Fourmile Canyon Historical and Architectural Survey, 2012-2013

Anstey, Mary; Thomas, Adam; Historitecture, L.L.C.

From introduction: "Boulder Rural Fire Department captain Christopher O’Brien referred to the Fourmile Fire as a “landmark fire in Boulder County, both for the resources that were used and also for the amount of loss,” adding this fire was “probably, in my memory, the most devastating fire we’ve ever faced in Boulder County.” The fire started on September 6, 2010, and it destroyed 169 homes and buildings. More than a thousand firefighters fought the 6,500-acre blaze for eleven days. This particular fire was the most destructive in Boulder County; yet fires and the subsequent issues with flash flooding have punctuated the history of the survey area. The tragic loss of so many homes indicated the importance of accurate and thorough survey records. The survey was designed to gather historical and architectural details about previously unrecorded resources. Spearheaded by Carol Beam, Historic Preservation Planner, Boulder County Open Space pursued a Certified Local Government (CLG) grant to conduct a selective intensive-level survey of thirty-five properties in the Fourmile Fire burn area. The county selected Historitecture to complete all work for the project. Three professionals collaborated on the project products. Architectural Historian Mary Therese Anstey conducted all field work, completed the majority of the survey forms, and prepared the survey report. Historitecture principal Adam Thomas created all of the survey maps, printed all of the survey photographs, and contributed to the survey report. Cheri Yost was responsible for both formatting the survey report and administering the project. The goals of the intensive-level survey were to: • Inventory thirty-five properties within the Fourmile Canyon area; • Determine the significance and eligibility of all properties surveyed; • Analyze historic district potential and boundaries; and • Develop a report summarizing the findings of the survey. Of the thirty-five properties, one site was determined officially eligible for individual listing in the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties and fourteen resources were determined to be eligible as Boulder County Landmarks. None of the surveyed properties are eligible for individual listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Given the scattered nature of the resources within the survey area, no historic districts were identified." Project funding was provided in part by a 2012 Historic Preservation Fund grant to the Boulder County (project number CO-12-018) administered by the Colorado State Historic Preservation Office (grant number 08-12-41912) and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Boulder County, Colorado is a Certified Local Government.

Fourmile Canyon Historical and Architectural Survey, 2012-2013

Collections