HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 5D 1004 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 1927 and an
accessory building constructed in 1950 at 1004 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: 1004 Arapahoe Ave.
Legal Description: TRACT 3 L OF OUTLOT 3 BLK 1 REEKS
Case Number: HIS2025-00274
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., 990 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 1004 Arapahoe Ave. is eligible for designation and
significant as an example of the vernacular Craftsman Bungalow style and for its environmental
significance as part of a block of four houses 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
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 1 of 51
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 1004 Arapahoe Ave. (HIS2025-00274) and the houses on three
neighboring properties: 976 Arapahoe Ave. (HIS2025-00271), 986 Arapahoe Ave. (HIS2025-00272),
and 990 Arapahoe Ave. (HIS2025-00273).
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: 1927 (County Records)
Zoning: RH-2 (Residential - High 2)
Lot Size: 4,445 square feet (County Assessor)
House Size: 672 square feet (County Assessor, above ground finished area)
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The house at 1004 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 west by 990 Arapahoe Ave. (see
HIS2025-00273) and on the west by 1050 Arapahoe Ave. 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 an example of bungalow architecture and features overhanging eaves and a combination of
shingle and weatherboard siding. See the 1004 Arapahoe Ave. historic building inventory record (link).
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 2 of 51
Figure 1. Map of central Boulder showing location of 1004 Arapahoe Ave. (location flagged). eMapLink(link).
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Figure 2. Location of 1004 Arapahoe Ave. south of Arapahoe Avenue between 11Street and Lincoln Place and
opposite the main branch of Boulder Public Library. eMapLink(link).
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 3 of 51
Figure 3.Aerial view of context. From left to right the properties are 976 Arapahoe, 986 Arapahoe, 990 Arapahoe
and 1004 Arapahoe. Subject property (986) outlined in yellow. Property lines are estimates from eMapLink and
not intended for survey purposes. eMapLink(link).
B UILDING D ESCRIPTION
Figure 4. North(front)elevation showing the façade with nestled gable porch and craftsman bungalow details.
Provided by applicant.
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 4 of 51
The building at 1004 Arapahoe Ave. is a one-story house constructed in 1937 in the Craftsman Bungalow
style. The buildinghas a moderately-pitched front gable roof with decorative brackets and exposed
raftertailsand purlins. The footprint of the building is rectangularwith a rectangularporch projection to
the northand a small bay projection on the west. The building is frame construction and is clad in
decorative shingles with an alternating pattern on the lower portion and main gable, with narrow lap
siding in the middle. The roof is asphalt shingle with a centrally located brick chimney. The building rests
on a concrete foundation.
The north elevation, facing Arapahoe, features a slightly off-centered gabled porch nestled below the
main roof form. The door is centrally located, flanked byan irregular 3-part window to the right, and a
square, slider window to the left. The porch includes Craftsman Bungalow detailing, including tapered
columns, purlins, a substantialporch header and paneled siding on the porch gable. The porch is
accessed by a small concrete stoop with concrete posts and a metal railing.
Figure 5. Northwest corner showing the west elevation with exposed raftertails and purlins, trellis and tapered
porch columns. Provided by applicant.
The west elevation has five windows: one three-part window centered between the porch and bay
projection, two double-hung centered on the projection and two square windows at the basement level.
A trellis screens the west side of the front porch.
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 5 of 51
Figure 6.Eastelevation of the house showing the two double hung windows. Provided by applicant.
The eastelevationhas four windows; two doublehung spaced evenly along the side, and two square
windows at the basement level.
Figure 7.Southwest corner showing the gable roof, bay projection and window configuration.Provided by
applicant.
The south (rear) elevation has a door on the far left side and two windows: one centrally located
rectangular with decorative glass, and one square on the right side of the façade.
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 6 of 51
Figure 8.Front (north elevation) and west elevation of the accessory building, a one-car garage constructed in
1950.
The accessory building constructed in 1950 and located at the rear of the property is a one-story, one-
car garage. It has a front gable and garage door that consumes most of the façade. A pergola structure
extends from the east side into the yard. The garage has exposed raftertails but is otherwise simple in
design.
Analysis of Integrity
Permits in file with the Planning and Development Dept. are minimal and include the original permit for
City sewer service dated March 1928; the construction of the accessory building (one-car garage) in
1950; mechanical permits to relocate the gas meter in 1989 and replacethe furnace in 1992; anda
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permit to re-roofthe building in 1994and 2014.
Figure 9.Left: c. 1949image of the house showing original window configuration, varied decorative siding,
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concrete stoop and foundation, tapered columns, substantial porch header,and porch trellis.Right: Similar view
in 2025.Provided by applicant.
1
Planning and Development Services records. http://lfprod/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=2619312&dbid=0&repo=LF8PROD
2
“1004 Arapahoe Avenue real estate appraisal card.” 1929-1956. Call No. 880-Arapahoe-1004. Carnegie Library for Local History,
Boulder.https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A91117
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 7 of 51
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Figure 10.Left: 1990 image of the front and side including detailing and bay projection.The west elevation
includes a small shed-roof bay. Right: Similar view in 2025. Provided by applicant.
Historic integrityis 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).
The building is in its original location. The original design of the building has been minimally altered,
with the original Craftsman Bungalow design intact. The front window openinghas beenmodified. The
building retainsmost of its historic materials, notably the exposed raftertails and purlins, decorative
shingles, narrow horizontal siding, panelingin the porch gableand tapered porch columns. The majority
of the original wood windows were replaced with vinyl units within the existing openings. Thebuilding
demonstrates vernacular workmanship, with decorative shingles with an alternating pattern.The
building’s ability to convey a feeling of its time and the setting of the house on its property have been
retaineddespite the site changes at the back of the house. The building’ssurrounding context has
changed over time, most notably the construction of the Presbyterian Manor in 1963, the Boulder Public
Library in 1990. However, along with the three adjacent houses constructedduring the same period, it
retains its historic setting along ArapahoeAvenue. Overall, the building had retained its ability to convey
its association with its past residents and this period of development in the neighborhood.
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“1004 Arapahoe Avenue historic building inventory record.” 1990. Call No. 780 Arapahoe 1004. Carnegie Library for Local History, Boulder.
https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A28774
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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
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 8 of 51
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Figure 11. Left: The c. 1929 site 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.
The 1851 treaty defined the area as territory of the Arapaho and Cheyenne and promised to protect the
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naturalresources and tribal hunting grounds from useby 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 moreoutside of the town platto would-be settlers. Marinus Smith was one such recipient.
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“1004 Arapahoe Avenue real estate appraisal card.” 1929-1956. Call No. 880-Arapahoe-1004. Carnegie Library for Local History,
Boulder.https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A91117
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“Staff Land Acknowledgement.” City of Boulder. https://bouldercolorado.gov/projects/staff-land-acknowledgment
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National Park Service. “Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 (Horse Creek Treaty.” https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/horse-creek-treaty.htm
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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.
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 9 of 51
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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 Hillwho 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
thth13, 14
between Arapahoe Avenue and College Avenue, from about 6Street to 17Street.Within this
area, Smith platted roads, blocks, and lots including “Smith’s Addition to Boulder” and the smaller
thth
“Menlo Park” in the blocks south of Arapahoe Avenue between 9and 11Streets.
Marinus Smith sold the land between Smith’s Addition and Menlo Park to Frank Weisenhorn and Charles
Voegtle on Sept. 16, 1875. Weisenhornand Voegtletook 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.
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Figure 12. 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.
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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
10
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181315349
11
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181315349
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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 northeastquarter of
Section 36, Township 1N, Range 71W.
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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
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 10 of 51
Figure 13. 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.
Figure 14. 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.
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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
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“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
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 11 of 51
Figure 15. 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.
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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’FishingPond.
18
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181767303
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Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181680423
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Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181445733
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Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181587199
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 12 of 51
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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.
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.
22
Find a Grave. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60525/records/39839712
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Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/50000019/anna-reeks_ives
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Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/50000019/anna-reeks_ives
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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
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Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/64871718/william-j-reeks
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Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181949358
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 13 of 51
Figure 16. 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
The house was built in 1927 by Frank L. Creamer, who used the property as rental unit until 1944 when
it changed hands several times before being purchased by Richard and Minnie Parsonsin 1956. Richard
was a machinist for the Public Service Company.
Details of each property owner follows:
Frank Leroy Creamer and Cora B. Creamer (1927 – 1944)
FrankCreamer was a carpenter. Over a five-yearperiod between 1924 and 1929, Frank constructed at
least five Craftsman style bungalows with a front gable and wide front porch. He built a house at 1306
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Arapahoe Ave. in 1924, where he lived with his wife Cora and daughter Laura, and a house at 1316
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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
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“F.L. Creamer has taken out a permit for a frame dwelling, 1306 Arapahoe, to cost $2,500.” July 11, 1924. Boulder Daily Camera.
https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=BDC19240711-01.2.42
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 14 of 51
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Arapahoe Ave. in 1926,which he rented. Both of these houses on the south side of Arapahoe Avenue
were demolished in 1993 as part offlood mitigation effortsand the eventual construction of the Boulder
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Creek Path.Frank also constructed 1511 Grove St. in 1927, also as a rental property.
In 1927, the city issued Frank two permits to build houses at 1004 Arapahoe Ave. (subject property) and
976 Arapahoe Ave. (see HIS2025-00271).According to the newspaper announcement, each frame house
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was to include “four rooms and a bath and will be heated with hot air.”
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Frank Creamer was born on September 5,1879in Iowa.He married Cora Belle Craig in Albion,
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Nebraska on August 5, 1905.The couple lived in Nebraska, where Frank worked as a carpenter and
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saw planer, until 1924 when they moved to Boulder.
After Frank completed construction of the house at1004Arapahoe Ave., the Creamers rented it to
Richard and Minnie Parsons. The Parsons moved into theCreamer’s other house at 976 Arapahoe Ave.
(see HIS2025-00271) in 1932. Frank and Cora Creamer then rented the subject property to Harriet Critz
and her sons, Alvaand Allen.
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Figure 17. Left: Frank L. Creamer.Right: Cora Creamer (second from the left) during the celebration of the 1959
Boulder Centennial, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Boulder in 1859. Themembers of the group are the
Chat-A-While Club identified as (from left to right): Mrs. Martha Locke, Mrs. F. L. Creamer, Mrs. Ernestine
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Pettengill, Mrs. Ovida Mathiason, Miss Pearl Howe, and Mrs. John Claybrook.
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“F.L. Creamer has taken out a permit for a four-room home at 1316 Arapahoe to cost $2000.” January 14, 1926. Boulder Daily Camera.
https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=BDC19260114-01.2.48
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“50 New Residences Costing $300,000 started in 1927.” December 27, 1927. Boulder Daily Camera.
https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=BDC19271227-01.2.48
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“The city today issued permits to F. L. Creamer to build two $2,000 houses in Reeks’ addition.” November 12, 1927. Boulder Daily Camera.
https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=BDC19271112-01.2.74
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The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri;World War Ii Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) For the State of Colorado; Record Group
Title:Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number:147; Box or Roll Number:036.
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1002/records/17504638
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State Library and Archives, Nebraska State Historical Society; Lincoln, Nebraska;Nebraska, Marriage Records.
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61335/records/69597
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Year: 1930; Census Place: Boulder, Boulder, Colorado; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 0051; FHL microfilm: 2339966.
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6224/records/101348251
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Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11102962/frank-leroy-creamer
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“1959 Boulder Centennial: Pioneer costumes.” 1959. Call No. BHS 186-2-15. Boulder Historical Society/Museum of Boulder.
https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A70133
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 15 of 51
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Figure 18. Known houses built by Frank L. Creamer in Boulder include (top, from left) 976 Arapahoe Ave., 1511
404142
Grove St., (bottom, from left) 1004 Arapahoe Ave.(subject property), 1306 Arapahoe Ave.and 1316
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Arapahoe Ave.Creamer’s signature vernacular included front gable Craftsman style bungalows.
Harriet “Hattie” A. Critz; Alva WilsonCritz, Allen JordanCritz (1932–1944)
The Critz family, including Harriet Critz and her sons, twin brothers Alva and Allen rented the house
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starting in 1932. Allen Critz purchased the house from Frank Creamer in August 1944but sold it just a
few months later.
45
HattieCritz was bornHarriet A. Briggs on March 25, 1861in Missouri.She marriedChristopher C. Critz,
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on June 11, 1882.Their children included twins born on October 28,1883: Alva Wilsonand Allen
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Jordan;as well as younger siblings Wade and Nola.Christopher died on February23,1912 (aged 54).
39
“976 Arapahoe Avenue historic building inventory record.” 1990. Call No. 780 Arapahoe 976. Carnegie Library for Local History,
Boulder.https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A28721
40
“1511 Grove Street real estate appraisal.” 1929-1956. Call No. 880-Grove-1511. Carnegie Library for Local History,
Boulder.https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A99313
41
“1004 Arapahoe Avenue real estate appraisal card..” 1929-1956. Call No. 880-Arapahoe-1004. Carnegie Library for Local History,
Boulder.https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A91117
42
“1306 Arapahoe Avenue real estate appraisal card.” 1929-1956. Call No. 880-Arapahoe-1306. Carnegie Library for Local History,
Boulder.https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A91170
43
“1316 Arapahoe Avenue real estate appraisal card.” 1929-1956. Call No. 880-Arapahoe-1316. Carnegie Library for Local History,
Boulder.https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A99497
44
https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181573140
45
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/82214228/harriet-a.-critz
46
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/74422033/christopher_columbus-critz
47
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/96269713/alva_wilson-critz
48
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/112389740/allen_jordan-critz
49
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/30690994
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 16 of 51
50
Alva, who was a dentist, moved to Boulder to work at the Boulder Dental Co. in about1916.Alva
lodged at a number of different places between 1916 and 1932.
His twin brother, Allen remained in Memphis, Missouri and worked a real estate agent, living with his
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mother and younger brother.Hattie and Allen frequently visited Alva in Boulder.Allen moved to
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West Palm Beach, Floridaaround 1924and stayed there until about 1928, when he began advertising
54
his real estate business from the same location as his brother’s dental offices.All three members of
th55
the Critz family, Hattie and sons Alva and Allen, are listed as living at 2461 10St.in 1928although
Hattie maintained her house in Memphis, Missouri. By 1930, Alva Critz was residing at the Boulderado
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Hotel.Hattie, Alva and Allenbegan renting 1004 Arapahoe Ave. around 1932.
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Hattie died on August 20, 1938(aged 77)and is buried in Memphis, Missouri.Alva and Allen continued
59
to live in the house. Alva briefly purchased the house from Frank and CoraCreamer in August 1944.He
60th
sold it a few months later in December 1944 to Curtis and Olga Cook.Alva and Allen moved to 827 16
61
St.
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Figure 19. Allen Critz, circa 1940.
50
Boulder City Directory, 1916. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/records/821435446
51
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/111602885
52
“A. J. Critz of Memphis, Mo., twin brother of Dr. A. W. Critz, has arrived to spend the summer with him and their mother, who came three
weeks ago. They are located at 2127 Sixteenth street.” June 24, 1924. Boulder Daily Camera.
https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=BDC19240624-01.2.56and “Dr. A. W. Critz, of the same company, has his mother. Mrs.
Hattie Critz of Memphis Mo. here for a visit. They will spend several months here, all stopping at 1227 Pine street.”
https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=BDC19170727-01.2.57
53
Boulder Daily Camera, Volume 34, Number 289, February 20, 1925 https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=BDC19250220-
01.2.53
54
“See A. J. Critz, Room 10, Voegtle Building.” May 3, 1928. Boulder Daily Camera.
https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=BDC19280503-01.2.102.3
55
Boulder City Directory, 1928. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/records/837387615
56
Boulder City Directory, 1930. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/records/837387615
57
Boulder City Directory, 1932. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/records/837387615
58
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/82214228/harriet-a.-critz
59
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181573140
60
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/181584696
61
Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census. 1913-1/1/1972.Population Schedules for the 1950 Census, 1950 - 1950. Washington, DC:
National Archives at Washington, DC. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62308/records/19120250
62
“Critz clippings.” Carnegie Library for Local History, Boulder.
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 17 of 51
Curtis Ivan Cookand Olga J. Cook (1944–1945)
Curtis and Olga Cook purchased the property at the end of December 1944and sold it to Lloyd and Cora
Hunt nine months later in September 1945. It is unlikely that Curtis and Olga lived at the house.
Lloyd Cole Huntand Cora “Inez” Hunt (1945-1952)
Lloyd and InezHunt, and their son Harold, moved to Boulder from Nebraska. Harold attended Boulder
High School. Harold died in 1948 and Lloyd the following year. Inez married Frank Lukes in 1952 and sold
the house to Bud and Mabel Shaw.
Lloyd wasborn March 7, 1902, nine miles southwest of Ord, Nebraska on his parents’ farmin the Vinton
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Valley.Inez was born Cora Inez Harrison on February 25,1906also near Ord.Her father, William
Henry Harrison, was one of the earliest white settlers in the Vinton Valley, filinga claim in 1874 and
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living on the land by 1882.Lloyd and Inez married on February 25, 1925. Harold was born on August
14,1931on the family farm.
The family moved to Boulder in 1944 where Harold attended Boulder High School. He played clarinet in
the band and orchestra, was active in intra-mural athletics and a member of the American Legion junior
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baseball team. Harold drowned on July 30, 1948at the age of 17.Lloyd passedaway the following
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year, on December 19,1949 (aged 47). Inez, who was active in the Women’s Club of Boulderremained
in the house until 1952 when she married Frank Joseph Lukesand moved to Great Falls, Montana. She
sold the house to Bud and Mabel Shaw in 1952.
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Figure 20. HaroldHunt, c. 1948.
63
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134629778/lloyd-cole-hunt
64
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134629610/cora_%22inez%22-inez-lukes
65
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20934191/william_henry-harrison
66
“In Memorium.” October 17, 1948. The Owl. https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=OWL19481017-01.2.27
67
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134629351/harold-lloyd-hunt
68
“Two Couple Say Vows in Double Ceremony Saturday.”Oct 13, 1952. Boulder Daily Camera
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Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134629351/harold-lloyd-hunt
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 18 of 51
Bud HiramShawand Mabel Bessie Shaw (1952 – 1956)
Bud and Mabel Shaw purchased the property on October 3, 1952. Bud died in December of the same
year. Mabel continued to live in the house until she sold it to Minnie and Richard Parsons in 1956.
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Bud was born onMay 13, 1888 in Jewell, Kansas.Mabel was born Mabel Bessie Cook on August 29,
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1890in Burr Oak, Kansas.They married on February 12, 1913 in Burr Oak.The family, including
children Ruth (born 1914), Milo (born 1915) and Gene(born 1924)lived in Nebraska before they moved
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to Boulder in1932.Bud worked for the City Plumbing & Heating Co.Mabelwas dieticianand director
of the lunch program for Fairview Schools from 1950 until her retirement in 1959. According to the
Boulder Daily Camera article about her retirementshe “has been in charge of the four Fairview kitchens
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in the district and is noted for the excellent quality of meals she plans and prepares.”
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After Bud diedon December 16, 1952, Mabel continued to live in the house.In 1955, Donald Dagg
boarded in the basement. Mabel married JosephFoote in 1956and sold the house shortly after.
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Figure 21. Left: Bud Shaw, circa 1900.Right: Mabel Shaw Foote in 1959.
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National Archives at St. Louis; St Louis, MO, USA; World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) For the State of Colorado; Record Group Title:
Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147; Box or Roll Number: 125.
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1002/records/17737987
71
“Mabel Foote.” January 12, 1980. Boulder Daily Camera.
72
Boulder City Directory, 1936. P. 88.
73
Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census. 1913-1/1/1972.Population Schedules for the 1950 Census, 1950 - 1950. Washington, DC:
National Archives at Washington, DC. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62308/records/19559235
74
“Mrs. Mabel Foote Retires from Fairview District.” May 30, 1959. Boulder Daily Camera.
75
Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11112389/bud_h-shaw
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“Bud Shaw.” Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11112389/bud_h-shaw
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“Mrs. Mabel Shaw Foote.” May 30, 1959. Boulder Daily Camera.
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 19 of 51
Richard Harry Parsons and Minnie Josephine Parsons (1930 – 1932; 1956 – 1983)
Richard and Minnie Parsons rented the house from Frank Creamer in 1930 until about 1932. They then
rented 976 Arapahoe (see HIS2025-00271) between 1932 and 1936. They purchased the house in 1956
and lived there for nearly three decades.
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Richard was born on January 23, 1891 in Denver. Minnie was born Minnie Josephine Jackson on July
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29, 1893 in Slater, Missouri. They married on May 25, 1914 in Kansas City, Missouri. Richard had
apprenticed as a machinist for the railroads. They moved to Boulder in 1930 when he accepted a job at
the Public Service Company.
Richard and Minnie moved outside of Boulder to Valmont during the 1940s and 1950s, and Richard
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continued to work for the Public Service Co. They moved back to Boulder in 1956 when they
purchased the house at 1004 Arapahoe Ave. from Mabel Shaw Foote.
Richard died in 1972 leaving the house to Minnie. The couple did not have children, and Minnie
entrusted her next door neighbors, Birdie Crowell and Virginia Campbell (see 990 Arapahoe Ave.
HIS2025-00273) as personal representatives for her estate. When Minnie died in December 1982, she
left her estate to the sisters.
Virginia Campbell (1983-1989)
Virginia owned the house for six years but likely did not live there since she lived next door at 990
Arapahoe Ave. (see HIS2025-00273) with her sister, Birdie.
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Birdie and Virginia moved to Boulder from Urbana, Illinois in 1954. Birdie “worked as a court clerk in
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Boulder District Court for more than 15 years. She retired in 1981.” Virginia was a secretary for legal
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firms Hutchinson & Hutchinson and Newcomer & Douglas for about 30 years. The sisters purchased
the house next door at 990 Arapahoe Ave. in 1970 with the assistance of the Parsons family (see
HIS2025-00273), and previously lived at 971 Arapahoe Ave. at the corner of Lincoln Place and Arapahoe
Ave. They likely had known Richard and Minnie Parsons for many years.
78
National Archives at St. Louis; St Louis, MO, USA; World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) For the State of Colorado; Record Group
Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147; Box or Roll Number: 105.
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1002/records/17517499
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“Minnie J. Parsons.” December 15, 1982. Boulder Daily Camera.
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Missouri Marriage Records. Jefferson City, MO, USA: Missouri State Archives. Microfilm.
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1171/records/512015369
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National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: North
Boulder, Boulder, Colorado; Roll: 3404; Page: 12; Enumeration District: 7-32.
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62308/records/19914848
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“Birdie E. Crowell.” January 10, 1987. Boulder Daily Camera.
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“Birdie E. Crowell.” January 10, 1987. Boulder Daily Camera.
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Boulder City Directory, 1974. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/records/1502390447
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 20 of 51
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Birdie died in Boulder on January 8, 1987. She left both houses to Virginia, who sold both in 1989:
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1004 Arapahoe Ave. on January 12, 1989 and 990 Arapahoe Ave. a few months later on April 20,
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1989. Virginia died on October 14, 2006 (aged 82).
Boulder Presbyterian (1989 – present)
The current owners purchased the property in 1989.
P URPOSE AND C RITERIA FOR THE B OARD’S D ECISION
Buildings proposed for demolition (as defined in Section 9-16-1, B.R.C. 1981) that are not located in a
historic district or designated as a landmark but are older than 50 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) was adopted by the Landmarks Board on Sept. 17,
1975.
S TAFF A NALYSIS
CRITERION 1: INDIVIDUAL LANDMARK ELIGIBILITY
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 1004 Arapahoe Ave. meets the following significance criteria:
1. Date of Construction: 1927
Elaboration: County Records list the building constructed in 1927 and newspaper article confirm that
Frank L. Creamer constructed the house that year.
2. Association with Persons or Events: None Observed
Elaboration: The families that lived in the house were typically working professionals, including a
dentist, real-estate agent, and machinist. None of the past residents appear to meet the criteria as
historically significant individuals.
2. Distinction in the Development of the Community: The property is an example of working-class
housing constructed prior to the Great Depression (1929 – 1939). Unlike other houses on the block,
this house is not associated with a series of residents who exemplify civic engagement or themes in
cultural, social or political history.
3. Recognition by Authorities: Front Range Research Associates, Inc. 1990 Boulder Survey of Historic
Places.
Elaboration: The 1004 Arapahoe Ave. historic building inventory record (link) from 1995 noted no
known past residents, but found the building “represents a type, period, or method of construction”
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Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11103031/birdie-e-crowell
86
Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/183396439
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Boulder County Records. https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/doc/183401090
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 21 of 51
finding the “building is an example of Bungalow style architecture, which was popular in Colorado
from about 1900 to 1930. Bungalow-style buildings were very popular in Boulder’s residential
neighborhoods. This building features overhanging eaves, and a combination of shingle and
weatherboard siding.”
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
Summary: The building at 1004 Arapahoe Ave. meets the following significance criteria:
1. Recognized Period or Style: Craftsman Bungalow
Elaboration: The Bungalow form was popular in Colorado from about 1900 to the 1930s due to its
simplicity and utility. The extant characteristic elements of this form include the gabled roof, the
overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails, simple horizontal lines, and vertically proportioned
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double-hung windows. The broad front porch with battered porch posts is typical of the
Craftsman Bungalow style in Boulder.
2. Architect or Builder of Prominence: Frank L. Creamer
Elaboration: Creamer located to Boulder in the mid-1920s. In the five years preceding the Wall
Street crash of 1929 and subsequent Great Depression, Frank constructed at least five Craftsman
style bungalows with a front gable and vernacular Craftsman detailing, including 976 Arapahoe (see
HIS2025-00271)
2. 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 and the simple decorative brackets at the gable
ends.
3. Example of the Uncommon: None observed.
4. Indigenous Qualities: None observed.
ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE:
Summary: The property at 1004 Arapahoe Ave. meets the following significance criteria:
1. Site Characteristics: The site retains a traditional characteristics of a residential lot, including a lawn
between the house and the street, multiple mature trees, sidewalk and front walk. 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.
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“Colorado’s Historic Architecture & Engineering Guide.” 2008. History Colorado. https://www.historycolorado.org/bungalow
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 22 of 51
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
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
89
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.
89
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 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 23 of 51
Figure 22. Looking southeast at the neighborhood from a balcony within the public library toward Reeks’ Addition.
Figure 23. 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 24. 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.
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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 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 24 of 51
CRITERION 3 AND 4: CONDITION OF THE BUILDING AND THE ESTIMATED COST OF RESTORATION OR
REPAIR
The applicant has submitted information on the condition of the building and the estimated cost of
restoration or repair. See Attachment A – Application Materials. A summary includes:
APPLICANT DESCRIPTION STAFF NOTE 1004 ARAPAHOE
ROOFING Deteriorated metal roofs at all Existing roof material is asphalt, $30,240
four structures require full and was last replaced 11 years
replacement due to age and ago (2014). Most asphalt roofs
corrosion. are expected to last 15-20 years,
but can be impacted by climate.
The estimate is higher than
expected for an in-kind
replacement on a house this size.
EXTERIOR The homes exhibit Photographs or documentation $48,384
ENVELOPE weathered/damaged siding with that the siding is deteriorated
extensive replacement needs. 976 beyond repair was not submitted,
and 1004 require completely new nor visible from a site visit.
siding systems.
MECHANICAL All four houses have outdated hot A mechanical permit to replace $14,580
SYSTEMS water heaters and HVAC units the furnace was issued in 1992.
that are near or past useful life;
several systems are either
inefficient or inoperable.
ELECTRICAL 986 \[976\], 990, and 1004 require No electrical permits are on file $32,130
& PLUMBING significant electrical upgrades to for 1004 Arapahoe from the last
address safety and functionality. 25 years.
INTERIORS Flooring, kitchens, bathrooms, $25,861
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 window and door repair or
protection and energy replacement
performance.
UTILITIES 986 \[976\], 990, and 1004 require $37,800
new sewer lines to address safety
and functionality.
OTHER General req’s, demolition, $41,594
CONST. concrete, steel and carpentry
COSTS
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 25 of 51
SOFT COSTS GC staffing, overhead/profit, $55,682
permit and insurance
TOTAL COST $286,271
EST. SIZE 1,344 SF
EST. COST $213/SF
PER SQUARE
FOOT
The estimated cost of restoration or repairs for the house at 1004 Arapahoe Ave. is $286,271, or
approximately $213/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 of reroofing (2014) and a
replacement furnace (1992). The estimated cost is 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
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 1004 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:
Item 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 26 of 51
I move the Landmarks Board approve the application to demolish the building at 1004 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 1004 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
its Craftsman Bungalow architectural form built by Frank L. Creamer 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 5D 1004 Arapahoe Ave. 12.03.25Page 27 of 51
Attachment A - Application Materials
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Attachment A - Application Materials
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Attachment A - Application Materials
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Attachment A - Application Materials
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Attachment A - Application Materials
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Attachment A - Application Materials
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Attachment A - Application Materials
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Attachment A - Application Materials
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Attachment A - Application Materials
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Attachment A - Application Materials
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Attachment A - Application Materials
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