History of the Depot
In 1890, the Union Pacific Railroad built the Depot on 14th
Street on the north side of Canyon Boulevard (then Water Street). It was
constructed of Boulder County stone at the cost of $16,000. On August
13th, 1890 the Boulder County Herald newspaper noted that “The stonework is not
to be surpassed in the state. The woodwork is exceedingly well done and is
handsome. A gentleman who has made a critical examination of the work says
‘one ounce of putty will cover all the defects in the way of joints, cracks,
etc.” The Depot continued to serve as the railroad passenger station until
1957, when a new station was built east of town. The Depot then changed to
a bus terminal operated by the Denver-Boulder Bus Company and the Travel Center
travel agency. In 1973 the City of Boulder began the removal of the Depot
to open 14th Street to Canyon Boulevard. Historic Boulder and other
concerned citizens thought that tearing down one of Boulder’s most prominent
architectural landmarks would be a great loss. The Jaycees acted upon this
community service opportunity and approached the City and the Pow Wow County
Fair association with the idea of moving the building to the Pow Wow Grounds.
Jaycees purchased the building for $68,000 and obtained a lease for the new
site. Members of the Jaycees personally guaranteed the note from Colorado
National Bank to pay for the building and the move which was accomplished two
parts on its way to the present location at Pearl and 30th Streets. The
first half was moved on June 25th 1973, and the second half on September 14th of
the same year. In addition to moving the Depot, the Jaycees rehabilitated
the building. The cupola was rebuilt using historic photographs for
reference and the entire roof was replaced. The sandstone, originating
from the Anderson Quarry in Skunk Canyon, was cleaned. The interior was
remodeled to contain meeting rooms, small offices, and a kitchen. The
Depot became the home of the Boulder Jaycees as well as meeting place for other
community organizations, and a place for groups to conduct craft fairs, dance
classes, wedding receptions, and business meetings. The Jaycees conducted
many fundraisers to retire the original purchase and relocation loan.
The Depot was rededicated on its new site on July 4th, 1976,
and in 1979 the Depot was Landmarked by the Boulder City Council (ordinance
4444)
Roof After Replacement
Roof After Replacement (detail)
Note that the new vents added will significantly extend the life of the roof. The material had to change from wood shake to simlulated dimensional fiberglass shake to meet building code.
This page last updated on January 21, 2003