• June is Pride Month! Learn more about the history of LGBTQ+ people in Fort Collins.
• Commemorate Juneteenth during the community celebration from June 14-16! Activities include a teen night, health and wellness events, live music, educational activities, and more. Check out the schedule of events for additional information. Historic Preservation Services staff will be at the community celebration on Saturday, June 15, to join in the festivities and to share educational materials, such as our popup exhibit on local Black history, a scavenger hunt for kids, and our new pamphlet, "Grandview Cemetery: Burial Sites of Formerly Enslaved Individuals."
• We are proud to sponsor Historic Larimer County's for SummerFest 2024! Swing by the Emma Malaby Grocery (313 N. Meldrum St.) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 22 for an open house and car show! Take a free tour of the historic neighborhood grocery building, check out our popup exhibit on former residents of the block and vintage cars from the period of the store, and enjoy some live music. More details and parking information is available on the event webpage.
• New historic context available! Learn more about the architectural legacy of William B. Robb, one of Fort Collins's most influential midcentury architects, by reading the historic context recently completed by Ron Sladek, Tatanka Historical Associates. 

2024 Loan Funds Still Available!

Are you a Landmark property owner needing to do some repairs on your building? Check out the Landmark Rehab Loan Program — Contact preservation@fcgov.com to see if your project qualifies.

Last Month's Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) Decisions

Meeting Date: May 15, 2024

• Consent Agenda (APPROVED)
  • Minutes of April 17, 2024
  • Single-Family Demolition Notification - 1703 W. Mulberry St.
• Discussion Agenda:
  • Staff Activity Report
  • Local History Presentation - William B. Robb's Architectural Legacy in Fort Collins - A Historic Context (Ron Sladek, Tatanka Historical Associates)
  • Local History Presentation - Asian American History in Fort Collins
  • Landmark Design Review - 426 E. Oak St. Carriage House (MOVED TO FINAL REVIEW AND APPROVED)

Surveys in Progress:
The following properties are currently being researched to determine if they are eligible to be Fort Collins Landmarks in association with a current development review application. Members of the public with information regarding the history of these properties should contact Historic Preservation Services at preservation@fcgov.com.

• 366 E. Mountain Ave. (development review - demolition of secondary structure proposed)

Recent Survey Results: 

• 411 S. Bryan (City Park Nine Golf Course Barn) – Landmark Eligible
• 2000 Giddings Rd. – Not Landmark Eligible
• 427 Smith St. – Not Landmark Eligible
• 2601 S. College – Not Landmark Eligible (Staff determination appealed by applicant; HPC determined property Landmark Eligible with a 4-2 vote at April 17, 2024 hearing; HPC determination appealed by applicant; City Council determined property Not Landmark Eligible with a 4-2 vote at June 4, 2024 hearing)
• 309 Scott Ave. – Landmark Eligible

The City of Fort Collins requires public notification prior to the demolition of single-family homes over 50 years of age. These notifications occur to inform neighbors of a potential change coming to their neighborhood and because certain groups can nominate a property for Landmark designation against the wishes of a property owner under Municipal Code Sec. 14-31 (the HPC by motion, a City Councilmember by written request, or three residents together by petition). Public noticing is considered complete the day after the HPC meeting for which it is noticed.

Active Notices:

• None

Recently Completed Notices:

• 1703 W. Mulberry St., built c. 1929 (no public comment at 5/15/2024 HPC meeting; no action taken by HPC)
• 700 E. Elizabeth St., built c. 1922  (no public comment at 3/20/2024 HPC meeting; no action taken by HPC)
• 1011 W. Magnolia St., built 1925 (no public comment at 2/21/2024 HPC meeting; no action taken by HPC)
• 127 N. Grant Ave., built c. 1895 (no public comment at 5/17/2023 HPC meeting; no action taken by HPC)
• 210/210 ½ S. Grant Ave., built c. 1919 (no public comment at 4/19/2023 HPC meeting; no action taken by HPC)

Next Work Session: June 12, 2024, at 5:30 p.m., in person at City Hall (CIC Room). Public may attend, but no public participation occurs at work sessions.

Next Regular Meeting: CANCELED (Juneteenth holiday)

Work Session Agenda:

• Work Plan Progress and Priorities
• Training: Development Review: Code, Roles, and Approaches
• Local History Presentation: PRIDE (LGBTQ+) History in Fort Collins

645 S. Whitcomb St. (St. Paul's House & The Golden Grape)

Built as a residence in 1938, this brick-veneered home across from CSU campus was once home to St. Paul's House and the Golden Grape coffee house, both associated with LGBTQ+ history in Fort Collins. 

St. Paul’s House was an episcopal ministry founded in 1959 by CSU chaplain Malcolm Boyd. Boyd used the word “House” rather than “church” or “chapel” when he created St. Paul’s House because he wanted people who might not be comfortable in a traditional church to feel welcomed. There, he also opened The Golden Grape, which was a coffeehouse and gathering place open to all that gained international attention – Boyd gained the moniker "The Espresso Priest.”

These actions were not looked on favorably by the church. Rev. Joseph S. Minnis, Episcopal bishop of Colorado, voiced criticisms in an article in the church publication Colorado Episcopalian. Minnis did not approve of the hosting of "'secular so-called espresso sessions'" for "beatniks" or the conducting of religious services in a tavern. Although he wasn't mentioned by name, Boyd recognized the comments as a criticism of his actions and resigned. Boyd stated he was "'in a fundamental disagreement with the bishop'" related to his attitudes toward beatniks and "modern intellectuals." Boyd continued, he was "trying to relate the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a challenging, radical, demanding way to contemporary life where modern man is living" ("Fr. Boyd Resigns Post in Protest At Bishop's Stand," Fort Collins Coloradoan, April 9, 1961).

Boyd continued to be politically and socially active after leaving Colorado, joining the Freedom Riders and advocating for gay rights, for instance. Boyd came out as gay publicly in the 1970s. 

In an oral history interview, he shared, "'I think that [the Golden Grape] was the best thing in my entire ministry, in my whole life, was at Colorado State University. Because I think the Golden Grape really was on target'" (Malcolm Boyd quoted in Nancy Young, "Espresso Priest Brews Backlash by Starting Coffee House Ministry," The Historiographer, Vol. 60, No. 2, Spring 2020).

(Images: Left, “Boyd, Promotional Shot For Book,” The Church Awakens: African Americans and the Struggle for Justice, accessed May 28, 2024, https://episcopalarchives.org/church-awakens/items/show/222. Right, 645 S. Whitcomb St., Historic Preservation Services.)

Want your historic property spotlighted in the Historic Preservation Matters newsletter? Contact Historic Preservation Services staff at preservation@fcgov.com

Established in 1985, the Friend of Preservation awards are the highest preservation honor given by the Historic Preservation Commission. Annually, the awards are given to people, organizations, or projects for exemplary work in local history, preservation, rehabilitation, restoration or reconstruction.

The Mayor and Historic Preservation Commission Chair presented the awards on May 21 at the historic Avery House. This year's awardees were:

The Cultural Enrichment Center 

Founded in 2020, the Cultural Enrichment Center supports the cultural, academic, career, and social needs of middle school and high school-aged African American students in Fort Collins. Since 2021, part of that work has included connecting local Black youth with Fort Collins Black history. For example, CEC helped students develop video projects on Black history, which included learning videography skills as well as about figures in Fort Collins Black and civil rights history, such as Mattie Lyle and Hattie McDaniel.

The Friends of the Water Works

The Friends of the Water Works (FWW) assists the Poudre Landmarks Foundation in the preservation, interpretation, and maintenance of the 1883 Fort Collins Water Works site. The FWW operates an interpretive center that explains the history of regional water use, the first Fort Collins municipal water supply, and natural resources in the region. This dedicated group of volunteers has consistently demonstrated their commitment to historic preservation by preserving, maintaining, and promoting the Water Works and by educating the public through open house tours, concerts on site, and other events.

Karen McWilliams

From her foundational private sector research with her husband, Carl, to her public service in the City of Fort Collins Historic Preservation Division, Karen McWilliams is a fixture of historic preservation in Larimer County. She was instrumental in building up key financial incentives for historic property owners, oversaw countless projects, coordinated and built relationship with partners in the community, advocated for and secured funding for preservation across the city, and so much more. Karen's legacy in Fort Collins ensures that future generations have many more historic places to connect with and find Fort Collins's sense of place.

Janell Prussman

Janell Prussman has been involved with Poudre Landmarks Foundation and the Historic Homes Tour (HHT) for 39 years, including several years as a board member of Poudre Landmarks and chair of the HHT committee, showing her deep commitment to and extensive involvement with historic preservation in the community. Janell has had a profound impact on Poudre Landmarks as an organization, and her promotion of public access to historic places and educational opportunities related to our local history are emblematic of her passion and enthusiasm for historic preservation.

On June 19, 1960, The Coloradoan ran an ad for a new family recreation sensation at 105 E. Myrtle St, an outdoor trampoline center. A half hour of "bouncing joy" cost 50 cents – What a deal!