Mid-Century Modern in Table Mesa, Boulder, CO

Historic Boulder, Inc. is pleased to announce our second Mid-Century Modern tour in the Table Mesa section of south Boulder. It encompasses the neighborhoods of Table Mesa, Highland Park, and Devil’s Thumb - Rolling Hill.

To take this self-guided tour:

+ Download the PocketSights app to your phone and be sure the app has permission to access your location.

+ View the buildings from the public way – sidewalks and roads; do not enter private property.

+ Be discrete when viewing and photographing to avoid disturbance to occupants.

+ Be aware the tour route covers a distance of nearly 10 miles by bicycle, takes advantage of multimodal paths where available, and ends with a rigorous uphill climb to the NCAR Mesa Lab. By car the route needs to be adjusted and is a bit longer.

+ Tell family and friends about Historic Boulder's tours.

Introduction:

For over 50 years, Historic Boulder, Inc. has advocated for the appreciation and preservation of properties that contribute to the heritage, culture, and spirit of Boulder. An emerging area of interest and importance is the contribution of Mid-Century Modern Architecture that took place in the middle of the twentieth century; this tour uses the period from 1945 to 1975. Historic Boulder has surveyed the city and environs to identify great examples of this design approach that are easily visible to the public. We hope these tours will inform you about the values of Mid-Century Modern Architecture, will highlight its contributions to the progressive spirit of Boulder, and will educate you about Boulder's historic preservation program.

Key principles of Mid-Century Modern architecture and its importance to Boulder:

The Mid-Century Modern (MCM) design movement began after WWII. It was a design response to the post-war optimism, especially in the United States, as it emerged as the leading world power. The ensuing economic and population expansion utilized MCM design ideas in all building types from homes to churches to banks.

The MCM style was an outgrowth of the general Modern approach to design that commenced at the beginning of the 20th century. Initial MCM ideas were a combination of European advancements that began in Germany with the American ideals of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, in combination with the burgeoning mobility culture of the automobile. European Modernist designers immigrated to the U.S. in the 1930s and 40s and spread their ideas to colleges, corporations, and residential developments. MCM design is known for clean lines, expressive geometric shapes, minimal decoration, open floor plans, and a connection to nature. In Boulder, the university and the federal laboratories were early adopters of MCM design ideals.

Historical styles persisted alongside Modern design during this time due to America’s foundation in conservatism. However, Boulder was on the forefront of progressive ideas in education, science, religion, and culture, and the city embraced MCM design ideas. The result is that Boulder has a higher concentration of MCM architecture than any other community in Colorado.

Some of the better-known architects who worked in the Table Mesa Tour’s area of focus are Nixon & Jones, Brown Brokaw & Bowen, Tician Papchristou, I. M. Pei., Pereira & Luckman Associates, and Hobart D. Wagener. (Charles A. Haertling also worked here but his designs are not visible from the public right of way.)

To access a broader explanation of MCM Architecture and learn more about the architects, please refer to the narrative for the MCM Central Boulder Tour. This can be found by scrolling to it within the PocketSights app or on your computer.

MCM Table Mesa:

With military personnel returning from World War II and the GI Bill enabling veterans to borrow for a home with no down payment required, post-war growth was a national phenomenon. In Boulder, the population surged from 13,000 in 1940 to 66,870 by 1970. There were some very specific additional reasons for this growth in Boulder. Starting in the early 1950s, post-war research labs and industries blossomed here. These included the National Bureau of Standards (now NIST), Ball Brothers, IBM, NCAR, NOAA, new research projects at the University of Colorado, and the Rocky Flats Plant south of Boulder. The Denver-Boulder Turnpike (U.S. Highway 36) opened in 1952. The area south of the National Bureau of Standards and west of Broadway, known as Table Mesa, Highland Park, and Devil’s Thumb - Rolling Hill, was eyed by developers as perfect for new expansion.

The Highland Park subdivision was established in 1952 on 72 acres of the Kohler Farm located south of Baseline Road. The residences here served the nearby National Bureau of Standards, the University, and Rocky Flats because of its proximity to them, creating housing for many employees and students. Soon after, the Table Mesa subdivision was established on 555 acres of the Viele Ranch in 1962.

West of Broadway, the terrain was hilly and provided scenic views. This was especially exemplified by Kohler and Vassar Drives. With their curvilinear streets and striking views, they were seen as an ideal location to build more uniquely and expressively designed homes. One of the diverse styles found west of Broadway was the A-frame. Many of these houses were built in West Highland Park and are included on the tour.

The Table Mesa area soon became a true community with the welcome addition of schools, churches, a library, a recreation center, and shopping centers.

The Table Mesa Tour includes NIST, NCAR, the South Boulder Recreational Center, Southern Hills Middle School, Fairview High School, Mount Cavalry Lutheran Church, St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, and numerous homes.

*There is a scarcity of information about most of the houses on this tour. If you are or know the original homeowner, are the architect, builder or developer, or have other information Historic Boulder would greatly appreciate it if you sent an email to info@HistoricBoulder.org with the subject line "Info about Table Mesa MCM".

Please help Historic Boulder, Inc promote Boulder's architectural history and provide more free tours like this one with a donation. Thank you.