City of Boulder shares stories of proposed Grant Place historic district through interactive StoryMap

The City of Boulder has received an application to designate a new local historic district in the University Hill neighborhood. The proposed district extends four blocks along Grant Place from Chautauqua Park on Baseline Road to Columbia Cemetery on College Avenue. The city has created an interactive StoryMap and invites community members to explore historic photographs and learn the unique story of Grant Place.

Located at the entrance of Chautauqua, Grant Place developed along with the city's early tourism industry. Residents along Grant Place included many university professors and faculty, women who worked outside of the home and people who came to Colorado for their health. Lesser known history includes ties to Japanese Language School sensei during World War II, some of the city's first electrified homes and the High Altitude Observatory, the precursor to the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

In July 2026, 74% of property owners along Grant Place nominated the area as a local historic district. The Landmarks Board voted to initiate the designation process at a public hearing on Sept. 2, 2026. The Landmarks Board will hold a designation hearing on Dec. 9, 2026. If recommended for approval, the application will then continue to Planning Board and City Council.

If Council approves the nomination, Grant Place will be the first historic district designated in 20 years and the largest since the Downtown Historic District Expansion in 2003.

The proposed historic district provides an opportunity to explore aspects of Boulder's history that have not been fully documented. Community members are also invited to contribute their own stories related to Grant Place at the end of the StoryMap.

Explore the Grant Place StoryMap and learn more about the proposed historic district on the project webpage.