. Accessed 2 August 2019.
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community. According to materials submitted by the applicant, until the Federal Labs
came to Boulder (in the 1950s), there were few Jewish families in town, and they would
take turns worshipping in private homes. After the labs came to Boulder and many
families relocated to Boulder, the Jewish population increased enough to build the Har
Hashem synagogue in 1967. The ZBT resided at 891 12th St. from 1968 until 1977.
The ZBT website offers a perspective on the decline of fraternity chambers in the turmoil
of the 1960s and 1970s:
Traumatic experiences were generated by the polarization over the Vietnam
conflict. The American fraternity system — including Zeta Beta Tau, was
subsequently affected by the great wave of anti-establishment feeling that was
pervasive throughout the country. Many of the Chapters which survived this
period of turmoil did so in a weakened condition. During the late 1970s and the
early 1980s, there was a renewed interest in fraternity life, resulting in increased
initiation statistics, revival of many dormant Chapters and expansion to new
campuses.4
In Boulder, the decline of the fraternity resulted in the sale of 891 12th St. to Vajradhatu,
an umbrella organization of Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
An excerpt from Historic Boulder’s application materials describes this period:
In 1977 Zeta Beta Tau sold their building to Vajradhatu, the umbrella organization
to Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. The Vajradhatu name later was changed to
Shambhala International. They created Marpa House, named for the spiritual
teacher Marpa Lotsawa. Marpa House became boarding house style living for
people interested in Buddhism, meditation, and eastern spirituality.
Boulder County had a small Japanese Buddhist community, immigrants via the
railroad lines through Wyoming and Colorado, beginning in the early 1900s. A
number of Japanese-Americans worked in coal mines and as day laborers and
some settled as farmers in east Boulder County. Showa Hall, a Buddhist temple
was built in 1929 about a mile east of 95th at about 10250 Isabelle Road. During
World War II, Japanese Americans were interned at the Granada Relocation
Center in southeastern Colorado. Some families remained in Colorado and joined
the established Japanese communities in Denver and Boulder. These Japanese
Buddhists were generally born into the religious practice.
Boulder’s Tibetan Buddhist community began in the early 1970s when the
University of Colorado was starting a new major in religious studies. At the same
time, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, a Buddhist spiritual leader exiled from his
native Tibet, was traveling around the United States speaking about Tibet and the
Tibetan Buddhist Spiritual practice. CU invited him to teach for their new program.
Trungpa began teaching at CU in 1970 and took to the Rocky Mountains, as they
reminded him of the Himalayas. Trungpa founded the Karma Dzong center in
4 Our History. https://zbt.org/about-zbt/our-history/. Accessed 2 August 2019.
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1970 and Nalanda Foundation, the organization that directs Naropa, was formed
in 1974.
In a very short time, there were 1,000 Buddhists in Boulder, mostly new converts
to the spiritual practice. Over time Buddhism and other alternative spiritual
practices became an increasing part of Boulder’s culture. Practicing Buddhists
have become immersed in the Boulder community at large and members have
founded successful businesses such as Boulder Bookstore and they’ve formed
organizations like the Alaya preschool.
Many Buddhist dignitaries and spiritual leaders have lived or stayed at Marpa
House. Marpa House had an interior makeover featured in the Daily Camera as
they prepared for the visit of the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa in June of 1980. When the
Dalai Lama came to Boulder in August of 1981, he gave a press conference at
Marpa House. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche lived around the corner from Marpa
House at 809 11th Street for many years.
The following list of Buddhist dignitaries who have visited Marpa House was
provided by Stephan van der Mersch in an email dated July 27, 2019.
The Dalai Lama; Dingo Khyentse Rinpoche; The 16th Karmapa; Pema
Choedroen; Kalu Rinpoche; Jetsuen Kushula; Khenpo Tsulrim Gyamtso
Rinpoche; Tenga Rinpoche; Tulku Ugyen Rinpoche; Namkkha Drimed Rinpoche;
Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche; Jamgeon Kongtrul Rinpoche; Mingyur Rinpoche;
Choegyam Trungpa Rinpoche. See Attachment D: Aug.15 Landmarks Board
Memo.
Criteria for the Board’s Decision
Section 9-11-5(c), Public Hearing Before the Landmarks Board, B.R.C. 1981, specifies
that in their review of an application for local landmark designation, “the landmarks board
shall determine whether the proposed designation conforms with the purposes and
standards in Sections 9-11-1, Legislative Intent, and 9-11-2, City Council May Designate
Landmarks and Historic Districts.”
Section 9-11-1, Legislative Intent, states:
a) The purpose of this chapter is to promote the public health, safety, and welfare by
protecting, enhancing, and perpetuating buildings, sites, and areas of the city
reminiscent of past eras, events, and persons important in local, state, or national
history or providing significant examples of architectural styles of the past. It is
also the purpose of this chapter to develop and maintain appropriate settings and
environments for such buildings, sites, and areas to enhance property values,
stabilize neighborhoods, promote tourist trade and interest, and foster knowledge
of the city’s living heritage.
b) The City Council does not intend by this chapter to preserve every old building in
the city but instead to draw a reasonable balance between private property rights
and the public interest in preserving the city’s cultural, historic, and architectural
Item 5A - 891 12th Street -Page 9 of 15 Page 9 of 33
heritage by ensuring that demolition of buildings and structures important to that
heritage will be carefully weighed with other alternatives and that alterations to
such buildings and structures and new construction will respect the character of
each such setting, not by imitating surrounding structures, but by being
compatible with them.
c) The City Council intends that in reviewing applications for alterations to and new
construction on landmarks or structures in a historic district, the Landmarks
Preservation Advisory Board shall follow relevant city policies, including, without
limitation, energy-efficient design, access for the disabled, and creative
approaches to renovation.
Section 9-11-2, City Council may Designate Landmarks and Historic Districts,
states:
(a) Pursuant to the procedures in this chapter the City Council may by ordinance:
(1) Designate as a landmark an individual building or other feature or an
integrated group of structures or features on a single lot or site having a
special character and historical, architectural, or aesthetic interest or value
and designate a landmark site for each landmark;
Upon designation, the property included in any such designation is subject to all the
requirements of this code and other ordinances of the city.
To assist in the interpretation of the historic preservation ordinance, the Landmarks
Board has adopted significance criteria to use when evaluating applications for individual
landmarks. The criteria are included in Attachment E: Significance Criteria.
Analysis
Staff’s analysis is based on the criteria for review provided above.
A. Does the proposed application protect, enhance, and perpetuate buildings,
sites, and areas of the city reminiscent of past eras, events, and persons
important in local, state, or national history or providing significant examples
of architectural styles of the past?
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE:
Summary: The building located at 891 12th St. meets historic significance under criteria
1, 2 and 3.
1. Date of Construction: 1923
Elaboration: The Historic Building Inventory Form lists the date of construction as
1923.
2. Association with Persons or Events: The Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Zeta Beta Tau
fraternities and Vajradhatu (later named Shambhala International)
Elaboration: The property is associated with three significant groups: The Sigma
Alpha Epsilon Fraternity that commissioned the building in 1923 and used the
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building until 1968; the Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity, a Jewish Fraternity that resided in
the building from 1968 until 1977; and Vajradhatu (later named Shambhala
International), an important part of the Tibetan Buddhist community in Boulder that
established the Marpa House co-housing community in 1977.
3. Distinction in the Development of the Community: Fraternity and sorority
organizations
Elaboration: The 1992 Boulder Survey of Historic Places Report notes “Among the
most significant influences on the built environment of University Hill were the
fraternity and sorority organizations.” The building at 891 12th St. was constructed in
close proximity to the University of Colorado in a classical style that represented the
Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity’s image.
4. Recognition by Authorities: Front Range Research Associates, Inc.
Elaboration: The property was surveyed in 1991 and found to be in good condition
with major alterations (“very remodeled building with original remaining portion being
hipped roof central bay and intersecting gabled bay on north. Additions include new
entrance bay with arches and large, rectangular, three-story wing.” The historical
background states:
This building is associated with the growth and development of fraternities at
the University of Colorado and the influence of fraternities in the development
of University Hill neighborhood. Alterations to the building have diminished its
historic integrity.”
Based on aerial maps and an August 6th site visit, staff determined that the extent
of alterations was incorrectly recorded in the 1995 survey, and that the original
gabled bays remain behind the addition. The original entrance, with a sandstone
surround, appears to have been removed when the 1956 addition was
constructed. Staff considers the addition to have gained historic significance in its
own right, based on its 1956 date of construction as an early example of the work
of noted architect Victor Langhart during the property’s ownership by the Sigma
Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
Summary: The building located at 891 12th St. meets architectural significance under
criteria 1, 2 and 5.
1. Recognized Period or Style: Mediterranean Style
Elaboration: The Mediterranean building was designed in the and relates to the
Tuscan-Vernacular architectural manner adopted by University of Colorado in 1918
after a Campus Development Plan developed by Philadelphia architect Charles
Klauder who later coined it the “University of Colorado Style”. Common elements
include the use of multi-hued sandstone, the tile roofing, arched accents and a
courtyard plan. The second and third stories are clad in stucco.
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2. Architect or Builder of Prominence: Fisher and Fisher; Victor Langhart
Elaboration: According to a 1923 Daily Camera article, the building was constructed
after designs by prominent Denver Firm Fisher & Fisher.5 In 1956, an addition was
constructed on the east (front) side of the building after designs by Victor Langhart
who worked in the office of local architect James Hunter in the early 1950s. In 1956,
Langhart established his own firm and the SAE addition was one of his first solo
commissions. In 1966, he partnered with John Rogers and Jerome Nagel to form
Roger Nagel Langhart Architects and Engineers (RNL). RNL remains a prominent
firm in Denver today. See Attachment C: Documentation of Architects.
3. Artistic Merit: None observed
4. Example of the Uncommon: None observed
5. Indigenous Qualities: Sandstone
Elaboration: The building utilizes local materials in its sandstone base.
B. Does the proposed application develop and maintain appropriate settings and
environments for such buildings, sites, and areas to enhance property values,
stabilize neighborhoods, promote tourist trade and interest, and foster
knowledge of the City’s living heritage?
Staff finds that landmark designation of the property at 891 12th St. would maintain an
appropriate setting for the architectural and historic building and would stabilize the
neighborhood and foster knowledge of the City’s living heritage.
ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE:
Summary: The building located at 891 12th St. meets the environmental significance
criteria under 1, 2, 3, and 5.
1. Site Characteristics: The landscaping, including the use of locally quarried
sandstone retaining walls, exhibits a high quality of planned and natural
vegetation.
2. Compatibility with Site: The building was consciously designed in the context of
its setting, seeking to evoke the feeling of a “villa in the mountains of Italy”, and
stylistically relates to the emerging “University of Colorado Style” of campus
architecture..
3. Geographic Importance: Visual Landmark
Elaboration: Located on the southwest corner of 12th Street and Aurora Avenue,
the building is a prominent visual landmark in the University Hill neighborhood.
4. Environmental Appropriateness: None observed.
5 “On the SAE House to Cost About $40,000” Daily Camera. c. 1923.
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5. Area Integrity: Potential University Hill Historic District
Elaboration: The property is located within the boundaries of the potential
University Hill Historic District, identified in 1995 and included in the 2015 Boulder
Valley Comprehensive Plan.
C. Does the proposed application draw a reasonable balance between private
property rights and the public interest in preserving the City’s cultural, historic,
and architectural heritage by ensuring that demolition of buildings and
structures important to that heritage will be carefully weighed with other
alternatives?
The building is not proposed for demolition. The landmark designation application was
submitted by Historic Boulder, Inc. as the building was transferred from Front Range
Shambhala, long-term owners, to the current owner.
In the history of the historic preservation program, individual landmark designations over
the owner’s objection have occurred rarely and for properties of high significance and
historic architectural integrity.
Of the 197 designated individual landmarks since 1980 (1974 to 1979 records do not
clearly identify the initiator), 184 were initiated by the property owner. Four were initiated
by Historic Boulder, one by the Modern Architecture Preservation League (Bandshell),
and six by the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board. Of these designations, five are
known to have been initially over the owner’s objection:
1980: 2032 14th Street – Boulder Theater
1990: 646 Pearl St – Arnett-Fullen House
1998: 1949 Pearl Street – Campbell Grocery
2007: 1936 Mapleton Avenue – Frakes House
2007: 3231 11th Street – Chambers Cottage
2014: 747 12th St. – Cowgill Residence
Staff considers the building to be architectural, environmentally and historically
significant and to retain its architectural integrity. While landmark designation provides
protection of a building’s exterior and grounds through design review, ensuring that
changes do not detract from the historic character of the building, it does allow for
adaptive use.
Next Steps
Within 45 days of the hearing date, the Landmarks Board must adopt specific written
findings and conclusions approving, approving with modifications, or disapproving the
application. Should the board disapprove the application, the board must notify the City
Council of that action within 30 days of the hearing date. City Council may call up a
decision disapproving a designation. Should an application be disapproved, the same
application may not be submitted for a period of one year.
If the board finds that the proposed designation conforms to Sections 9-11-1 and 9-11-2,
B.R.C. 1981, it shall adopt specific findings and conclusions approving or modifying and
Item 5A - 891 12th Street -Page 13 of 15 Page 13 of 33
approving the application. If the board approves the proposed designation, the
application will be forwarded to City Council (within 45 days) for a public hearing. The
public hearing before City Council must be held within 100 days of the Landmark Board’s
decision recommending designation.
Landmark Name
The property is associated with three significant groups: The Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Fraternity that commissioned the building in 1923 and used the building until 1968; the
Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity, a Jewish Fraternity that resided in the building from 1968 until
1977; and Vajradhatu (later named Shambhala International), an important part of the
Tibetan Buddhist community in Boulder that established the Marpa House co-housing
community in 1977.
Staff recommends the property be known as the SAE-ZBT-Marpa House, recognizing
the three organizations associated with the property. This is consistent with the
Landmark Board’s Guidelines for Names of Landmarked Structures and Sites (1988) and
the National Register of Historic Places Guidelines for Designation.
Landmark Boundary
Staff recommends that the boundary be established to follow the property lines of the
18,680 sq. ft. lot, consistent with current and past practices and the National Register
Guidelines for establishing landmark boundaries.
Figure 6. Proposed landmark boundary, 891 12th St.
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Attachments
A: Current Photographs
B: Historic Photographs
C: Documentation of Architects
D: Historic Building Inventory Record
E: Significance Criteria for Individual Landmarks
F: Aug. 15, 2019 Landmarks Board Memo – Demolition (link)
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Attachment A: Current Photographs
891 12th Street – August 7, 2019
891 12th Street – August 7, 2019
Attachment A - 891 12th Street current images - Page 1 of 5 Page 16 of 33
891 12th Street – August 7, 2019
891 12th Street – August 7, 2019
Attachment A - 891 12th Street current images - Page 2 of 5 Page 17 of 33
891 12th Street – August 7, 2019
891 12th Street – August 7, 2019
Attachment A - 891 12th Street current images - Page 3 of 5 Page 18 of 33
891 12th Street – August 7, 2019
891 12th Street – August 7, 2019
Attachment A - 891 12th Street current images - Page 4 of 5 Page 19 of 33
891 12th Street – August 7, 2019
891 12th Street – August 7, 2019
Attachment A - 891 12th Street current images - Page 5 of 5 Page 20 of 33
Attachment B: Historic Photographs and 1956 Rendering
Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house, with Flatirons in the background. Circa 1920s
Attachment B - 891 12th Street historic photographs and 1956 rendering - Page 1 of 4 Page 21 of 33
Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house. Photograph by Ira B. Current ca. 1930s.
891 12th St., pre-1956.
Attachment B - 891 12th Street historic photographs and 1956 rendering - Page 2 of 4 Page 22 of 33
891 12th St., pre-1956.
Proposed Addition, c.1956
Attachment B - 891 12th Street historic photographs and 1956 rendering - Page 3 of 4 Page 23 of 33
Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, about 1970.
Attachment B - 891 12th Street historic photographs and 1956 rendering - Page 4 of 4 Page 24 of 33
Attachment C: Documentation of Architects
“On the S.A.E. House To Cost About $40,000” Daily Camera, c.1923. Carnegie Library
for Local History.
Attachment C - 891 12th Street - documentation of architects - Page 1 of 2 Page 25 of 33
“Official drawing of the new addition and present structure by the architect, Vic Langhart”
Carnegie Library for Local History
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Attachment D - 891 12th Street historic survey - Page 1 of 5 Page 27 of 33
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SIGNIFICANCE CRITERIA
Individual Landmark
September 1975
On September 6, 1975, the City Council adopted Ordinance #4000 providing procedures
for the designation of Landmarks and Historic Districts in the City of Boulder. The purpose of
the ordinance is the preservation of the City’s permitted cultural, historic, and architectural
heritage. The Landmarks Board is permitted by the ordinance to adopt rules and regulations as it
deems necessary for its own organization and procedures. The following Significance Criteria
have been adopted by the board to help evaluate each potential designation in a consistent and
equitable manner.
Historic Significance
The place (building, site, area) should show character, interest or value as part of the
development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the community, state or nation; be the
site of a historic, or prehistoric event that had an effect upon society; or exemplify the
cultural, political, economic, or social heritage of the community.
Date of Construction: This area of consideration places particular importance on the age
of the structure.
Association with Historical Persons or Events: This association could be national, state,
or local.
Distinction in the Development of the Community of Boulder: This is most applicable to
an institution (religious, educational, civic, etc) or business structure, though in some
cases residences might qualify. It stresses the importance of preserving those places
which demonstrate the growth during different time spans in the history of Boulder, in
order to maintain an awareness of our cultural, economic, social or political heritage.
Recognition by Authorities: If it is recognized by Historic Boulder, Inc. the Boulder
Historical Society, local historians (Barker, Crossen, Frink, Gladden, Paddock,
Schooland, etc), State Historical Society, The Improvement of Boulder, Colorado by F.L.
Olmsted, or others in published form as having historic interest and value.
Other, if applicable.
Architectural Significance
The place should embody those distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type
specimen, a good example of the common; be the work of an architect or master builder,
known nationally, state-wide, or locally, and perhaps whose work has influenced later
development; contain elements of architectural design, detail, materials or craftsmanship
which represent a significant innovation; or be a fine example of the uncommon.
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Recognized Period/Style: It should exemplify specific elements of an architectural
period/style, i.e.: Victorian, Revival styles, such as described by Historic American
Building Survey Criteria, Gingerbread Age (Maass), 76 Boulder Homes (Barkar), The
History of Architectural Style (Marcus/Wiffin), Architecture in San Francisco (Gebhard
et al), History of Architecture (Fletcher), Architecture/Colorado, and any other published
source of universal or local analysis of a style.
Architect or Builder of Prominence: A good example of the work of an architect or
builder who is recognized for expertise in his field nationally, state-wide, or locally.
Artistic Merit: A skillful integration of design, material, and color which is of excellent
visual quality and/or demonstrates superior craftsmanship.
Example of the Uncommon: Elements of architectural design, details, or craftsmanship
that are representative of a significant innovation.
Indigenous Qualities: A style or material that is particularly associated with the Boulder
area.
Other, if applicable.
Environmental Significance
The place should enhance the variety, interest, and sense of identity of the community by
the protection of the unique natural and man-made environment.
Site Characteristics: It should be of high quality in terms of planned or natural vegetation.
Compatibility with Site: Consideration will be given to scale, massing placement, or
other qualities of design with respect to its site.
Geographic Importance: Due to its unique location or singular physical characteristics, it
represents an established and familiar visual feature of the community.
Environmental Appropriateness: The surroundings are complementary and/or it is
situated in a manner particularly suited to its function.
Area Integrity: Places which provide historical, architectural, or environmental
importance and continuity of an existing condition, although taken singularly or out of
context might not qualify under other criteria.
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