The existing town hall lacks many important amenities of a 21st century town hall….from lack of technological infrastructure, no ADA compliant restrooms, and a two story public building with no elevator to reach the upstairs meeting hall. An underused plot of land at the corner of Main Street and the highway into town created an opportunity to modernize and plan for the future. The present property was owned by the local arts council, and so some of the new facility would become an art gallery, giving the building even broader usage.

With an eye toward creating a modern building that honors the historic building traditions of the region, we offered several solutions with varying approaches to civic, office and gallery uses, sited to add a distinctive gateway to the town. The project itself had to be shelved. The town was unable to negotiate a price for the purchase of the property that was in line with the appraised valuation, and unable to reach a deal, the contract for sale was withdrawn. The town is looking for another suitable location for a town hall with a modified scope, as it will likely not include art gallery space.

Project Team: Ben Wurzer, Holly Paris, Casandra Huff, Amanda Tharp, Nathan Paris
Local Participants: Brandy Reitter
DOLA Regional Manager: Christy Culp

The Arkansas River provides ample recreation opportunity in Buena Vista, but the park at the end of Main Street is primarily used for parking and oversize vehicles, with some river access but few amenities and even fewer places to sit and watch the river.

With a program ranging from boat put-ins to a wedding gazebo, we set about creating a park that would draw visitors and residents from the business district down to the park, with Main Street now terminating with an amphitheater and bandstand overlooking the river. We set aside space for a future events center or even Town Hall, along with a dog park, a community garden and ample parking for park users and for Main Street overflow on busy summer weekends.

Project Team: Kate Lucas, Katie Benz, Ross Williams, and Matthew Breen
Local Participants: Brandy Reitter
DOLA Regional Manager: Christy Culp

Main Street in Buena Vista is the heart of the business district, but it runs perpendicular to Highway 24 which brings many visitors through the town-visitors whom may believe that Buena Vista is made up of highway businesses like service station, box stores and motels. Drawing people down Main Street has proven to be a challenge and so we looked at various ways to let visitors know when to turn off the highway to enjoy the quaint shops, fine dining and historic business district that makes up Buena Vista.

We examined several locations, starting with the corner of Main and Highway 24, as well as down Main Street a bit to where the railroad runs through the town (adjacent to Town Hall). We also looked at creating a different approach at the diagonal street (Cottonwood Avenue) that could divert traffic before the primary intersection.

Project Team: Lyris Sanchez, Ross Williams, Jason Geving, Maddie Meyer, Taylor Mineau, Jeffrey Wood (UTA Supervisor)
Local Participants:Brandy Reitter
DOLA Regional Manager: Christy Culp

Directly after assisting the Town of Olathe with streetscape plans, they immediately wanted assistance with ideas for and updated pocket park downtown. The current state of the park was not great and it was underutilized as a public gathering space due to overgrown trees, no seating and poor paving.

Through coordination with the community for the potential uses, students developed a series of design options which were refined down to a single plan that best represented the community. They plan to use the concept for grants and when complete will hold street dances, farmer’s markets, craft fairs and so many other activities downtown.

Project Team: Keath Flint (MLA), Jill Troiani (MLA), Chris Endreson (Project Coordinator)
Local Participants: Patty Gabriel (Town Administrator), Monique English (Activities Coordinator)
DOLA Regional Manager: Ken Charles

The City of Fruita contacted CCCD with an interest for assistance in understanding the community ideas for improvements to the I-70 gateway into the city. Through a series of meetings and site visits, a unique survey was decided upon to gather that feedback so that it could be gathered at various locations and event in town.

Students developed a survey that was not just multiple choice or fill in the blank, but was also a sketching activity. The goal was to allow all types of people to respond in a way most comfortable to them and in a creative way. The survey response was amazing and through the tabulation of the results provided the city with a list of improvements that they could then break out into projects and look for funding or engineering to accomplish.

Project Team: Wesley Kay (MArch), Chris Endreson (Project Manager)
Local Participants: Michael Bennett (City Manager), Sam Atkins (City Engineer), Fruita City Council
DOLA Regional Manager: Elyse Ackerman

Design work was requested to consider a number of design layouts for downtown features including an intersection reconfiguration, an amphitheater layout, downtown parking ideas and signage recommendations. Designs were incorporated into the town Comprehensive Plan.

Project Team: Sara Morse, Aynslee Joyce, Matt Roth, Mike Tupa (Project Coordinator)
Local Participants: Town Administration Staff and Mayor
DOLA Regional Manager: Don Sandoval

Platteville requested design ideas for how their downtown could be improved to encourage new retail and bring their growing population into the downtown to visit and shop. The design work requested was to cover improvement of the sidewalk pedestrian space, addition of local public square or plaza, addition of planters, pedestrian lighting, trees, banners, etc.

The designs offered recognized the need to improve their main street but also the potential to connect the retail area with a nearby community park. Entry signage and roadway improvements were also highlighted. Some street closure was identified as a potential way to clean up that part of the town and to enhance the main street traffic. Parking was also an important part of the final design. Spray pad plaza’s and room for a farmers market were provided in the designs.

The town readily accepted the design ideas and have incorporated the goals of our study into their newly updated Comprehensive Plan.

Project Team: Nikhila Ramineedi, Sara Morse, Stacy Ester, Haipeng Zhang, Mike Tupa (Project Coordinator)
Local Participants:Town Manager and his Downtown Design Committee
DOLA Regional Manager: Don Sandoval

An historic courthouse from the early part of the 20th century has served the community well for nearly a century, but the building, inefficient in terms of layout, technology and energy uses, needed a significant overhaul. The original scope of work was to provide either an annex or large scale addition/renovation to the building that would allow county functions to thrive into the 21st century. We explored various methodologies for solving the myriad storage and functional problems, interviewing various department heads, as well as county supervisors and making multiple presentations.

Inevitably, issues such as how to renovate without displacing existing offices became critical. In addition to energy usage, it became apparent that ADA compliance was a huge issue, and adjacencies required by various departments led to the realization that perhaps the county offices should move to a new building, leaving courthouse functions to the existing building. Cost and logistics became somewhat paralyzing.

Finally, we learned the hard lesson of “elections have consequences”. With a newly elected board of County Commissioners, the project was shelved in favor of a more modest reworking of the Sheriff’s offices/county lock up. This rendered the courthouse project as non-viable, hence we completed our work without providing a final project.

Project Team: Ben Wurzer, Holly Paris, Casandra Huff, Amanda Tharp, Nathan Paris
Local Participants: Jason Anderson, Linda Joseph, Wendi Maez
DOLA Regional Manager: Christy Cul

The sister communities of Silver Cliff and Westcliffe were in search of better wayfinding and welcoming signage to draw the many visitors who drive through on the highway. Westcliffe boasts a more robust business district, but both communities would benefit from better “brand” identification, and so we set about generating some sign concepts that would please both communities.

The original emphasis was on mining and train culture, but it is hard to overlook two other attributes of the area…certainly the backdrop of the San Juan de Cristo range to the west of the area, and the newly minted status as a “dark sky community” allowing amateur and hobbyist astronomers to use the area for star gazing, comet watching and the like. This status is granted to precious few locales, and the development of the “the bluffs” park area at the western end of Westcliffe became a magnet for telescopes toting visitors. As a result we developed two unique sign approaches, one based on the dark sky theme, and another utilizing the mountain imagery…both themes maintained some allusion to the mining and train history of the area as well.

Project Team: Matthew Breen, Ross Williams, Lyris Sanchez
Local Participants: Kathy Reis, Ileen Squire
DOLA Regional Manager: Christy Culp

The Third Street corridor in Carbondale is an important connector and the town saw an opportunity to look at options for improvement. Since the UTA program was already working on site master planning for the Third Street Center they asked if we could assist with identifying ideas for streetscape improvement along Third Streets length.

Carbondale is unique in that along many of the residential street there are open irrigation ditches. This feature is liked by most residents and was concluded as something to remain. Many of the improvements identified were creating better organized on street parking and improving pedestrian crossings at cross streets. In some areas added lighting was needed. Sidewalks needed to be improved in most areas as well.

Project Team: Josh Spinner (MLA), Molly Somes (MLA), Chris Endreson (Project Coordinator)

Local Participants: Jay Harrington (Town Manager), Colin Laird (Third Street Center Executive Director)
DOLA Regional Manager: Elyse Ackerman

Woodland Park Downtown Design Committee requested ideas for how to handle a back-alley along their Main Street. They came to the realization that the Main Street highway would not allow a desirable shopping experience so wondered about their Quinn Alley and how that could work. Additionally they wanted to know how pedestrian access through town could be enhanced across the highway and include future development south of their main downtown district.

Designs provided options for adjusting the Quinn Alley parking, expanding pedestrian walkways along the alley and showed the town how expanded retail store fronts could be added to the back and side alley walkways. A street closure was proposed to expand the pedestrian plaza character and direct views to Pikes Peak to the south. Coordination was primarily thorough the steering committee, town staff and local merchant input.

A final report was reviewed and submitted to the town for their use in future planning of the streetscape along Main Street, Quinn Alley and crossing configurations.

Project Team: Aynslee Joyce, Matt Roth, Nikhila Ramineedi, Sara Morse, Mike Tupa (Field Coordinator)
Local Participants: Woodland Park Downtown Design Committee and Town Staff
DOLA Regional Manager: Clay Brown

In 2014, the Center of Preservation Research (CoPR) received a State Historical Fund grant to work on Colorado’s Mid-century Modern Schools, project to raise awareness of the historical and architectural significance of mid-century schools, those built between 1946 and 1970. The project was inspired by the results of the Historic Schools Survey conducted in 2010 by Colorado Preservation, Inc. (CPI). The CPI project revealed that mid-century schools were the most endangered of Colorado’s historic education resources.

More than 30% of Colorado’s public school buildings were constructed between 1946 and 1970 which was a time of significant social, cultural, demographic, and economic transformation in Colorado. Mid-century school buildings were built at an unprecedented rate throughout Colorado, in urban, rural, and suburban areas. These schools reflect the local trends of the mid-century period, including population growth, suburban development, and community planning. They demonstrate the evolution and popularization of the Modern architectural movement as well as the development of new construction methods and materials. Their design is often characterized by a horizontal emphasis, a lack of ornamentation, a flat roof, and long ribbon windows. Though the aesthetics of midcentury schools may be underappreciated today, they were celebrated at the time. Mid-century educators believed that beautiful schools were essential to student development: “Can we expect them, coming from ugly school surroundings, to be able as adults to assume civic responsibility, to participate in cultural undertakings, and to recognize the finer attributes of a civilized society?” (Planning America’s School Buildings, 1960).

The goal of Colorado’s Mid-century Modern Schools is to provide tools that educators, architects, administrators, and communities can use to: raise consciousness and appreciation of the historical and architectural significance of mid-century schools; encourage school districts to consider rehabilitation of mid-century schools rather than replacement; determine if a mid-century school is eligible for designation; and list additional mid-century schools in the National Register of Historic Places. The project includes an inventory of all mid-century school building in the state, a Multiple Property Documentation Form, three National Register Nominations, a Nomination Guide, and a digital publication geared towards general audiences to serve as a visual guide to midcentury architecture and the trends that shaped their design.

Sharing the information we have gathered and the tools we have developed is essential to the success of our project.  Upon completion of the in the Fall of 2017, materials from this project will be available on our website for download. Stay tuned!

Krisana Park is a unique and well-loved neighborhood. Its special mid-century character, based on the designs of California developer Joseph Eichler’s sophisticated, yet affordable and comfortable houses, is one of the many reasons it remains a popular place to live in Denver. 

One of CoPR’s recently completed projects is the Krisana Park Pattern Book. Born out of a desire among homeowners to better understand what makes their neighborhood special, the pattern book provides a history and visual description of the neighborhood so that its character can be valued and maintained. The book also discusses maintenance issues and often-desired modifications, providing advice on how to update your home while retaining original character.

Documenting the communities, farms, and landscapes of Phillips County is essential to understanding, preserving, and interpreting the history of the region as well as laying a foundation for preservation planning, heritage tourism, and economic development. The goal of this project is to record and interpret Phillips County’s rich agricultural heritage, from individual farmsteads to the local communities. Through coursework and internships, students engaged in the project have learned to conduct cultural resource surveys and landscape documentation, while examining larger rural preservation issues related to the region.

The project includes:

• Town-wide surveys of historic buildings and sites in Haxtun, Holyoke, and Paoli with results presented in survey reports including histories, discussions of common types and styles of buildings, identification of individually significant buildings and historic districts, and a database of all buildings surveyed.

• National Register Nominations for five Phillips County farmsteads.

• Multiple Property Documentation Form for Phillips County historic resources.

• Public outreach including presentations, collecting historical information from the community, and assisting with the production of community walking tours.

Products:

• Haxtun Walking Tour
• Holyoke Walking Tour
• Millage Farm Nomination
• Evergreen Corner Nomination
• Hargreaves Homestead Nomination

Partnering with Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (the property owner), CoPR staff worked with a MSHP student to prepare a National Register nomination for the Martha Weiser House. Completed in 1963, the Weiser House is locally significant under Criterion C in the area of Architecture. Boulder County experienced rapid population growth during the 1950s and 1960s which created a need for new housing, much of it influenced by Modern design trends. The Martha Weiser House is an outstanding example of the Contemporary Style popular during the 1950s through the early 1970s. Key character-defining features include the low-pitched butterfly roof, visible roof beams, relatively open floor plan, combination of wood and stone, lack of applied ornamentation, attached carport, strong horizontal emphasis, interior courtyard, large and often unusually shaped window expanses, and deep overhanging eaves. The Martha Weiser House is also significant as a representative work of a master architect, L. Gale Abels (1927-1995).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) contracted with CoPR to complete an intensive-level survey of two building complexes at the Baca National Wildlife Refuge in Saguache County: the Home Ranch (where the refuge office is currently located) and the pure bred cattle headquarters. The project was carried out under the Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Units Network. Located at the northern end of the San Luis Valley, near the town of Crestone, the Baca National Wildlife Refuge was created in 2000. The refuge encompasses more than 92,500 acres, incorporating most of the 100,000 acres of the Baca Grant No. 4. Commonly referred to as the Baca Ranch, the Baca Grant passed through a variety of owners, mostly corporations, before being acquired by the USFWS. No significant alterations have been made to the ranch complexes since the refuge was established, and most of the buildings are currently vacant. The goal of the project was to provide building evaluations to guide future site planning and development. The survey project included researching history and ranching context of the Baca Ranch and determining the National Register eligibility of the two building complexes.

A total of twenty-three buildings were surveyed at the intensive level: twelve at the Home Ranch and eleven at the Pure Bred Place. The Home Ranch and the Pure Bred Place were determined eligible for listing as historic districts. They are both eligible under Criterion A for Agriculture and Criterion C for Architecture.  

Dawson Ranch is located within the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site in Kiowa County, on the eastern plains of Colorado. The historic site memorializes an attack on Cheyenne and Arapaho people by Colorado militiamen in 1864. This project involved surveying and assessing National Register of Historic Places eligibility of the twentieth-century ranch complex and possible nineteenth-century cowboy line camp ruins.

Irrigated agriculture, as well as hydraulic mining and municipal water supply, have created a widespread infrastructure of water conveyance systems throughout Colorado. They are among the oldest and most significant works of American settlement in the state, and--amidst its arid fields and plains--create some of Colorado's most characteristic and evocative cultural landscapes.

Within the city of Boulder, twenty-three irrigation ditches, most finished by the 1870s, flow for 30 miles, bringing water to fields, pastures, orchards, and gardens and serving as Boulder's first domestic water system. Frederick Law Olmsted recognized their charm and touted their "extraordinary opportunity for civic beauty"--should their borders be tidied up a bit and their banks weeded and property replanted.

This project provided a context for evaluating the significance of individual ditches. It also outlined registration standards for survey documentation and the levels of integrity necessary for National Register eligibility.

• Boulder Valley Ditches: Anderson Ditch, A History and Guide
• Boulder Valley Ditches: Farmers Ditch, A History and Guide
• Boulder Valley Ditches: Silver Lake Ditch, A History and Guide

Ph.D. students and graduate historic preservation and architecture students updated a 1988 Historic Structures Survey of Rocky Mountain National Park. Students conducted a selective survey of properties that were undocumented and were assumed to be at least fifty years old and developed field determinations of eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places. During the study, 45 properties, built from the late 1920s through the 1950s, and located in thirteen discrete areas were evaluated by students. The descriptive, historic, eligibility, and condition information was utilized by Rocky Mountain National Park to update its Historic Building Five-year Treatment Plan and the National Park Service's List of Classified Structures.

This study explored how artists, photographers, and writers have portrayed the area within and surrounding Rocky Mountain National Park since Albert Bierstadt and William Henry Jackson began recording images in the late nineteenth century. An inventory and analysis of the images and words, and their reception, formed the basis for interpretation and management of park resources.