National Register of Historic Places

Downtown Boulder Historic District

Boulder, Boulder County, Colorado
Listed
December 3, 1980
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
80000878

About this property

The Downtown Boulder Historic District, in Boulder, Colorado, is a 48 acres (19 ha) historic district which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Additional significance for the district was recognized in 2018 for association of the Boulder County Courthouse with events of 1975, when Boulder County clerk Clela Rorex issued marriage licenses to six same-sex couples. It includes a surviving historic commercial area of Boulder, including Pearl Street between 9th and 16th Streets (part or all of what is now the Pearl Street Mall) and parts of Walnut, Spruce, and Pine Streets. It also includes the Boulder County Courthouse and the historic Boulderado Hotel. The township of Boulder was created as a supply center for miners in the Pike's Peak Gold Rush in 1858–59. About 70 cabins were built along Pearl Street in 1859, all of which were eventually replaced by more substantial commercial and other structures. In 1980 the district was deemed "significant because of its association with the evolution and development of business and commerce in the city which has long served as the economic center of the Boulder Valley and surrounding communities. The district is also significant for its architectural features which manifest the salient characteristics of late nineteenth/early twentieth century commercial design." Then, the 168 properties in the district included "125 buildings that contribute to the historic and architectural integrity of the district, 21 more modern structures compatible with the older fabric," and several intrusions, parking structures, and empty lots. The National Register designation provided limited protection, however, and about 15 percent of the historic buildings were lost. In 1999 the district was designated a Boulder Historic District, providing further protection. Boulder Post Office, separately listed on the National Register Boulderado Hotel, separately listed on the National Register In 2018, the historic district's official documentation was updated "to recognize an additional area of significance of Social History for the Boulder County Courthouse, as well as the district generally, for association with the first same-sex marriage licenses issued in Colorado and the civil rights struggles of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) people." Guided walking tours of historic downtown Boulder are available in summer months.

Location

Boulder, Boulder County, Colorado
40.01896, -105.27839

Categories

COMMERCEAGRICULTUREEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTARCHITECTURE
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Downtown Boulder Historic District

This page lists Downtown Boulder Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Hotel Boulderado
Industrial
0 mi
First Baptist Church of Boulder
Industrial
0.1 mi
Carnegie Library
Industrial
0.2 mi
Squires-Tourtellot House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Woodward-Baird House
Industrial
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Downtown Boulder Historic District listed on the National Register?

Downtown Boulder Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 3, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Downtown Boulder Historic District?

Downtown Boulder Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Downtown Boulder Historic District?

The period of significance for Downtown Boulder Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Downtown Boulder Historic District?

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