Boulder High School

1604 Arapahoe Avenue/ Glen Huntington architect/ Art Deco -Streamline Moderne/ built 1937

While this building predates the MCM era, it is included on this tour because it was one of the first Modern buildings in Boulder. At the height of the Great Depression in the 1930s, Boulder High was built with funds from the WPA. Its design was cutting edge for its time and followed the principles of the Art Deco/Streamline Moderne movement.

The exterior composition of the school is a balance of horizontal and vertical bands of windows. The building was constructed with local sandstone and Indiana limestone, the same materials used for many of the buildings at the University of Colorado. The entrance is highlighted with bas-relief sculptures representing Wisdom and Strength. Many additions have been made over the years in keeping with the design character of the original building.

It is worth mentioning that the lead architect, Glen Huntington, was the first practitioner of Modernism in Boulder. His notable work includes the Boulder County Courthouse, the bandshell in Central Park, and a Modern apartment building on 12th Street in University Hill.

About Boulder's historic preservation program: Buildings owned by the school district are not subject to Boulder's ordinances. The same is true of buildings owned by CU.