In early 2017, Boulder County received a grant from History Colorado for An Historic Context Study on A-frame Architecture in Boulder County. Boulder County has over 150 A-frames in the unincorporated areas and over a third of them are already 50 years old or older and, therefore, are reviewed by Land Use historic preservation staff if there are exterior alterations proposed for the structures.
The increasing number of potentially historic A-frames and the lack of staff knowledge on the history and patterns of A-frames in Boulder County have led staff to pursue the completion of a comprehensive study so that we can quickly and consistently make decisions relating to the historic review process of this notable type of Mid-century architecture. This project is financed with funds from the Historic Preservation Fund, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior and the History Colorado State Historical Fund.
Because of the generous grant awarded by the state, Boulder County hired a consultant, ARCH Professionals, to study A-frames. ARCH Professionals collaborated with another firm, Mead & Hunt, to complete the study. Boulder County Land Use staff collected data to share with the consultants, and the consultants performed fieldwork in late 2017. Fieldwork was mainly to visit concentrations of A-frames to record if there are any patterns or particular styles.
View the Historic Context of A-frame Architecture in Boulder County report, April 2018.
Past Public Meetings
Historic Preservation Advisory Board Public Meeting, April 5, 2018
A public meeting was held on April 5, 2018, on the Historic Context Study on A-frame Architecture in Boulder County, including a presentation by the consulting teams from ARCH Professionals and Mead & Hunt on their findings of the history and development of A-frame architecture in Boulder County, and their conclusions on how to evaluate and determine an A-frame’s significance.