Attachment A History and ResearchAttachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
ARCHITECTURE AND SITE DESCRIPTIONS – PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS
Staff conducted preliminary analysis of the potential historic district by collecting background
documentation on each of the tangible resources within the proposed area. These resources
include the five designated individual landmarks, Central Park; 13th Street Community Plaza,
Civic Park Plaza and Sister Cities Plaza; Boulder and White Rock Ditch, North Boulder Farmers
and the Boulder Left Hand Ditch; and public rights of way, including the Broadway Bridge and
public parking.
The documentation focused on the significance of the proposed area as a single entity, and the
relationship of the resources to each other. The purpose of collecting this preliminary research
is to analyze whether the proposed district portrays an environment in an era of history; has
architectural identity, with common characteristics or continuity; and enhances the variety,
interest, and sense of identity of the community through unique natural and man-made
environments, per the Significance Criteria for Historic Districts (link).
The integrity of the resources was not studied at this time. The five designated individual
landmarks each have a high level of integrity, and that the other resources would be studied if
the designation process is initiated.
PENFIELD TATE II MUNICIPAL BUILDING:
The Penfield Tate II Municipal Building was designated in 2009 through Ordinance 7640. Its
designation was initiated by the City Council.
From the designation memo:1
The Municipal Building was constructed in 1952, upon designs by Boulder architect
James Hunter. An addition at the rear of the building was constructed in 1962, designed
by Boulder architect Hobart D. Wagener. The building is recognized for its International
Style of architecture, with the addition being a local variant of the Formalism Style. …
The Municipal Building is the prominent visual feature anchoring one end of the Civic
Center mall. Set back from Broadway, the building is sited appropriately for a grand civic
structure. …
The Municipal Building is situated at the intersection of two important city streets in
Boulder, and has been an established visual feature of the community since its
construction in 1952.
1 Planning and Development Services “Memo to the Landmarks Board – Designation of 1777 Broadway Street as a local historic
landmark.” December 3, 2008.
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Figure 1. Municipal Building during the winter, 1957. Carnegie Library for Local History.2 Similar
view of Penfield Tate II Municipal Building, 2023. Provided by applicant.
GLEN HUNTINGTON BANDSHELL:
The Glen Huntington Bandshell and the northern 170 feet of 1236 Canyon Blvd. (including the
Bandshell and seating area) was designated in 1995 through Ordinance 5751. Its designation
was initiated by the Modern Architecture Preservation League (MAPL).
From the Boulder Bandshell Historical Study:3
The Boulder Band Shell was erected in Central Park by the Boulder Lions Club in 1938 as
an outdoor amphitheater for musical concerts and other forms of community
entertainment. Architect Glen Huntington designed the structure and landscape
architect and city planner Saco R. DeBoer selected the site and prepared the landscape
plan. For over fifty years, the Band Shell was used primarily during the summer months to
present outdoor concerts and other cultural programs for the local community. For many
years, it was also the site of Christmas celebrations in December. In over fifty years of use,
the Band Shell served as a focal point for Central Park and as the site of numerous social
and civic events.
From the recommendation to City Council:4
The Band Shell is architecturally significant as a rare representative of the Art Deco style
in Boulder, as reflected in its streamlined composition, compound arch, and simplified
design; as Boulder’s only example of park band shell construction and one of the few such
examples in the state; and as representative work of Saco R. DeBoer and Glen W.
2 “Photo 2 - Municipal Building during the winter. Parking meters on Broadway. Ca. 1957.” 1951-1970. Photograph 511 -4-21. Carnegie
Library for Local History, Boulder. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A27860.
3 Front Range Research Associates, Inc. “Boulder Bandshell Historical Study.” Prepared for the City of Boulder. 14 July 1995.
https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A94856?solr_nav%5Bid%5D=0ab36f7d10dc2db53d47&solr_na
v%5Bpage%5D=0&solr_nav%5Boffset%5D=0&solr_nav%5Bquery%5D=%22Boulder%20Bandshell%20Historical%20Study.%22.
4 Planning and Development Services “Landmarks Board – recommendation to City Council concerning a request for individual
landmark status of the Central Park Band Shell.” July 25, 1995.
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Huntington, noted landscape architect and architect, who are associated with the site
design and the design of the structure. …
The consultant 5 determined that the “boundary of the eligible site includes the entire
area embraced by the resource, including the Band Shell, the open area in front of the
Band Shell, the seating area, and bermed area to the south, including stone pathways and
retaining walls.”
Figure 2. Left: Bandshell c. 1940 – prior to regrading and addition of seating. Carnegie Library for
Local History.6 Right: Similar view 2023. Provided by applicant.
Figure 3. “Lions Band Shell in City Park” August 1961. Carnegie Library for Local History.7 Similar
view of Glen Huntington Bandshell, 2023. Provided by applicant.
THE ATRIUM BUILDING:
The Atrium Building and a portion of the property at 1300 Canyon Blvd. was designated in 2022
through Ordinance 8496. Its designation was initiated by Historic Boulder, Inc.
5 Front Range Research Associates, Inc. “Boulder Bandshell Historical Study.” Prepared for the City of Boulder. 14 July 1995.
https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A94856?solr_nav%5Bid%5D=0ab36f7d10dc2db53d47&solr_na
v%5Bpage%5D=0&solr_nav%5Boffset%5D=0&solr_nav%5Bquery%5D=%22Boulder%20Bandshell%20Historical%20Study.%22.
6 Yocom Service “Photo 1 - View of the band shell in Boulder’s Central Park.” Undated. Photograph 497 -1-11. Carnegie Library for
Local History, Boulder. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A78395.
7 Mosburg, Earl R. “Photo 5 - The Lions band shell in City Park taken in August 1961. The Municipal Building is visible to the west.”
Photograph 750-9-10. Carnegie Library for Local History, Boulder.
https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A67313.
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
From the designation memo:8
The Midland Savings and Loan-Atrium Building, located at 1300 Canyon Blvd., was built in
1969 after designs by noted modern architect Hobart Wagener. The building was surveyed
in 2000 as part of the Modern Architectural Structures in Boulder: 1947-1977 (link) and
determined to be potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places
and eligible for designation as a local landmark. …
As identified in the 2000 survey, the building is significant in that it embodies the
characteristics of the Rustic Modern style, including: A mix of horizontals and verticals;
Horizontal ribbon windows divided by vertical mullions and a skylight; Use of traditional
materials like stone; Traditional conception of the building’s volumes; Integration of the
indoors and outdoors; No ornamentation; Deep overhanging eaves; and its pyramidal
hipped roof which is a prominent design feature. …
The property is compatible with its surrounding context in the central business district of
downtown Boulder and adjacent to Central Park.
Figure 4. Southwest corner of Midland Savings and Loan. Circa 1970s. Carnegie Library for Local
History.9 Similar view, 2023. Provided by applicant.
THE BOULDER-DUSHANBE TEAHOUSE:
The Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse and a portion of the property at 1770 13 th St. was designated
in 2020 through Ordinance 8431. Its designation was initiated by Friends of the Teahouse.
From the designation memo:10
8 Planning and Development Services “Memo to the Landmarks Board – designation of the property at 1300 Canyon Blvd. as an
individual historic landmark.” December 1, 2021.
https://documents.bouldercolorado.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=177463&dbid=0&repo=LF8PROD2.
9 “Midland Federal Savings building at 1300 Canyon.” 1970 -1979. Photograph BHS 207-5-7. A. A. Paddock collection. Boulder Historic
al Society/Museum of Boulder, Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A67585.
10 Planning and Development Services “Memo to the Landmarks Board – designation of the property at 1770 13th St. as an individual
historic landmark” July 8, 2020.
https://documents.bouldercolorado.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=173218&dbid=0&repo=LF8PROD2.
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
The Boulder–Dushanbe Teahouse was given to the City of Boulder in 1987 as the result of a
grass-roots effort focused on establishing friendship and understanding between the
people of Boulder and the citizens of a Dushanbe, then a city located in the Soviet Union.
This initiative spurred from the Sister City International Program, created by President
Eisenhower following World War II to promote peace through the exchange of culture and
ideas.
The Teahouse was designed by Moscow trained architect, Lado Shanidze and is inspired
by traditional Tajik “Chaikhonas,” along with Persian palaces, mosques, and madrasas. It
was originally designed to be a raised open-air structure with an open roof, but alterations
to the design had to be made in order to meet American building codes. Local architect
Vern Seieroe was tasked with enclosing the Teahouse and traveled to Dushanbe to adapt
the designs with Shanidze. Together, they conceptualized how to meet necessary
requirements without compromising the integrity of the traditional design. …
The Teahouse was located as an important element of the City of Boulder’s 1993 Civic Park
Master Plan 11, a comprehensive plan of the civic use and public buildings in the downtown
campus area. Plans for the area placed the Teahouse at the center of the Civic Park Plaza
which included the Civic Plaza (north of the Teahouse site), used for Farmers Market
exhibits and performances and the 13th Street Community Plaza (the street west of the
Teahouse site), used for public events such as the Boulder Creek Festival and the Farmers
Market. South of the Teahouse is the Boulder and White Rock/Left Hand Irrigation Ditch,
the Teahouse Trail, and the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. East of the Teahouse is
a public parking lot.
Figure 5. Main entrance of the Teahouse under construction. 1998. Carnegie Library for Local
History.12 Similar view, 2023. Provided by applicant (courtesy Boulder Visitors Bureau).
11 Interplan, Inc., Hyatt, Raines & Vitek. “Boulder Civic Center Master Plan” December 15, 1992.
12 Buchman, Barbara. “Photo 4 - Teahouse under construction showing the main entrance.” 1998. Photograph BHS 703-1-89. A. A. Pa
ddock collection. Boulder Historical Society/Museum of Boulder, Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/obje
ct/islandora%3A24340.
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
CITY STORAGE AND TRANSFER BUILDING:
City Storage and Transfer Building and a portion of the property at 1750 13th St. was designated
in 1992 through Ordinance 5488. Its designation was initiated by the Landmarks Preservation
Advisory Board.
From the designation memo:13
This building is significant for its association with the City Storage and Transfer Company,
which erected this building as its warehouse and offices and utilized it from 1906 until it
moved its offices to 3625 Walnut in 1961. The City Storage and Transfer Company was
established by Martin B. Larson, whose residence was the same address as the building.
By 1931, an addition was built on the back of the original building which nearly doubled its
original size. By 1946, another building, 1730 13th Street, was built for the thriving business.
The company retained ownership of the building until the late ‘70s when it was sold to the
City of Boulder. …
This area of Boulder contained many factory and warehouse buildings in the early part of the
century, in part because of its proximity to the railroad and to the creek. It was also on the
fringe of the original townsite. The 1918 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, for example, shows a
gas plant, green houses, and lumber warehouse in this general area, and auto storage in what
is now Central Park. By 1931, the Sanborn Map shows an addition to the City Storage and
Transfer warehouse building, and additional warehouses on this block. This building is one of
the few remnants of that era. …
The street on which the building fronts, 13th Street, is an important element in the 1992
Downtown Plan, which recommends improvements to the street in order to strengthen links
between the Mall and the Civic Center. The building is currently in a highly used area, across
from Central Park, near the Farmer’s Market.
13 Planning and Development Services “Memo to the Landmarks Board – designation of the property at 1750 13th St. as an
individual historic landmark” July 1, 1992.
https://documents.bouldercolorado.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=173218&dbid=0&repo=LF8PROD2.
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Figure 6. City Storage and Transfer Building from across Central Park, 1929.14 Carnegie Library for
Local History, Boulder. Similar view, 2023. Provided by applicant.
CENTRAL PARK:
From the 1995 Survey of Central Park (Railroad Park):15
This urban park near downtown Boulder covers roughly four acres and consists of a
trapezoid bounded by Canyon Blvd. to the north, 13th St. on the east, Boulder Creek on
the south, and Broadway on the west. …
Originally owned by railroads whose track ran along the north edge of the site (present
day Canyon Blvd.), the undeveloped property was originally known as “railroad park.”
Further parcels were acquired in 1915 and the final tracts in 1933, later which the site was
known as Central Park. In 1938, the Boulder Lions Club donated and erected the
bandshell at the north end of the park. Designed by Boulder architect Glen Huntington,
the bandshell hosted summer musical concerts, Christmas pageants, political speeches,
and miscellaneous functions over the years. The setting was designed by noted architect
and urban planner S. R. DeBoer. …
Central Park is significant for its association with the development of the Boulder park
system and with the activities and events for which the park provided a setting.
14 Tangen , Edward. “Photo 2 - Looking southeast across Broadway on 31 May 1929. Railroad tracks to freight depot in foreground, Cit
y Storage and Transfer Co. building at 1750 13th Street at center left. Photo by Tangen (#11292)”. 1929. Photograph. 511-3-8. Carnegie
Library for Local History. Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A14697https://localhistor
y.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora:1452.
15 Front Range Research Associates. “Historic Building Inventory Record: Broadway and Canyon (sec).” November 1995.
blob:https://gis.colorado.gov/8e4f5832-077d-4822-9b67-1f82bd2db3f7.
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Figure 7. Central Park from Broadway and Water Street (Canyon Boulevard). 1929. Carnegie
Library for Local History.16 Similar view, 2023. Google.
Figure 8. Central Park from 13th Street and Water Street (Canyon Boulevard). 1929. Carnegie
Library for Local History.17 Similar view, 2023. Google.
Figure 9. Undated photograph of view southwest toward Broadway Bridge, constructed in 1921.
Carnegie Library for Local History.18 Similar view, 2021. Staff photo.
16 Tangen, Edward. Railroad Park: from freight house photograph. 1929. Photograph. BHS 141-3-94. Boulder Historical Society/Muse
um of Boulder. Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A1452
17 Tangen, Edward. “Railroad Park: looking southwest from the north photograph, 1929.” Photograph. BHS 141-3-93. Boulder Historic
al Society/Museum of Boulder. Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A1441
18 “Photo 5 - Long view of new bridge across Cigarette Park.” Undated. Photograph BHS 207-3-50. Boulder Historical
Society/Museum of Boulder. Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A40076
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Figure 10. A 1921 view of railroad tracks running past present day Central Park on Canyon
Boulevard east of Broadway. Carnegie Library for Local History.19 Similar view, 2020. Staff photo.
13TH STREET COMMUNITY PLAZA, CIVIC PARK PLAZA AND SISTER CITIES PLAZA:
The Civic Park Plaza includes the Civic Plaza north of the Teahouse site and the 13th Street
Community Plaza along 13th Street to the west of the Teahouse.
From the 2015 Masterplan for Boulder’s Civic Area.20
Boulder’s Civic Area has a historical focus and many long-standing functions and
facilities highly valued by the community, such as the library, Sister City Plaza, Farmers’
Market and Teahouse. Existing community assets will continue to play a vital role in the
area.
The 13th Street Community Plaza and the Civic Plaza to the north of the Boulder-Dushanbe
Teahouse were proposed before 1995 as part of the placement of the Teahouse.21 The plan for
the Civic Plaza was revised in 1996 when the City disclosed notification from the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the site was considered a superfund clean-up site,
due to its past use as a coal gasification plant.22
The Sister Cities Plaza is located to the east of the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building and is
included in the designation boundary. From the 2006 memo to the Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board:23
The conceptual plan for the east side of the city of Boulder Municipal Building provides a
public plaza space that will include images that have meaning to Boulder's Sister Cities.
Staff is coordinating with Boulder’s Sister Cities on this project. The images will be
19 “A 1921 view of railroad tracks running past present day Central Park on Canyon Blvd. east of Broadway.” 1921. Photograph BHS
207-3-52. Boulder Historical Society/Museum of Boulder. Boulder, CO.
https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A40132
20 City of Boulder “The Masterplan for Boulder’s Civic Area.” June 2015. https://bouldercolorado.gov/media/9432/download?inline=
21 Seieroe, Vern “Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse Development Plan and Characteristics of Operation.” September 18, 1995.
22 Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse Historic Context and Survey, Lara Ramsey & Kathryn Barth, Oct. 2010.
23 Parks and Recreation Department. “Memo to the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board – Municipal Building Plaza Development.”
June 26, 2006.
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
incorporated into the plaza in the form of Sister City stones or squares. The design will
also include seating areas, entry columns on the east side near Broadway, lighting and
low-water landscaping. The plan will incorporate a gift of cherry trees from Boulder’s
Sister City Yamagata, Japan.
Sister Cities Plaza was completed in 2007. From the Colorado Daily:24
Children swarmed around colorful displays and tables Thursday at the Sister City Plaza
event at the designed east lawn of the Municipal Building. The plaza was dedicated to
Boulder’s six sister cities: Dushanbe, Tajikistan; Jalapa, Nicaragua; Lhasa, Tibet; Mante,
Mexico; Yamagata, Japan; and Yateras, Cuba in an event to increase the knowledge
children have of other cultures.
BOULDER AND WHITE ROCK DITCH, NORTH BOULDER FARMERS, AND BOULDER LEFT HAND DITCH
The Boulder Slough runs through Central Park and includes three ditches: Boulder and White
Rock Ditch, North Boulder Farmers, and Boulder Left Hand Ditch. The Teahouse was
intentionally situated next to the creek, as water is an important site feature of traditional
teahouses. However, in order to address concerns from the ditch companies, the ordinance
states that a Landmark Alteration Certificate shall not be required for the operation or
maintenance of the ditch, including any necessary repairs or improvements, within the ditch
easement.
Figure 11. South elevation of the Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse. 2023. Provided by applicant.
BROADWAY BRIDGE
From the 1995 Broadway Bridge historic building inventory record:25
24 Cambe, Ryan. "Sister City Plaza Opened." Colorado Daily, May 18, 2007.
25 Front Range Research Associates. “Broadway or 12th Street Bridge historic building inventory record.” November 1995.
https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A46955
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Lynn T. Perrigo, in his Municipal History of Boulder reports that the bridge was erected in
1921. The bridge originally carried vehicular, streetcar, and pedestrian traffic over Boulder
Creek. When erected, Broadway was known as Twelfth Street and was even then a major
traffic artery. Herbst and Rottman in Historic Bridges of Colorado noted that “after the
turn of the century, the preferred alternative to the steel truss for short-span vehicular
bridges was generally considered to be the concrete arch. More solid under traffic and
better resilient to flooding, it was also valued as more aesthetically refined than the
starkly functional steel truss.” …
The Broadway Bridge is significant for its association with the development of the City of
Boulder’s transportation system. The bridge provided a principal link between downtown
Boulder and that part of the city lying south of Boulder Creek, carrying both intra- and
inter-city traffic. The bridge is also significant as an example of early twentieth century
bridge design as an extant two-span concrete arch bridge.
The Colorado Department of Transportation in 2004 considered Broadway Bridge eligible for
listing on the National Register of Historic Places, but also notes that the bridge has been
replaced.26
Figure 12. Broadway Bridge from the east side of Broadway within Central Park, c. 1929. Carnegie
Library for Local History.27 Similar view west toward Broadway Bridge, October 2021. Staff photo.
26 Litvak, Dianna. “Spanning Generations: The Historic Bridges of Colorado” 2004. Colorado Department of Transportation.
27 Coulson, Harold S. View of the “Photo 3 - Coulson photo of Central Park showing Broadway Bridge, about 1929.” Photograph. 511-
5-3. Carnegie Library for Local History, Boulder. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A29357
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Figure 13. From 11th Street south of Canyon Boulevard. Looking toward the future site of the
Public Library (constructed in 1961), April 1953.28 Similar view, 2018. Google.
HISTORY OF THE AREA
Staff conducted additional analysis of the potential historic district by assembling the well-
documented social history of the proposed area. The documentation focused on the time
period from the formation of Boulder as an American city to the present day, and the
geographic area from Ninth Street to 14th Street and Water Street (Canyon Boulevard) to
Arapahoe Avenue. The social history is likely incomplete as the documents studied are
predominantly those from the civic collections and newspaper sources. However, the purpose
of collecting this preliminary research is to analyze whether the proposed district shows
character, interest or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of
the community, or exemplify the cultural, political, economic, or social heritage of the
community, per the Significance Criteria for Historic Districts (link).
1859 – C.1900: PRIOR TO THE FORMATION OF THE BOULDER CITY IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
From a 2022 memo to the Landmarks Board:29
When gold was discovered in the mountains nearby, 60 original shareholders30 of
Boulder City Town Company ignored the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie, also known as the
Horse Creek Treaty, and claimed 1,280 acres alongside Boulder Creek on February 10th,
1859.31 The productive creek side land was an essential part of the ancestral homelands
of Indigenous Peoples who had lived on and travelled through them for thousands of
years.
28 A.A. Paddock Collection. View of the "New City Parking Lot, April 22, 1953." Photograph. BHS 207-5-6. Boulder Historical Society/
Museum of Boulder. Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A42409
29 Planning and Development Services “Memo to the Landmarks Board – Proposal to amend the designation boundary to include
all of Block 13 of 1236 Canyon Blvd., the Bandshell, an individual landmark.” April 6, 2022.
30 Whitacre, Christine, and R. Laurie Simmons. “Boulder Survey of Historic Places.” 1987. 760-1-5. Carnegie Library for Local History,
Boulder, CO.
31 “Land Acknowledgement.” City of Boulder. https://bouldercolorado.gov/projects/land-acknowledgment
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
In 1873, the Boulder & White Rock Ditch Company was founded to support irrigation of
surrounding land and local farming communities. The re-trenching of waterways into
planned irrigation channels is a theme of importance for the development of Boulder
County.
In addition, the railroads converged at the railyards and freight depot at Water Street
(now Canyon Blvd.) and 12th St. (now Broadway). The availability of abundant water from
the creek meant water-powered industry—mills, smelters, and lumber yards—gravitated
to the area. The proximity to the creek, and the creek’s unpredictability, also made the
area undesirable for residences. On May 30, 1894, a flood covered the entire area from
Walnut St. to Arapahoe Ave. and from 9th St. east to the city limits, destroying the
railyards and businesses.32 This didn’t prevent people from living there, however. The
area along Boulder Creek between 10th and 11th streets and south of Canyon Blvd. —
just west of current-day Central Park—was known as “The Jungle,” an expanding town of
makeshift and basic vernacular housing and notorious as the location of at least five
“bordellos.” 33
Figure 14. Flood of 1894: 12th Street (Broadway) looking east toward 13th Street. Carnegie Library for
Local History.34
32 Sturtevant, Joseph B. “The Flood of 1894: 12th Street looking east.” 1894. Photograph. BHS 225-2-8. Boulder Historical Society/Mu
seum of Boulder. Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A22079
33 Berry, Dennis, and Sydney Tanner. Boulder Creek Path History Tour: from the settlers to the space age. Boulder, CO: Boulder Histo
ry Museum, 2018.
34 Sturtevant, Joseph B. “The Flood of 1894: 12th Street looking east.” 1894. Photograph. BHS 225-2-8. Boulder Historical
Society/Museum of Boulder. Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A22079
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Figure 15. Looking into Central Park from Broadway along Boulder Creek. Carnegie Library for Local
History.35
Figure 16. 13th Street and Water Street (Canyon) in 1894 showing “City Park” behind the water tank.
Carnegie Library for Local History.36
In 1897, Boulder’s Citizens Reform League passed a resolution to make Boulder “the
cleanest and purest city in the state.”37 Ostensibly aimed at the saloons and gambling
halls, the group also focused on clearing “The Jungle.” However, the area remained a
combination of factories, industry, and basic housing for Boulder’s poorest residents.
1903 - 1922: BOULDER CITY IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION AND FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED, JR. (FLO JR.)
From a 2022 memo to the Landmarks Board:38
35 Sturtevant, Joseph B. “Flood of 1894 : 12th Street looking east.” 1894. Photograph. BHS 225-2-6. Boulder Historical
Society/Museum of Boulder. Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A22062
36 Tangen, Edward “Photo 2 - "13th and railroad tracks - City Park is in the grove of trees near water tank. Mason Bradfield Lumber
yard, gas plant, and Larson warehouse are on east site [sic] of 13th. Old Main in distance." Stamped on back: "Photo of Ed Tangen.
No. 9402." Allen-Bond Coal structure in foreground.” 1894. Photograph. BHS 225-2-11. Boulder Historical Society/Museum of
Boulder. Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A22108
37 Collier, Grant, and Joseph Collier. Colorado: Yesterday & Today. Collier Publishing: Grant Collier, 2005.
38 Planning and Development Services “Memo to the Landmarks Board – Proposal to amend the designation boundary to include
all of Block 13 of 1236 Canyon Blvd., the Bandshell, an individual landmark.” April 6, 2022.
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
The Boulder City Improvement Association, in 1903, organized with a goal of
“improvement of Boulder in health, growth, cleanliness, prosperity and attractiveness.” …
The Boulder City Improvement Association formed the Parks Board in 1907 and hired
Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. to write “The Improvement of Boulder, Colorado: Report to
the City Improvement Association.”39 In this 1910 report, Olmsted recommended
planting trees to screen against the “rather unattractive class of occupants” that resided
along the creek and suggested that Boulder Creek could be reimagined as a "pretty,
shady spot with a clean park path running beside the murmuring water …”40
Thirteen years later, in “Improvements of Boulder Creek,” Olmsted solidified his plan for
the creation of a stream side park and new city hall.41 During 1920 - 1921, “The Jungle”
was cleared:
“Boulder’s Jungles Are Gone Forever; Make Room for Park. Jungle Town no longer exists.
Squatters on city property along Boulder creek have either moved to other parts of town
or have left Boulder. Their former homes were torn down and the land has been filled in
with dirt from the paving district, giving a former eyesore part of town a very respectable
look. Two frame homes which were located on Water Street facing the railroad yards are
now being torn down by their owners. This improves the appearance of the remaining
houses. The colony has been reduced in numbers from around the thirties to ten or
twelve. The city this summer purchased all the land except three lots lying between
Eleventh and Ninth, the railroad tracks, and Boulder creek. They were given a lot highly
desired for park purposes by Mrs. C. A. Butsch. The Colorado & Southern railroad gave
an indeterminate lease on a paralleling tract of land and also over the land lying between
Eleventh and the main C & S line into Boulder. All of this section is being filled in with dirt
and leveled up so that it can be used for park purposes. There will be enough dirt from
the Pine-Spruce district to complete the job and also to permit other improvement work
along the creek.” (Boulder Tribune, 29 July 1921)42
39 Noel, Thomas J., and Dan W. Corson. Boulder County: An Illustrated History. Carlsbad, CA: Heritage Media Corp., 1999.
40 Carrigan, Beverly Halpin. Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.: Maker Of Parks - Planner Of Cities. Boulder, CO: City of Boulder Context Rep
ort, 1992.
41 Noel. Ibid.
42 Tangen, Edward. The Jungle. Photograph. BHS 207-5-4. Boulder Historical Society/Museum of Boulder. Boulder, CO.
https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A42431
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Figure 17. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (pages 1, 9, 10, 20) from Ninth Street to 14th Street between
Walnut Street and Arapahoe Avenue, 1906.43 Approx. boundary of proposed district outlined in blue. In
1906, the northern half of Block 13 was labelled “Railroad Park” (inset) and not surveyed.
Figure 18. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (pages 10 and 15) from Ninth Street to 14th Street along
Boulder Creek, 1922.44 Approx. boundary of proposed district outlined in blue. By 1921, most of the lots
north of the creek to Water Street (Canyon) from Ninth Street to 11th Street had been purchased by
the city for a public park or leased from the rail companies (approx. area outlined in yellow).
43 “Sanborn Fire Insurance Map.” 1906. Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4314bm.g009581906/?sp=1
44 “Sanborn Fire Insurance Map.” 1922. Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4314bm.g009581922/?sp=1&st=image
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Figure 19. South side of Canyon Boulevard between 10th and 11th Streets, known as the "Jungle," 1920.
Carnegie Library for Local History.45
Figure 20. The “Jungle” after being cleared to make way for the park, 1920. Carnegie Library for Local
History.46
45 Tangen, Edwin “Photo 2 - Group of people and buildings. Woman on right may be "Em Bugtown" Birge who was born in Valmont in
1870. (Tangen photo #4598).” 1920. Photograph. BHS 207-5-4. Boulder Historical Society/Museum of Boulder. Boulder, CO.
https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A42431
46 Tangen, Edwin “Photo 4 - Area after cleanup.(Tangen photo #4599).” 1920. Photograph. BHS 207-5-4. Boulder Historical
Society/Museum of Boulder. Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A42444
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Figure 21. 1920 view of the railroad and street intersection at 12th (Broadway) and Water (Canyon)
streets in Boulder and the area to the east (Central Park). Carnegie Library for Local History.47
Figure 22. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from 1922.48 Approx. boundary of proposed district outlined.
Buildings present are (1) Denver & Interurban; (2) Marble shop, Cobbler, Bottling Works; (3) Railway
Park (4) dwelling; (5) dwellings; (6) Lyon Lumber Co.; (7) Artificial Gas Plant; (8) City Storage and
Transfer Co.; (9) Foster Wholesale Honey & Mercantile; (10) dwellings. Yellow are frame buildings, pink
are brick, blue are stone.
1923 - 1947: FLO JR, SACO DEBOER, AND THE CREATION OF CENTRAL PARK
From Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. and the Improvement of Boulder, Colorado:49
[FLO Jr.] is best known locally as the inspiration for the treatment of land along Boulder
Creek, in both the more formal parks near today’s Civic Area and throughout the creek’s
run through Boulder in the form of a multipurpose greenway. In 1923 Olmsted looked at a
stretch of Boulder Creek from 9th Street to 17th Street and created a unified plan for
civic improvements. This larger plan envisioned a memorial to those who lost their lives
in World War I, the location for a city hall, an athletic field, and park and pathway
47 Tangen, Edwin “The city manager's 1920 view of the railroad and street intersection at 12th (Broadway) and Water (Canyon)
streets in Boulder and the area just to the east now called Central Park (Tangen photo #4600)” 1920. Photograph. BHS 141-1-104.
Boulder Historical Society/Museum of Boulder. Boulder, CO.
https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A2160
48 “Sanborn Fire Insurance Map.” 1922. Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4314bm.g009581922/?sp=1&st=image
49 Pollock, Peter. Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. and the Improvement of Boulder, Colorado. 2022. National Park Service.
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/ncptt/upload/FG_Peter-Pollock.pdf
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
improvements. Due to the vagaries of citizen sentiment and legal judgment, a successful
bond measure to fund the project was then struck down by the state courts, and then
failed at the ballot box on a second try.
This lack of funding led to a much smaller park in the area bounded by present day
Broadway, Canyon, 13th and Arapahoe known as Central Park. The land had been owned
by the railroad and was leased by the city in 1921, and then acquired by the city in 1933.
Olmsted’s design shows plantings concentrated along its perimeter, and a greensward
created within the park.
Photographs of Boulder’s Central Park taken in 1929 have the characteristic starkness of
newly minted parks. Today Central Park has become one of the most valuable pieces of
greenspace in Boulder because of its proximity to downtown’s buildings and hard
surfaces, its location along the Boulder Creek, (sometimes referred to as Boulder’s
beach), and its role as the prime location of public events and gatherings.
Figure 23. Planting Plan for Park at Boulder Creek. Plan prepared by Olmsted Brothers, March 10,
1924. (Cropped)
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Figure 24. Central Park from Broadway and Water Street (Canyon Boulevard). 1929. Carnegie
Library for Local History.50
Figure 25. Central Park from 13th Street and Water Street (Canyon Boulevard). 1929. Carnegie
Library for Local History.51
According to the Boulder Bandshell Historical Study:
On 15 April 1937, City Manager H.C. McClintock reported to the Boulder Planning and Parks
Commission that the Major Activity Committee of the Lions Club suggested they would
undertake a project to construct a bandshell for public concerts. The commission
approved the band shell project and requested a recommendation for the site of the
50 Tangen, Edward. Railroad Park: from freight house photograph. 1929. Photograph. BHS 141-3-94. Boulder Historical Society/Muse
um of Boulder. Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A1452
51 Tangen , Edward. “Railroad Park: looking southwest from the north photograph, 1929.” Photograph. BHS 141-3-93. Boulder Historic
al Society/Museum of Boulder. Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A1441
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
structure from consulting city planner S.R. DeBoer. In June 1937, S.R. DeBoer reported to
the city manager that ‘I have checked over every possible site in the city, and I believe that
Central Park is the only location at the present time. With the location of the proposed
City Hall in the east end of the park, I would suggest that the band stand be located on the
north line against the railroad right of way, approximately in the middle of the park. If this
site meets with your approval, I shall draw up a sketch showing my ideas in regard to the
treatment of the band stand and the grounds around it.’ …
The bandshell was specifically designed to be compatible with its site. As a component of
the central urban park, the bandshell was situated to provide passersby with a glimpse of
the intriguing features to be found within the park and encourage them to park their cars
and walk into the site. The bandshell faces south toward Boulder Creek and away from
traffic on the thoroughfare on the northern edge of the park. The scale of the bandshell
and its associated seating area is in keeping with the size of the park and provides a
comfortable gathering space for concerts and other cultural entertainment and is an
open-air amenity allowing users to enjoy the natural beauty of the park while attending
Bandshell programs.
Figure 26. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (pages 19 and 20) from Ninth Street to 14th Street along
Boulder Creek, 1931.52 Approx. boundary of proposed district outlined in blue. By 1931, all of the lots
north of the creek to Water Street (Canyon) from Ninth Street to 11th Street had been cleared for a
future park and Central Park had been created between 12th Street, 13th Street, Canyon Boulevard
and Arapahoe Avenue.
52 “Sanborn Fire Insurance Map.” 1931. Denver Public Library. https://digitalsanbornmaps-proquest-
com.denverlibrary.idm.oclc.org/browse_maps/6/958/4063/4315/64492?accountid=37073
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Figure 27. Aerial image showing Central Park area (bandshell center). Circa 1938. Carnegie Library for
Local History.53
From the memo to the Landmarks Board:54
[Bandshell] construction was completed in June 1938, with trees planted around the
Bandshell site.55 In 1939, DeBoer developed a schematic landscaping plan for the larger
civic area, which included planting trees to screen the structure from adjacent streets
including a curving parkway along Canyon Boulevard and 13th Street that was never
realized (at this time Canyon, or Water Street as it was then known, was a railyard). The
scheme shows paths to the Bandshell to prevent people from taking shortcuts to the site.
DeBoer’s final plan included both deciduous trees and pines.
In 1947, DeBoer proposed a new plan for the Bandshell area which included amphitheater
style seating. The seating was constructed in 1950 with regrading to the south of the
Bandshell to accommodate stepped amphitheater seating.
53 Snow, Gordon. “Photo 5 - Looking northwest from above 15th to 16th Street and Canyon Boulevard after 1938. Some snow on gro
und, showing the bandstand in Central Park, built in 1938. Pine and Broadway Streets at the top of the photo. The 14th and Walnut
Street intersection near center. Gordon Snow was the photographer.” 1927-1944. Photograph BHS 208-5-8. Boulder Historical Socie
ty/Museum of Boulder. Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A67240
54 Planning and Development Services “Memo to the Landmarks Board – Initiation of the expansion of the individual landmark at
1236 Canyon Blvd.” November 3, 2021.
https://documents.bouldercolorado.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=177331&dbid=0&repo=LF8PROD2
55 Mundus Bishop. Draft Glen Huntington Resource Assessment Report. City of Boulder. 2021.
https://bouldercolorado.gov/media/5789/download?inline
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Figure 28. Cropped image of “Boulder Creek Boulevard Plan. S.R. DeBoer & CO City Planners.” Date
unknown. Denver Public Library.
Figure 29. “Sketch of Proposed Civic Center and War Memorial. War Memorial Committee of Boulder
Colorado. S.R. DeBoer & CO City Planners, Landscape Architects, Denver, CO, July 1947.” Denver
Public Library.
According to the Boulder Bandshell Historical Study, 1995:56
Important characteristics include the trees and bushes which were chosen to provide a
screen around the edges of the site, the bermed seating area with stone retaining walls,
56 Front Range Research Associates, Inc. Boulder Bandshell Historical Study. Prepared for the City of Boulder. 14 July 1995.
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
and the pathways which were designed to prevent bypassers taking shortcuts through
the amphitheater.”
Plans show a boulevard wrapping around the east side of Central Park, with a series of
paths creating a large oval green in front of the bandshell. While DeBoer’s landscape
plans were not fully realized, the trees and open lawn area south of the bandshell is
largely intact with the Bandshell as a central component.
1945 – 1961: DEVELOPMENT OF THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING AND CIVIC AREA
From the designation of the Municipal Building:57
On November 6, 1945, a $225,000 bond for a new municipal building was finally passed,
this time by an overwhelmingly supportive vote of 1,217 to 171. The building was to
include the city hall, library, and museum, and was to be constructed on the site
between Boulder Creek and the railroad tracks, facing Broadway across from Central
Park. The project funds were to be held in reserve for the economic depression which
was expected to follow World War II. Instead, the prices of materials and labor rose, and
the city finally began earnest planning for the new municipal building in 1950.
Precipitating this was the fact that the city had to vacate the one-story building it was
renting at 1915 14th Street when it was sold. The city manager, his staff, and the public
service director were crowded back into the building at 1921 14th Street, forcing the
police department into another city-owned building at 1763 Broadway. This was situated
in a row of buildings which were purchased in 1948 to clear the site for the new city hall.
The city council had to meet in a new location -- first at the county commissioners’
room, then the library of Central school -- until the new city hall was finished. (Source:
Carnegie Library “Municipal Building” clipping files).
When the city council was forced to move in 1950, they reopened discussion of the new
municipal building. By this time, the originally planned building would have cost
between $350,000 to $400,000. The Boulder Historical Society agreed to have the
proposed museum omitted if they could use the library building at 1125 Pine Street after
the library moved to the new municipal building. However, after reducing the size of the
library, the library board felt the proposed space was inadequate and requested that the
library remain in its present location. When the first bids came in, further revisions were
necessary in order to meet the construction budget. Extras, such as a basement and a
proposed pistol range for the police department were also removed. The bids for the
revised plans were finally awarded on August 7, 1951, and a ground-breaking ceremony
was held on August 22, 1951. The building was occupied on July 20, 1952. (Source:
Carnegie Library “Municipal Building” clipping files) …
57 Planning and Development Services “Memo to the Landmarks Board – Designation of 1777 Broadway Street as a local historic
landmark.” December 3, 2008.
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Figure 30. Aerial Photograph of Central Park, 1958.
Figure 31. Aerial image showing Central Park area (center). 1962. Carnegie Library for Local
History.58
58 Schoolland, John Bernard. “Photo 2 - Aerial view of downtown Boulder taken 23 June 1962. Central Park and the Municipal Buildi
ng are in the top left corner.” 1952-1967. Photograph 601-2-1. Carnegie Library for Local History. Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.bou
lderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A68379
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
1969 – 1998: DEVELOPMENT OF THE EAST BOOKEND
From the designation memo:59
From 1927 until 1966, the southeast corner of 13th and Canyon was the site of the
Miles D. Bradfield Lumber Company. …
After the Bradfield Lumber Co. moved out in 1966, the land was acquired by the
Flatirons Bank of Boulder. In 1967, the lot was leased to the Midland Federal Savings
and Loan Association, who announced plans to build a new branch office at the
location. …
In a 1967 Daily Camera article that announced the new Boulder branch, it was also
reported that the company would “[retain] Hobart D. Wagener Associates of Boulder to
design a 10,000 square foot, one-story building.”60…
According to architectural historian Len Segal, “The expansion in the Savings and Loan
industry happened in large part as a result of Franklin Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’ which
expanded the economic tools to get loans, especially for home mortgages and cars.
This in turn fueled the great expansion of retail and other services to support the huge
growth of the Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964. Savings and loans like
Midland Savings became a preferred method for individuals to have greater access to
money, vs. traditional banks which served a more institutional customer. In the decade
of the 1950s, Boulder’s population grew from 25,000 to 37,000 and during the 1960s it
grew by a whopping 29,000 to reach 66,000. The Savings and loans companies, like
Midland Savings, funded a lot of the expansion in Boulder. Savings and loans were
popularized with the 1947 movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” In it the Bailey Brothers Building
& Loan Association was a backbone of the fictional community in Bedford Falls,
financing hundreds of single-family homes. In the real world they thrived for three
decades. As this layman understands it, in the 1980’s the Savings and Loan industry
collapsed when the high inflation rate in the U.S. exceeded the average mortgage
interest rates, and the loans were no longer economically viable for the banks.”
Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse Historic Context and Survey:61
During the winter of 1982-1983, Mary Hey and Sophia Stoller sought to develop a
friendship and understanding between the people of Boulder and the citizens of a city
in the then Soviet Union. Their primary goals were to establish a sister city relationship
59 Planning and Development Services “Memo to the Landmarks Board – Designation of 1300 Canyon Blvd. as a local historic
landmark.” December 1, 2021.
https://documents.bouldercolorado.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=177463&dbid=0&repo=LF8PROD2
60 Daily Camera. “Midland Savings Plants 13th, Canyon building.” October 15, 1967.
61 Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse Historic Context and Survey, Lara Ramsey & Kathryn Barth, Oct. 2010.
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
and develop educational programs focusing on the culture and history of the Soviet
Union. …
Boulder’s initiative to form a friendship with a Soviet city was in stark contrast to the
political climate at the time. …
While the Soviet Sister City Project was seeking a sister city abroad it was also
lobbying Boulder city officials and leaders to support its efforts. Colorado Governor
Richard Lamm wrote in a letter to the Soviet Sister City Project: “Your efforts to open
channels of communication between the citizens of the Soviet Union and the citizens
of the United States are vital steps in the long march toward world peace. It is the
foundation of mutual understanding that a long lasting peace will eventually rest.”15 In
1984, Boulder’s City Council unanimously passed a resolution endorsing the effort to
establish a sister city relationship with Dushanbe. …
In May 1987, a formal “Agreement Establishing Sister City Relations” was signed by
Boulder’s Mayor Linda Jourgensen and Dushanbe’s Mayor Maksud Ikramov during his
visit to Boulder. …
By December 1987 drawings for the Teahouse were completed in Dushanbe by
architect Lado Shanidze and in April 1988 Tajikistan’s Ministry of Culture approved the
drawings and construction began. …
Back in Boulder, citizens and city leaders were struggling with whether or not to
accept the gift. One of the first committees formed late in 1988 was the Teahouse
Taskforce, appointed by Mayor Jourgensen, charged with the task of determining the
feasibility of accepting the Teahouse gift. …
After much debate and consideration and at the Taskforce’s recommendation, the City
Council voted 6-1 to accept the gift in May 1989 as “an important symbol of
international friendship.”…
Over a two-year period from 1988 to 1990, Tajik artists and master-craftsmen
constructed the Teahouse in Dushanbe and Khujand (Leninabad), Tajikistan. After the
Teahouse was constructed, it was then disassembled, and sent to Boulder with a
multitude of other components, arriving in early August 1990. …
Once the Teahouse actually arrived in Boulder and new information about its size and
grandeur was received, planning efforts for its location began and fundraising
continued. The Teahouse Trust displayed pieces of the Teahouse at the Hotel
Boulderado, the Boulder Art Center, Boulder Creek Festival, weekly Farmers Market,
and the Boulder Public Library in order to help raise the new estimate of $350,000
needed to construct and maintain the Teahouse. Other fundraising activities included
a concert by the winner of the 8th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1989)
Alexei Sultanov of Uzbekistan, and a Ukrainian dance presentation. Vern Seieroe and
Mary Axe made countless presentations during this time to civic organizations,
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
schools, and City Council. Celestial Seasonings placed membership forms in 300,000
of its tea boxes distributed nationally in an effort to raise money for the Teahouse
Trust. …
In September 1991, the Civic Center Task Force was created to develop a Master Plan
for the Central Park Area, including more specific analysis and siting of the Teahouse.
After a frustrating December 1991 City Council meeting, Rosemary McBride, a local
Boulder citizen, vowed to wear her colorful Tajikistan coat, presented to her during her
recent visit there, until the Teahouse was erected. McBride did in fact wear her coat to
all public events until the Teahouse’s opening in 1998. By January 1993, the Civic Park
Master Plan 62 was approved by City Council and in April 1993, the City Council voted to
locate the Teahouse at 1770 13th Street. The plans for the area placed the Teahouse at
the center of the Civic Park Plaza which included the Civic Plaza (the area to the north
of the Teahouse site) which was to be used for Farmers Market exhibits and
performances and the 13th Street Community Plaza (the street west of the Teahouse
site) which was to continue to be used for public events such as the Boulder Creek
Festival and the Farmers Market. …
In the Spring of 1996, the Teahouse Trust found a local restaurant operator to run the
Teahouse and arranged a consortium of six Boulder banks to loan $1 million for
construction of the Teahouse. Working pro bono, Pete Jensen of Chrisman, Bynum &
Johnson drew up a sublease between a potential operator and the Trust. However, by
Fall 1996 the Teahouse project hit a major roadblock when the City disclosed
notification from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the site was
considered a superfund clean-up site, due to its past use as a coal gasification plant.
The banks promptly withdrew the loan agreements. …
On May 15, 1998 a Dedication and Opening Ceremony celebrated the completed
Teahouse. The Teahouse opened for business and public enjoyment on the following
day. …
Prior to the opening, the Boulder Daily Camera Editor stated, “Next Friday, the
teahouse – the largest gift ever given to an American city by the former Soviet Union –
will open its doors for a grand tea party. We tip our hats to the many people who were
responsible for making the teahouse a reality. Heading the list is Mary Axe, who never
gave up the fight to get the teahouse pieced together and opened as a Boulder
landmark.”
62 Interplan, Inc., Hyatt, Raines & Vitek. “Boulder Civic Center Master Plan” December 15, 1992.
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Figure 32. Aerial image showing Central Park area (left) with the newly constructed Atrium
Building at 1300 Canyon Blvd. 1969-1972. Carnegie Library for Local History.63
Figure 33. Aerial Photograph of Central Park, 1984.
63 “An undated (pre-1972) aerial view on a color slide of the central downtown area of Boulder before the Central School was demoli
shed in 1972.” C. 1970. Photograph 517-1-14. Carnegie Library for Local History. Boulder, CO. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/isl
andora/object/islandora%3A68882
Attachment A: Site Description and Area History – Preliminary Analysis
Figure 34. Aerial Photograph of Central Park, 1993.
Figure 35. Aerial Photograph of Central Park, 2020.