HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25
MEMORANDUM TO THE LANDMARKS BOARD
December 3, 2025
S TAFF
Brad Mueller, Director of Planning and Development Service
Kristofer Johnson, Comprehensive Planning Senior Manager
Chris Reynolds, Deputy City Attorney, City Attorney’s Office
Marcy Gerwing, Principal Historic Preservation Planner
Clare Brandt, Historic Preservation Planner
Aubrey Noble, Historic Preservation Program Coordinator
Mariah Trujillo, Historic Preservation Trainee
C ONSIDERATION OF A PPLICATION FOR N ON-D ESIGNATED B UILDINGS
Public hearing and consideration of an application to demolish a house constructed in 1922 at 990
Arapahoe Ave., a non-landmarked property older than 50 years old, pursuant to Section 9-11-23 of the
Boulder Revised Code, 1981, and under the procedures prescribed by chapter 1-3, “Quasi-Judicial
Hearings,” B.R.C. 1981.
Address: 990 Arapahoe Ave.
Legal Description: TRACT 3D OF OUTLOT 3 REEKS
Case Number: HIS2025-00273
Owner: Boulder Presbyterian Senior Housing, Inc.
Applicant: Shopworks Architecture represented by Tom Otteson
Case Type: Non-Designated Demolition
Code Section: 9-11-23, B.R.C. 1981
E XECUTIVE S UMMARY
The purpose of this hearing is to determine whether the building is eligible for designation and to
consider the cost, condition, and relationship to the surrounding area. The demolition application was
submitted together with three others: 976 Arapahoe Ave., 986 Arapahoe Ave. and 1004 Arapahoe Ave.
Each requires a separate decision by the Landmarks Board. On Oct. 8, 2025, the Landmarks Design
Review Committee determined there was probable cause to believe the building may be eligible for
landmark designation. Staff considers that the building at 990 Arapahoe Ave. is eligible for landmark
designation and significant as an example of the vernacular Craftsman Bungalow style with a distinctive
curved porch hood and pergolas, is associated with past residents who exemplify the cultural and social
heritage of the community, and for its environmental significance as part of a block of four houses
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 1 of 52
dating to the area’s early residential development. Staff recommends the Landmarks Board place a stay
of demolition on the application to provide time to consider alternatives to demolition. Recommended
motion language and findings are located at the end of the memo (link).
P UBLIC C OMMENT
Staff has received no public comment to date regarding this application.
O PTIONS FOR THE B OARD’S D ECISION
Pursuant to Section 9-11-23, B.R.C. 1981, if the Landmarks Board finds that the building proposed for
demolition meets the criteria in subsection (f), the application shall be suspended for a period not to
exceed 180 days from the date it was accepted by the city manager (i.e., designated staff) as complete,
in order to provide the time necessary to consider alternatives to the building’s demolition. If imposed, a
180-day stay period would start when the completed application was accepted by the city manager (Oct.
27, 2025 when the Landmarks Board fee was paid) and expire on April 25, 2026.
If the Landmarks Board finds that the building does not meet the criteria set forth in section 9-11-23(f),
B.R.C. 1981, the city manager shall issue historic preservation approval.
B ACKGROUND
On Sept. 23, 2025, the Planning and Development Services Department (P&DS) received an
application to demolish the house at 990 Arapahoe Ave. (HIS2025-00273) and the houses on three
adjacent properties: 976 Arapahoe Ave. (HIS2025-00271), 986 Arapahoe Ave. (HIS2025-00272) and
1004 Arapahoe Ave. (HIS2025-00274).
On Oct. 8, 2025, the Landmarks Design Review Committee (LDRC; Golobic, Ray, Gerwing) referred
the application to the full Landmarks Board, finding “probable cause to believe the building may be
potentially eligible for landmark designation.”
On Oct. 27, 2025, the applicant paid the Landmarks Board hearing fee.
P ROPERTY D ESCRIPTION
Date of Construction: 1922 (County Records)
Zoning: RH-2 (Residential - High 2)
Lot Size: 4,683 square feet (County Assessor)
House Size: 1,008 square feet (County Assessor, above ground finished area)
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The property at 990 Arapahoe Ave. is located on the south side of Arapahoe Avenue between 11 Street
and Lincoln Place, opposite the main branch of the Boulder Public Library. The house is set on the north
end of the lot facing Arapahoe Avenue. The lot is bordered on the east by 1004 Arapahoe Ave. (see
HIS2025-00274) and on the west by 986 Arapahoe Ave (see HIS2025-00272). The rear of the property is
adjacent to 1050 Arapahoe Ave., including the eleven-story Presbyterian Manor designed by Hobart
Wagener in 1963. The property is not within an identified potential historic district. The house was
surveyed in 1990 and found to be significant as representative of Boulder’s 1920s bungalow-style
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 2 of 52
architecture and noteworthy for its shiplap siding, curved porch hood and pergolas. See the990
ArapahoeAve.historic building inventory record(link).
Figure 1. Map of central Boulder showing location of 990 Arapahoe Ave. (location flagged). eMapLink(link).
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Figure 2.Location of 990 ArapahoeAve.south of Arapahoe Avenue between 11Street and Lincoln Place and
opposite the main branch of Boulder Public Library.eMapLink(link).
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 3 of 52
Figure 3. Aerial view of context. From left to right the properties are 976 Arapahoe, 986 Arapahoe, 990 Arapahoe
and 1004 Arapahoe. Subject property (990) outlined in yellow. Property lines are estimates from eMapLink(link)
and not intended for survey purposes.
B UILDING D ESCRIPTION
Figure 4. North elevation showing the façade with the curved porch and pergola.Google Streetview(link).
The property at 990 Arapahoe Avenue is a one-story house constructed in 1922 in a vernacular
bungalow style.The building has a clipped side gableroofwith overhanging eaves and exposed
raftertails. An arched hood over the porch is supported by tapered columns. Pergolas extend across the
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 4 of 52
width of the façade and are also supported by tapered columns. The footprint of the building is
rectangular, with small shed roof projections at the rear. The building is of frame construction and clad
in horizontal siding. The door and window openings have tapered surrounds typical of the Bungalow
style. The roof is asphalt shingle, with a brick chimney located on the east elevation. The building rests
on a rustic stone foundation.
The house has a symmetrical façade (north elevation), with a centrally located door flanked by parlor
windows, each with a four-over-one double-hung window with multipaned sidelights. The entrance is
accessed by painted concrete steps and a stone stoop with simple metal railings.
Figure 5. East elevation showing the clipped side gable roof, hood porch and pergolas, and windows with tapered
surrounds. Provided by applicant.
The east elevation features the clipped side gable roof with post braces under the overhanging eaves. A
horizontally proportioned slider window is located in the gable end and has a simple wood surround. A
variety of windows extend across the elevation from north to south: a vertically proportioned double-
hung windows, a small rectangular window, a pair of vertically proportioned double-hung windows, and
a slider window similar to that in the gable end. There are three openings at the basement level of the
east elevation.
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 5 of 52
Figure 6. West elevation showing the clipped side gable roof, pergolas, brick chimney and windows with tapered
surrounds. Provided by applicant.
The west elevation mirrors the east, with a clipped gable roof with post braces under the overhanging
eaves. A brick chimney is located toward the north end of the elevation, and is wider at the base than at
the top. The portion of the chimney above the roof appears to be covered in stucco. The window
openings on the west elevation include rectangular, multilight windows flanking the chimney, and a
centrally located grouping of three vertically proportioned double-hung windows. A smaller double-
hung window is located toward the rear of the elevation. One window opening is located at the
basement level, below the southern most window.
Figure 7. South elevation of the house. Provided by applicant.
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 6 of 52
The south (rear) elevation has two shed roofs covering the rear entrances. A shed-roof porch with
simple square supports is located toward the west end of the elevation. The porch is clad in a solid
vertical board and the west side of the porch appears to be enclosed with plexiglass. A smaller shed
roof, also supported by square posts, covers the entrance to the basement on the east end of the south
elevation. Above it are a pair of window openings with multipaned windows and tapered surrounds.
Analysis of Integrity
Historic integrity is the ability of a property to convey its historical associations or attributes. The
National Park Service defines seven aspects of integrity to evaluate properties (location, setting, design,
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materials, workmanship, feeling, and association).
Permits on file with the Planning and Development Department are minimal and include roofing
replacements in 1985 and 2012; construction of detached carport/detached accessory building in 1984
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(since demolished) and a mechanical permit from 1991. An additional lavatory was added to the
basement apartment in 1972.
Figure 8. Left: c. 1949 image of the northeast corner showing the side clipped gable roof and porch with
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pergola. Right: 1990 image showing minimal changes to the house. Bottom: Similar view in 2025. Provided by
applicant.
1
U.S. Dept. of the Interior. “National Historic Landmarks Glossary of Terms.” National Park Service. Accessed November 2022. https://www.nps
.gov/subjects/nationalhistoriclandmarks/glossary.htm
2
Planning and Development Services records. http://lfprod/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=2534128&dbid=0&repo=LF8PROD
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Boulder County Assessor. “986 Arapahoe Avenue real estate appraisal.” 1929-1960. Call no. 880-Arapahoe-986. Carnegie Library for Local
History, Boulder. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A101508
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 7 of 52
The building is in its original location. The original design of the building is largely intact, withits roof
form, window and door pattern and architectural detailing intact. In August 2019, the pergola, including
the columns and stone piers, was removed and replaced in-kind, with the exception of the rafters, which
were installedupside down. The building retains the majority of its historic materials,including its wood
siding and trim, wood windows, stone foundation, concrete steps and stoop. The building demonstrates
vernacular workmanship, with notable features of the porch hood and pergolaand stone-clad
foundation. The building’s ability to convey a feeling of its time and the setting of the house on its
property has not been diminished by the changes at the rear of the property and surrounding
development and in general, the building has retained itsability to convey its association with its past
residents and this period of development in the neighborhood.
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Figure 9.Left: Thec. 1929site plan showing the footprint of the house.Right:Aerial image eMapLink(link)
showing the existing roof configuration of the house. Not to scale.
A REA H ISTORY
This area is the ancestral homelands and unceded territory of Indigenous Peoples who have traversed,
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lived in and stewarded lands in the Boulder Valley since time immemorial.In October 1858, Hinono’ei
neecee (“Arapaho Chief”) Nowoo3 (“Niwot,” “Lefthand”) and other Hinono’eino’ (“Arapaho”) Peoples
told a party of gold-seekers camped in what is now known as Boulder that they could not remain on
Indigenous land as agreedby the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie, also known as the Horse Creek Treaty.
4
Boulder County Assessor. “3120 6th Street real estate appraisal.” 1929-1961. Call no. 880-6th-3120. Carnegie Library for Local History,
Boulder.https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A88989
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“Staff Land Acknowledgement.” City of Boulder. https://bouldercolorado.gov/projects/staff-land-acknowledgment
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 8 of 52
The 1851 treaty defined the area as territory of the Arapaho and Cheyenne and promised to protect the
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natural resources and tribal hunting grounds from use by white settlers throughout the area.
However, most of the gold-seekers stayed on the land and more came after gold was found west of
Boulder in January 1859. On February 10, 1859, many of those same men formed the Boulder City Town
Company and defined 1,280 acres (2 square miles) north of Boulder Creek as a town.
Subsequently, the United States government granted patents of 160 acres of land (a quarter of a
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section) or more outside of the town plat to would-be settlers. Marinus Smith was one such recipient.
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In 1868, he received an eighth of a section south of Boulder Creek from the United States government.
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A year later, Smith purchased another eighth section from Sylvester and Harriet Hill who had also
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received the land from the U.S. government. In 1870, Smith received his eighth section of land from
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the government. By 1871, when the town government was organized under Boulder County
regulations, Marinus Smith had already acquired more than 240 acres of land. His holdings stretched
thth12, 13
between Arapahoe Avenue and College Avenue, from about 6 Street to 17 Street. Within this
area, Smith platted roads, blocks, and lots including “Smith’s Addition to Boulder” and the smaller
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“Menlo Park” in the blocks south of Arapahoe Avenue between 9 and 11 Streets.
Marinus Smith sold the land between Smith’s Addition and Menlo Park to Frank Weisenhorn and Charles
Voegtle on Sept. 16, 1875. Weisenhorn and Voegtle took advantage of the freshwater spring at the
center of the property and immediately built the Boulder City Brewery which became Crystal Springs
Brewery and Ice Company around 1897.
6
National Park Service. “Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 (Horse Creek Treaty.” https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/horse-creek-treaty.htm
7
More research is needed regarding Marinus Smith’s participation in the Sand Creek Massacre. An undated newspaper article by George W.
Stryker (held in the Carnegie Library, VF People - Smith, Marinus) claims: “Governor Evans proclaimed martial law, and appointed “Serg”
Marinus G. Smith as captain; A. A. Brookfield and Frederick A. Squires as lieutenants. A military company was enlisted, and Capt. Smith
dispersed the hostiles and restored order very quickly in this vicinity, but had no part in the Sand Creek affray.” Stryker was born in 1874 and
lived in Boulder by the recording of the 1885 Colorado Census, so may have known Smith.
8
General Land Office Records. “State Volume Patent CO0200__.303; Smith, Marinus.” 7/1/1868.
https://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=CO0200__.303&docClass=STA&sid=lwpyiu14.yvb#patentDetailsTabIndex=0
9
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181315349
10
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181315349
11
General Land Office Records. “State Volume Patent CO0510__.097; Smtih, Marinus.” 12/15/1870.
https://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=CO0510__.097&docClass=STA&sid=wp4bge2f.vvx
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By 1882, the town was divided into wards, and the offices of mayor, treasurer, and aldermen were created to manage the now seventeen
additions to the original townsite and the increasing population. Although by 1900, Boulder’s population had grown to 6,150 with twenty-eight
additions added between 1890 and 1895, the residential subdivisions of North Boulder were not created until the 1940s, and the area was not
incorporated into the city until after 1954.
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The land is legally defined as the northwest quarter of Section 31, Township 1N, Range 70W and the east half of the northeast quarter of
Section 36, Township 1N, Range 71W.
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 9 of 52
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Figure 10. The Lands of Marinus Smith north of University Street in 1901.Smith sold the area between 9th and
11th Streets to Weisenhorn and Voegtle starting in 1875, including the subject property.
Figure 11. Circa 1897 sketch by Joseph Sturtevant of the Crystal Springs Brewing and Ice Companysite looking
south from above Arapahoe Avenue (along the bottom edge of the image). Marine Street is at the top of the image
and the road to the right of the pond is Lincoln Place (then called Spring Street). The drawing shows the large
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spring-fed pond and steep topography between Arapahoe Avenue and Marine Street.
14
Drumm, Henry A. “Map of lands belonging to the heirs of Marinus G. Smith, 1902.” 1902. Call No. BHS MAP CITY 1902-4 Oversize. Boulder
Historical Society / Museum of Boulder. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A76479
15
Sturtevant, Joseph “Photo 2 - Photograph of a Sturtevant sketch of the brewery.” 1897-1907. Call No. BHS 207-1-25. Boulder Historical
Society / Museum of Boulder. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A22242
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 10 of 52
Figure 12. 1902 map of the area between the creek (Arapahoe Avenue just to the south) and Marine Street showing
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the Boulder City Brewing Company between 9th and 11th Street.Future properties (from left to right) at 976, 986,
990 and 1004 Arapahoe indicated in green dashed lines.
Figure 13. 1916 plat of Reeks’ Addition (black outline) between 9th and 11th Street and Arapahoe Avenue and
Marine Street. Outlot 3 includes the spring-fed pond at the center and the outflow of the spring at the northeast
end. The Boulder Fish and Game Club is indicated in yellow. The spring and pond are indicated in blue. Future
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properties at 976, 986, 990 and 1004 Arapahoe indicated in green.
16
“Boulder (Colo.) street map 1902.” 1902. Call No. MAP CITY 1902-2 (Map Case 1 #1). Carnegie Library for Local History.
https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A58753
17
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181767303
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 11 of 52
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William J. Reeks purchased the Crystal Springs Brewing and Ice Company in 1916. He demolished most
of the commercial buildings and platted the land as Reeks’ Addition. It consisted of five outlots and one
block with six lots. Outlots 1, 2 and 3 ran along Arapahoe, while outlots 4, 5 and block 1 ran along
Marine. Outlots 1,2, 4, and 5 sit on the western side of Lincoln Place, and an alley runs behind lots 1-5 of
block 1 and between lots 5 and 6. This subdivision is likely due to the substantial grade change from the
northern to the southern side of the addition. The central area, including the spring and pond, is
identified as “outlot 3” (Figure 14).
Reeks retained the land that included the natural spring, but sold the rights of access across his land and
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the use of the spring water to the Boulder Fish and Game Club in 1927. In addition, he sold a portion of
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outlot 3 to the club for use as a fish hatchery (see Figure 14). The Fish and Game Club to this day uses
the spring water to feed the hatchery and stock multiple fishing ponds throughout Boulder County
annually, including the Evert Pierson Kids’ Fishing Pond.
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William Reeks was born on October 24, 1868 in Minnesota. According to his mother’s obituary, he
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graduated from the law department at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. The family,
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including William, his mother, Esther Reeks, and stepfather, John Ives, then moved to Boulder. By
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1920, the family lived at 952 Arapahoe Ave. (later platted as outlot 2 of Reeks’ Addition). In addition to
a land prospector, William was an amateur gardener and fishing enthusiast. He never married and lived
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for most of his life with his sister, Ester Reeks, who also never married.
William Reeks ensured that the spring and area that was originally a natural spring-fed pond stayed
relatively undeveloped. He maintained the portion of the land on the northeast corner where the spring
water flows out of the pond and sold only the undeveloped land that did not interfere with the spring,
including lots in Block 1 facing Marine Street and four lots that he created within outlot 3 facing
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Arapahoe Avenue. William Reeks continued to live on the property until his death in 1946. At his
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death, Ester Reeks deeded the rights for all of the spring water to the Boulder Fish and Game Club.
While this block of Arapahoe Avenue stayed relatively undeveloped, the intersection of Broadway and
Arapahoe Avenue, from early in Boulder’s history, was an important transportation route. From 1873
when the rail first arrived in Boulder connecting to Denver, this intersection was a point for substation
and rail spurs. From the late 1920s, the area started to focus on automobile travel and continued to be a
hub.
18
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181680423
19
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181445733
20
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181587199
21
Find a Grave. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60525/records/39839712
22
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/50000019/anna-reeks_ives
23
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/50000019/anna-reeks_ives
24
Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record
Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6061/records/62274210
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United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and
Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2442/records/40640748
26
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/64871718/william-j-reeks
27
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181949358
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 12 of 52
Along Arapahoe Avenue to both the west and the east a block from this busy intersection, the
commercial hub transitioned into residential areas. Within these transitional areas, from the first decade
of the Twentieth Century, development included small residential, multi-family (duplexes and
apartment buildings), live/work spaces,and retail stores like groceries and butcher shops. The uniform
lots, and dense street trees buffered the established residential neighborhood to the west from the
larger commercial lots to the east.
Between Broadway and Ninth Street, city directories list two grocery stores through the 1920s and
1930s. During the 1940s and 50s, the number of businesses increased on the north side of Arapahoe
Avenue, and included grocery stores, a moving company, plumbing company, laundry, and builders
supply store.
Figure 14. Aerial image from around 1937 centered on the commercial and industrial intersection of Broadway and
Arapahoe Avenue (circled in a yellow solid line) and showing the transitional areas along Arapahoe Avenue prior to
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turning into residential both to the east and west.The houses on the south side of Arapahoe Avenue in Reeks’
Addition are circled in a yellow dotted line.
In the early 1960s, the house located at 1016 Arapahoe Avenue was demolished for the construction of
the Presbyterian Manor Apartments on a portion of outlot 3 in Reeks’ Addition. Hobart D. Wagener
designed the International style apartment block. While the spring was piped underground across much
of the lot, the open space surrounding the building, including the open-air outflow for the spring, was
maintained.
P ROPERTY H ISTORY
Roy Teegarden purchased the property in 1922 and built the house on the site. The Clapp family
purchased the house soon after it was built and lived there for nearly five decades. Roy Clapp was a
grocerand worked at the University Hill Grocery Store for 23 years; Jennie Clappwas involved in Boulder
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“Photo 4 - Boulder from Flagstaff Mountain taken 1937 or early 1938.” C. 1937. Call No. BHS 208-6-1. Boulder Historical Society/Museum of
Boulder. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A67946
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 13 of 52
civic and social organizations. Their two sons, Robert and Charles served in the United States military
before and during the Second World War. Birdie Crowell and Virginia Campbell were sisters, each
independent professionals who were trained as stenographers. Birdie worked as a court clerk in Boulder
District Court for more than 15 years. Virginia was a secretary for a law firm.
Details of each property owner follows:
Raymond Clifford “Roy” Teegarden (1922)
The house was constructed by Raymond “Roy” Teegarden, who constructed a few houses in Boulder
but was better known as a plumber. He lived briefly in this house after its construction.
The Teegarden family moved to the west Arapahoe area around 1920, and lived at 919 Arapahoe in
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1921. Roy’s father, Hiram Teegarden, owned a plumbing company and both of his sons, Roy and
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Myron, worked as plumbers at the same company. Hiram and Eva, Roy’s parents, lived at 474 Marine
St. Myron, Roy’s brother and fellow plumber, purchased 425 Arapahoe Ave. in 1920.
Roy purchased the property at 990 Arapahoe Ave. from William Reeks in 1922 but may have begun
construction before the purchase. For the permit application, Roy estimated that he would construct a
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$3,000 house. He lived in the house briefly before selling it to Roy Clapp. The Teegarden family moved
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to 416 Arapahoe Ave.
Roy Marion Clapp and Jennie Cathleen Clapp (1922 – 1970)
Roy and Jennie Clap purchased the property in 1922 while they ran a grocery store, “R. C. Clapp Grocery
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and Market” across the street at 957 Arapahoe Ave.. The Clapps sold the store in 1926 and remained
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in the grocery business.
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Roy was born on September 24, 1882 in Iowa. Jennie was born Jennie Cathleen Jessop on December
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25, 1883 in Mount Erie, Illinois. She was a milliner when she met Roy. Roy and Jennie married on
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June 3, 1906 in Albia, Iowa. According a the Daily Camera, the couple “came to Boulder for a visit from
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Bussey, Iowa in 1918. The visit stretched out, and \[Roy and Jennie\] decided to make their home here.”
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Boulder City Directory 1921. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/records/1134218746
30
Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record
Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1966102:7884
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“Forty-three New Homes In Boulder Ordered Built Or Building Since First Of Year.” April 27, 1922. Boulder Daily Camera.
https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=BDC19220427-01.2.8
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“R. Teegarden has moved from 990 Arapahoe to 416 Arapahoe.” August 1, 1922. Boulder Daily Camera.
https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=BDC19220801-01.2.34
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“Sally Ann Bread” February 9, 1922. Boulder Daily Camera. https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=BDC19220209-01.2.62.3
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“R. M. Clapp and Family to Motor to the East.” June 11, 1926. Boulder Daily Camera.
https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=BDC19260611-01.2.52
35
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/96387019/roy-m.-clapp
36
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/96387026/jennie-cathleen-clapp
37
United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records
Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602/records/10059163
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Iowa, Marriages. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60284/records/1344922
39
“Retires.” March 25, 1966. Boulder Daily Camera.
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 14 of 52
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Roy Clapp worked at the University Hill Grocery Store from 1943 until he retired in 1966. The store
was owned by his next door neighbors, Merton and Wave Stoffle, until they sold it to O.R. Easley in 1944
(see 986 Arapahoe Ave. HIS2025-00272). One of the “Hill’s” oldest businesses, the University Hill
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Grocery closed in 1968.
According to her obituary, “Mrs. Clapp devoted her life to making her family’s home and to working for
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charitable organizations.” Jennie Clapp was the president of the Boulder Women’s Club in 1945. She
was also a supporting member of the Boulder Day Nursery, Hypatia Club, Women’s Council of the
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Christian Church and local social clubs including the Social Circle of the First Christian Church, the
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Arapahoe Kensington Club and bridge club. She was a member of the board of the Community
Hospital Association, was active in the Red Cross and American Cancer Society.
46
The couple raised two children in the house: Robert Jessup Clapp (born Sept 29, 1911 in Iowa) and
47
Charles Marion Clapp (born in Boulder on July 1, 1919).
Robert joined the United States Navy at 18 years old and graduated from the Navy machinist school in
48
Norfolk, Virginia in 1931. He served on the U.S.S. Saratoga. He married Emma Cherryholmes on
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February 3, 1940. The family located to Los Angeles where Robert worked as a tool engineer.
Charles was a talented musician and played cornet with both the Boulder High School and University of
Colorado–Boulder bands. He attended the Business School at the University of Colorado–Boulder up to
his senior year, which was interrupted by his enlistment in the United States Army in March 1942.
According to a Daily Camera article, “he was commissioned Feb. 28, 1943, and promoted to a first
lieutenant in the October of the same year. He is in the ordinance department and has been stationed in
England for some time.” Charles played with the dance orchestra of the ordinance company “but only at
51
times when it does not interfere with his regular duties.” He entertained the Allied forces as part of a
40
“Obituaries: Roy M. Clapp” July 25, 1970. Boulder Daily Camera.
41
“University Hill Grocery Sold; To Be Delicatessen.” April 16, 1968. Boulder Daily Camera.
42
“Mrs. Roy Clapp, Active Resident, Died Last Night.” March 23, 1963. Boulder Daily Camera.
43
“Lt. Charles Clapp Weds Army Nurse At Base in England.” March 23, 1945.
44
“Christian Church Divisional Meeting.” April 4, 1927. Boulder Daily Camera
45
“Arapahoe Kensington Guests of Mrs. Clapp.” March 19, 1926. Boulder Daily Camera.
https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=BDC19260319-01.2.60&
46
Iowa Births, 1880-1904, 1921-1946. State Historical Society of Iowa, State Archives, Des Moines, Iowa.; Iowa Delayed Births, 1856-1940. State
Historical Society of Iowa, States Archives, Des Moines, Iowa. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61441/records/300437952
47
National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Colorado, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record
Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 44. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2238/records/5225017
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“Robert Clapp Visiting Here with Parents On Leave From Annapolis.” Oct. 3, 1931.
49
The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC, USA; Petitions For Naturalization, U.s. District Court For the Central District of
California (Los Angeles), 1940-1991; NAI Number: 594890; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009;
Record Group Number: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009.
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3998/records/901809353
50
National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Signal Hill,
Los Angeles, California; Roll: 3596; Page: 20; Enumeration District: 19-1838
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62308/records/264658857
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“Lt. Charles Clapp Weds Army Nurse At Base in England.” March 23, 1945.
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 15 of 52
14-piece all-soldier dance orchestra at the London Stage Door Canteen on March 23, 1945, the same day
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as the start of the Battle of Okinawa in the Pacific.
Charles and Lieutenant Ruby Tinker married on March 20, 1945 while stationed in England. Lt. Tinker
was employed by the Florida State Board of Health and served as a nurse in the Army Nurse Corps. By
1945, more than 57,000 Army nurses were assigned to hospital ships and trains; flying ambulances; and
field, evacuation, station, and general hospitals at home and overseas. This is the largest number of
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nurses on active duty in the history of the organization.
The couple returned to Boulder after the end of the Second World War. They lived in the basement
54
apartment at 990 Arapahoe Ave. while Charles completed his degree. He worked as a teller at the
Mercantile Bank and Trust company and later Reinert’s men’s clothing store on Pearl Street. He served
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as the secretary for Local No. 275, American Federation of Musicians, from 1947 until 1953. He
represented the union at conventions in New York and Texas. Charles, Ruby, and their two children,
Richard and Susan, left Boulder in 1953 when Charles accepted a position at the Commercial National
Bank of Santa Ana, California.
After Charles, Ruby and their children left Boulder, the Clapps rented the basement apartment to a
variety of tenants, including Robert P. DeGrazio (c. 1953), Ted Krahling (c. 1956), James Phillips (c. 1959),
Jeanette Rogers (c. 1960), and D. Ray Fidler (c. 1962).
56
Jennie died on March 20, 1963 (aged 79) and is buried in Mountain View Memorial Park in Boulder.
Roy sold the house in 1970 to Richard and Minnie Parsons. He moved to Santa Ana, California to be
57
closer to his children and grandchildren. He died there on July 24, 1972 (aged 89).
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“Lt. Chas M. Clapp Plays in London Stage Door Canteen.” March 23, 1945.
53
“Highlights in the History of the Army Nurse Corps, 1940 to 1950.” The Army Nurse Corps Association. https://e-anca.org/History/ANC-
Eras/1940-1950
54
National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Boulder,
Boulder, Colorado; Roll: 3405; Page: 71; Enumeration District: 7-54 https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62308/records/19559895
55
“Charles Clapp to be With Bank in California.” Sept. 14, 1953.
56
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/96387026/jennie-cathleen-clapp
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Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/96387019/roy-m.-clapp
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 16 of 52
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Figure 15.Left: Jennie Cathleen Clapp, c. 1950.Right:Roy Clapp, 1966.
Figure 16. Charles Clapp played cornet for the University of Colorado Band. He is pictured somewhere in the
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center of the photo with the other cornet players.
Richard HarryParsons and Minnie Josephine Parsons (1970)
Richard and Minnie Parsons entered into an informal financing agreement with Roy and Jennie Clapp
and sisters Birdie Crowell and Virginia Campbell. The Parsons owned the neighboring house to the east
(1004 Arapahoe Ave. See HIS2025-00274). They purchased the subject property from Roy and Jennie
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Clapp in 1970 for $100.The amount likely included additional cashpaid directly to the Clapp family
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Carnegie Library for Local History.
59
“Retires.” March 25, 1966. Boulder Daily Camera.
60
“University of Colorado yearbook.” 1937. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1265/records/237186312
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Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/182207436
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 17 of 52
that was not recorded in the deed. The Parsons owned the property for a few months. They sold the
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property to Birdie and Virginia for $20,500 on November 10, 1970.
Berdia “Birdie” Evelin Crowell and Virginia Agnes Campbell (1970 – 1989)
Sisters Birdie and Virginia Campbell purchased the property in 1970 and lived there for the nearly two
decades. They were independent women who worked professionally as stenographers and legal clerks
for many years.
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Birdie was born Berdia Evelin Campbell on Sept. 16, 1917. She attended Urbana High School and
64
trained as a stenographer, working for the power company. Sometime between 1940 and 1950 Birdie
married, divorced, and moved back in with her parents. Her son, Ronald Eldy Crowell was born in
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January 1947.
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Virginia was born on January 30, 1924. She also attended Urbana High School, graduating in 1942. By
1950, Virginia had joined Birdie at the power company and worked as a secretary.
67
Their parents, Thomas and Birdie, married in 1896 in Champaign, Illinois. They had seven children
between 1899 and 1924, with Birdie and Virginia being the youngest. Thomas worked for the University
of Illinois as a mechanic for about three decades. All of his daughters attended school and trained in a
profession such as stenography. The Campbell family remained in the Urbana-Champaign area until
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after Thomas’s death in 1941.
Birdie Campbell, Birdie and Virginia’s mother, moved to Boulder in August 1953 and purchased the
house on the corner of Arapahoe Avenue and Lincoln Place at 971 Arapahoe Ave. with Virginia (the
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younger daughter). Birdie (the older daughter) followed her mother and sister to Boulder in 1954
and lived with them at 971 Arapahoe Ave. She was employed at the law firm of Goss & Hutchinson in
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1955. She stayed with the firm after Melvin C. Goss’s death in 1957 and the subsequent transition for
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the firm to Hutchinson & Hutchinson. She worked for Dudley I. Hutchinson, Jr. and T. Henry
Hutchinson until 1965, when she became a court clerk. According to her obituary, she “worked as a
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court clerk in Boulder District Court for more than 15 years. She retired in 1981.”
62
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/182181032
63
United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6482/records/21395996
64
United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2442/records/139204039
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Voter Registration Lists, Public Record Filings, Historical Residential Records, and Other Household Database Listings.
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62209/records/274609119
66
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167602551/virginia-a.-campbell
67
Marriage Records. Illinois Marriages. Various Illinois County collections.
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61370/records/900302990
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Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/97693088/thomas-e.-campbell
69
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/186034097
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“Birdie E. Crowell.” January 10, 1987. Boulder Daily Camera.
71
Boulder City Directory, 1955. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/records/923718333
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“Melvin C. Goss, Prominent Boulder Attorney, Dies After Short Illness.” March 7, 1957. Boulder Daily Camera
73
Boulder City Directory, 1958. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/records/814453042
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“Birdie E. Crowell.” January 10, 1987. Boulder Daily Camera.
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 18 of 52
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By 1959, Virginia also held a position at Hutchinson & Hutchinson as a secretary.In 1974, she was a
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secretary for Newcomer & Douglas, attorneys at law.
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Their mother died on March 23, 1964 leaving Virginia the houseat 971 Arapahoe Ave.The sisters
continued to live at this housewith Birdie’s son Ronald, who attended Boulder High School and the
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University of Colorado–Boulder.
The sisters sold the house at 971 Arapahoe Ave. on the same day that they purchased the subject
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property from the Parsons in 1970.Virginia lived in the upper apartment of the house while Birdie
(and sometimes Ronald) lived in the basement apartment. Ronald was a teacher by 1974, working at
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Otis High School on the eastern plains.
Birdie and Virginia’s next door neighborat 1004 Arapahoe Ave. (see HIS2025-00274), Minnie Parsons,
had made Birdie and Virginia personal representatives for her estate. When Minnie died in December
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1982, she left her estate to the sisters. Birdie died in Boulder on January 8, 1987.She left both houses
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to Virginia, who sold both in 1989: 1004 Arapahoe Ave. on January 12, 1989and 990 Arapahoe Ave. a
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few months later on April 20, 1989.Virginia died on October 14, 2006 (aged 82).
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Figure 17.Left: Birdie Crowellat Urbana High School in 1934.Right: Virginia Campbell at Urbana High School
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in 1942.
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Boulder City Directory, 1959. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/records/909741360
76
Boulder City Directory, 1974. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/records/1502390447
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Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/186057942
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"U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; School Name:University of Colorado; Year:1968.
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1265/records/272237505
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Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/186072299
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Boulder City Directory, 1974. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/records/1502368617
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Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11103031/birdie-e-crowell
82
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/183396439
83
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/183401090
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"U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; Urbana High School; Year:1934
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1265/records/319067496
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"U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; Urbana High School; Year:1942 https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1265/records/76620540
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 19 of 52
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Figure 18.Ronald Crowell (on the left) as a drum major at Boulder High School, 1964.
Boulder Presbyterian Senior Housing (1989 – present)
The current owners purchased the property in 1989.
P URPOSE AND C RITERIA FOR THE B OARD’S D ECISION
Buildings proposed fordemolition(asdefined in Section 9-16-1, B.R.C. 1981)that are not located in a
historic district or designated as alandmark but areolder than50 years old are reviewed pursuant to
Section 9-11-23, B.R.C. 1981, using criteria defined by Section 9-11-1, Purpose and Legislative Intent,
and Section 9-11-2, City Council May Designate or Amend Landmarks and Historic Districts.The
Significance Criteria for Individual Landmarks(link)wasadopted by the Landmarks Board on Sept. 17,
1975.
S TAFF A NALYSIS
CRITERION1: INDIVIDUALLANDMARKELIGIBILITY
The following is a result of staff’s research of the property relative to the Significance Criteria for
Individual Landmarks(link).
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE:
Summary:The building at 990 ArapahoeAve. meets the following significance criteria:
1.Dateof Construction:1922
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"U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; School Name:Boulder High School; Year:1964.
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1265/records/920160009
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 20 of 52
Elaboration: County Records list the building constructed in 1922 and newspaper articles confirm
that Raymond C. “Roy” Teegarden constructed the house around that time. A photograph of the
house dated 1922 confirms that the house exterior was complete by 1922.
2. Association with Persons or Events: The Clapp family (residents 1922-1970), The Crowell-Campbell
family (resident 1970-1989)
Elaboration: The two families that lived in the house were working professionals who exemplify the
cultural and social heritage of the community: The Clapp family purchased the house soon after it was
built and lived there for nearly five decades. Roy Clapp was a grocer and worked at the University
Hill Grocery Store for 23 years; Jennie Clapp was highly involved in Boulder civic and social
organizations. Their two sons, Robert and Charles served in the United States military before and
during the Second World War. Birdie Crowell and Virginia Campbell were sisters, each independent
professionals. Birdie worked as a court clerk in Boulder District Court for more than 15 years.
Virginia was a secretary for a law firm.
Distinction in the Development of the Community: The house is significant for its connection to
different themes in the cultural, social and political history of Boulder, in particular as an example of
working-class housing constructed prior to the Great Depression (1929 – 1939) and converted to
multi-family housing as Boulder experienced housing shortages for working professionals during and
after the Second World War.
Elaboration: The dominance of the education and health services, and lack of manufacturing
industries buffered Boulder in the early years of the Great Depression. Small, affordable housing
was welcomed, and many of the houses were converted to multi-family use as the economy
struggled to recover during the 1940s, during and after the Second World War. The house provided
housing for multiple family units during this time. The employment of women increased during the
war years, but independent working women remained relatively rare until 1974 when the Equal
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Credit Opportunity Act was signed in to law. Sisters Birdie and Virginia were ahead of this trend,
working as independent professionals from 1953. Birdie worked as a legal secretary and then as
court clerk in Boulder District Court; Virginia worked as a legal secretary for three decades.
4. Recognition by Authorities: Front Range Research Associates, Inc. 1990 Boulder Survey of Historic
Places.
Elaboration: The 990 Arapahoe Ave. historic building inventory record (link) from 1990 noted no
known past residents, but found the building represents a type, period, or method of construction”
finding the “building, constructed in 1922, is representative of Boulder’s 1920s bungalow-style
architecture. The building is noteworthy for its shiplap siding, curved porch hood, and pergolas.”
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
Summary: The building at 990 Arapahoe Ave. meets the following significance criteria:
1. Recognized Period or Style: Craftsman Bungalow
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Rudolph, Katie. “A Bank For All People: Remembering The Women’s Bank.” March 22, 2022. Denver Public Library.
https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/denver/bank-all-people-remembering-womens-bank
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 21 of 52
Elaboration: The Bungalow form was popular in Colorado from about 1900 to the 1930s due to its
simplicity and utility. Key characteristics include the gabled roof, the overhanging eaves, simple
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horizontal lines, and vertically proportioned double-hung windows. The house has a distinctive
arched hood porch and pergolas, original to the construction of the house.
2. Architect or Builder of Prominence: None Observed
Elaboration: Raymond “Roy” C. Teagarden constructed the house. Roy built a few houses in Boulder
but was better known as a plumber.
3. Artistic Merit: Vernacular expressions of the Craftsman style
Elaboration: The artistic features of the house include the Craftsman-inspired combined wood
shingle with the narrow horizontal wood siding on the main part of the house. Window trim,
hooded porch.
4. Example of the Uncommon: The hooded porch roof is uncommon in Boulder.
Elaboration: The hooded porch roof is original to the house and an uncommon feature.
5. Indigenous Qualities: None identified.
ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE:
Summary: The property at 990 Arapahoe Ave. meets the following significance criteria:
1. Site Characteristics: The site retains a traditional lawn between the house and the street and
includes multiple mature trees. The site has been modified to remove the accessory building at the
rear (date unknown). The rear of the property has been paved.
2. Compatibility with Site: The house is compatible with its residential lot, and retains its original
setbacks from the properties to the east and west and from Arapahoe Avenue.
3. Geographic Importance: The building, along with the adjacent houses constructed during the same
time period, are an established and familiar visual feature along Arapahoe Avenue and visually
prominent across from the Boulder Public Library.
4. Environmental Appropriateness: The setback and vegetation on the lot are complementary to its
site and surrounding area.
5. Area Integrity: The property is not located within an identified potential historic district, however,
the area retains an eclectic and transitional character that has remained relatively stable for over 50
years. See analysis for “Relationship to the Character of the Neighborhood” below.
CRITERION 2: RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD
The property is located in an area that has an eclectic character, with a transitional mix of public,
institutional, commercial and mixed-density residential. The property, along with the south side of the
900 and 1000 blocks of Arapahoe Avenue, is zoned Residential High-2. The main branch of the Boulder
Public Library and the Civic Area are located on the north side of Arapahoe Avenue, with residential
neighborhoods (zoning Residential Mixed-1 and Residential Low-1) located to the west and north. To the
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“Colorado’s Historic Architecture & Engineering Guide.” 2008. History Colorado. https://www.historycolorado.org/bungalow
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 22 of 52
east, properties along Broadway are zoned Business Community-1 and Business Transitional-2. The area
is defined by this transitional and eclectic character.
The current zoning reflects the eclectic character of the area since its development in the early 1870s
when the rail first arrived in Boulder. Arapahoe Avenue (Highway 7), previously called Valley View Road,
was the primary east-west route through Boulder and into Boulder Canyon until the Boulder-Denver
Turnpike opened in 1952 and the railroad tracks were removed from Water Street (now known as
Canyon Boulevard). Historically, many automobile-related businesses were located along Arapahoe
Avenue, including gas and service stations, early motels and an automobile park at Eben G. Fine Park.
Historically, the property on the north side of Arapahoe Avenue was platted into smaller lots, with
individual residences and businesses. The City of Boulder began purchasing properties in the 1970s for
parking and recreational use, and in 1993, completed construction of the main branch of the Boulder
Public Library.
On the south side of Arapahoe Avenue, the most significant change was the construction of Presbyterian
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Manor (1050 Arapahoe Ave.) in 1963. The eleven-story tower rises approximately 103 feet and was
constructed prior to the establishment of a 55-foot height limit in 1972. The three-story multi-family
building at 964 Arapahoe Ave. was constructed in 1973.
The relationship of the building at 976 Arapahoe Ave. to the character of the surrounding area has
remained relatively stable for over fifty years. The four houses along Arapahoe Avenue are prominently
visible and recognizable visual landmarks within the neighborhood. Together, the four buildings anchor
this section of Arapahoe Avenue and represent the area’s early period of development.
Figure 19. Looking southeast at the neighborhood from a balcony within the public library toward Reeks’ Addition.
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Boulder County Assessor. “1050 Arapahoe Avenue real estate appraisal.” 1963-1977. Call no. 880-Arapahoe-1050. Carnegie Library for Local
History, Boulder. https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A101671
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 23 of 52
Figure 20. Looking west along Arapahoe Avenue from the intersection of Broadway and Arapahoe Avenue around
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1964(left) and 2025 (right).Google Street View(link).
Figure 21. Left: Looking east along Arapahoe Avenue from 976 Arapahoe Avenue (foreground) to the Presbyterian
th
Manor Apartments beyond. Right: Looking west along Arapahoe Avenue from the corner of 11St.
CRITERION 3 AND 4: CONDITION OF THE BUILDING AND THE ESTIMATED COST OF RESTORATION OR
REPAIR
The applicanthas submitted information on the condition of the buildingand the estimated cost of
restoration or repair. See Attachment A – Application Materials. A summary includes:
APPLICANT DESCRIPTIONSTAFF NOTE990
ROOFING Deteriorated metal roofs at all Existing roof material is asphalt, $36,720
four structures require full and was last replaced 13 years
replacement due toage and ago, in 2012. The expected
corrosion. lifespan of a residential asphalt
roof is 15-20 years.
EXTERIOR The homes exhibit No cost estimateprovidedfor $0
ENVELOPE weathered/damaged siding with siding repair or replacement.
extensivereplacement needs. 976
and 1004 require completely new
siding systems.
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“Broadway Street and Arapahoe Avenue intersection.” C. 1964. Call No. 497-3-10. Carnegie Library for Local History, Boulder.
https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A78709
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 24 of 52
MECHANICAL All four houses have outdated hot A Mechanical permit to replace $25,380
SYSTEMS water heaters and HVAC units the hot water heater was issued
that are near or past useful life; in 1991.
several systems are either
inefficient or inoperable.
ELECTRICAL 986 \[976\], 990, and 1004 require No permits are on file for $38,610
& PLUMBING significant electrical upgrades to electrical work in the last 25
address safety and functionality. years.
INTERIORS Flooring, kitchens, bathrooms, $29,100
and fixtures are in poor condition
and require renovation to meet
code and livability standards.
WINDOWS & Deteriorated or non-operable No cost estimate provided for $0
DOORS windows reduce weather door and window repair or
protection and energy replacement. Windows appear to
performance. be original, with storm windows.
UTILITIES 986 \[976\], 990, and 1004 require $37,800
significant electrical upgrades and
new sewer lines to address safety
and functionality.
OTHER General req’s, demolition, $53,865
CONST. concrete, steel and carpentry
COSTS
SOFT COSTS GC staffing, overhead/profit, $23,863
permit and insurance
TOTAL COST $245,338
EST. SIZE 2,016 SF
EST. COST $122/SF
PER SQUARE
FOOT
The estimated cost of restoration or repairs for the house at 990 Arapahoe Ave. is $245,338, or
approximately $122/square foot. While the building appears to have been maintained over time and be
in good structural condition, no significant investment has been made in upgrading the building systems
or interior or exterior finishes in the recent past, with the exception a new water heater in 1991 and
reroofing the house in 2012. The estimated cost is well below the average cost of new residential
construction in Boulder in 2025 ($500-$750/SF), and in line with average restoration costs ($200-
$1000/SF).
The applicant states the cost is unfeasible, as it would take over a decade to recover the cost using funds
generated from net rental income. While staff understands the desire to cover the cost of maintenance
and repair solely with rental income, staff notes that the current owner purchased the property 39 years
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 25 of 52
ago and while the properties have been maintained, it does not appear that significant investment to
the building systems or materials has been made to the property in that time.
R ECOMMENDED M OTION
Issue a Stay-of-Demolition
If the Landmarks Board finds the building may be eligible for individual landmark designation based
upon its historic, architectural, and environmental significance, and that it has not been demonstrated
that the condition and estimated cost of restoration or repair is unreasonable, staff recommends the
following motion language:
I move that the Landmarks Board issue a stay-of-demolition for the building located at 990 Arapahoe
Ave. for a period not to exceed 180 days from the day the application was accepted by the city manager
in order to explore alternatives to demolishing the buildings.
A 180-day stay period would expire on April 25, 2026 (180 days from Oct. 27, 2025 when the Landmarks
Board review fee was paid).
A LTERNATE M OTION
Issue Historic Preservation Approval
If the Landmarks Board finds the building not eligible for individual landmark designation based upon its
historic, architectural, and environmental significance, staff recommends the following motion
language:
I move the Landmarks Board approve the application to demolish the building at 990 Arapahoe Ave.,
finding that the building does not meet the criteria set forth in section 9-11-23(f), B.R.C. 1981.
F INDINGS
Staff recommends that the Landmarks Board adopt the following findings:
A stay-of-demolition for the property at 990 Arapahoe Ave. is appropriate based on the criteria set forth
in Section 9-11-23(f), B.R.C. 1981 in that:
1. The property may be eligible for individual landmark designation based upon its significance for
as an example of the Craftsman Bungalow style and its distinctive arched hood porch roof; and
for its association with the Clapp and Crowell-Campbell families, who exemplify the cultural and
social heritage of the community; and for its environmental significance as part of a block of
four houses dating to the area’s early residential development.
2. The property contributes to the character of the neighborhood as an intact representative of
the area’s past;
3. It has not been demonstrated to be impractical or economically unfeasible to rehabilitate the
building.
A TTACHMENTS
A: Application Materials
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 26 of 52
Attachment A - Application Materials
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 27 of 52
Attachment A - Application Materials
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 28 of 52
Attachment A - Application Materials
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 29 of 52
Attachment A - Application Materials
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 30 of 52
Attachment A - Application Materials
Item 5C 990 Arapahoe Ave Memo 12.03.25Page 31 of 52
Attachment A - Application Materials
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