Mount Calvary Lutheran Church

3485 Stanford Ct./ Nixon & Jones architects/ Usonian style/ built 1957/ Historic Landmark

(At the time of tour release, the site is under redevelopment and the church is not accessible.)

The Mount Calvary Church, completed in 1957, was designed by the architecture firm of Tom Nixon and Lincoln Jones. The building has had two additions since then. The original MCM design was a simple and elegant building whose exterior was dominated by its low sloping, single gable roof, with an expansive picture window at the east end, broad overhanging eaves, rectangular brick walls that extended out from the building into the landscape to define the main entry, and an arcade of wood beams that projected from the building to the ground on the south side.

Nixon & Jones Architects was the precursor firm to Nixon, Brown, Brokaw and Bowen. Tom Nixon partnered with Lincoln Jones to establish the Boulder-based architecture firm in 1956. Throughout the firm’s portfolio the Usonian style is implemented in a variety of projects, a style popularized and refined by Frank Lloyd Wright. Their Boulder projects include the Mount Calvary church in Table Mesa (1957), the Landmarked First Christian Church (1961) on 28th Street Frontage Rd., Boulder Fire Station #3 (1965), office buildings, and houses. In 1967, the firm disbanded when Nixon joined Brown, Brokaw, and Bowen and Jones opened his own practice in Boulder.

About Boulder's historic preservation program: This Historic Landmark resulted from Site Review, a process where development proposals meeting certain criteria are reviewed by the city. Often developers receive an advantage over what is permitted 'by right' when engaging in Site Review. The church property is currently being developed into 60 units of housing while the landmarked church building will be repurposed. Learn more about and see more images of the building from the Planning Staff memo to the Landmarks Board.

(The First Christian Church building was also landmarked as part of Site Review. A new apartment building was constructed on the property and the church building was repurposed.)