Boulder City Historic District

The Boulder City Historic District is in Boulder City, roughly bounded by the Government Center and Watertank hill on the north, the railroad spur and Date Street on the west, New Mexico and Fifth Street on the South and Avenues B, F and L on the east – it was added to the National Register of Historic Places (#83001107) on August 19, 1983. The text below is from the national register’s nomination form.

The Boulder City Historic District is significant for its historic associations with the Boulder Canyon Project, the nation’s first large-scale, multi-purpose reclamation effort, and the turning point for a new era in the history of Federal reclamation programs and policies. As the town created to house over four thousand construction workers in the harsh Nevada desert, Boulder City was a significant integral part of the successful completion of Hoover Dam and the Boulder Canyon Project.

Constructed at the outset of the Great Depression, Boulder City was conceived by the Federal government as an ideal town, a model city, to which the American people could look for hope of a better future, and subsequently became the first federal effort to construct New Towns in American history.

The Boulder City Historic District holds national significance for its place in the history of American City Planning as the first fully-developed experiment in new town planning as promoted by the Community Planning Movement, a movement which is recognized as the force which most influenced contemporary community planning practices.

The Boulder City Historic District is significant as well for its architectural integrity and ability to convey associations with the events and people that made direct contributions, to the creation of the city plan, its construction and development, and its continued role as a permanent city and successful new town.

The Bureau of Reclamation and the Boulder Canyon Project

The United States Reclamation Service was created by Secretary of the Interior E. A. Hitchcock following the passage of the Newlands-Hansbrough Reclamation Act on June 17, 1902. The event marked the beginning of unprecedented participation by the Federal Government in the reclamation and settlement of arid lands in the Western United States The programs and policies of the Reclamation Act were based on the belief that not only was the National government obligated to dispose of these vast public lands to settlers who would build homes and farms, but that the government was equally obligated to bring the necessary water to within their reach. Dams, reservoirs, and mainline canals needed to assist the homesteaders to subdue the desert should be built by the federal government.

Company Residential Properties; Power Operators Field Operations Properties; Institutional, Public and Semi-Public Properties; Commercial Properties; and Private Residential Properties.

Within each category, resources are grouped by association if they were built as a single construction effort. Individually-built properties of the same category are discussed as well. Commercial Properties and Private Residential Properties are divided into two groups: Pre-1942 construction efforts and Post-1942 construction efforts, Each category description contains an inventory listing of resources within each group as well as the individually-built properties, and includes a discussion of the resources architectural integrity and context. Properties are referenced by an inventory number and street address, which correspond to the district map and individual inventory forms, Historic property names are used wherever possible. In most cases, names associated with residential properties reference only the occupants of the building during the first two years of its existence.

Inventory forms for each property are included in the nomination and contain a group designation and inventory number, which are located in the upper right hand corner of each form, and a photograph. Historic data, property name, and contemporary information are also included, as well as an evaluation of architectural integrity, context within the Historic District, and association with an important event or person,

The Boulder City Historic District contains a total of 514 buildings or structures, Of those 408 were constructed during the first eleven years (1931-1942), which correspond to the initial construction and operations phase of the city’s history. Sixty-six were constructed between the end 40 properties were built after 1950.

Of the 514 properties built between 1931 and the present, 270 remain in their original condition or with a high degree of architectural integrity. One hundred seventy-six of the buildings have modifications which are reversible or sensitive to the property’s original architectural integrity and do not affect the overall character of the district. Sixty-eight properties have irreversible modifications which are incompatible with the architectural setting of the City and do not contribute to the feeling or sense of time and place of the historic district.

Among the 270 properties, an additional 23 properties, which are in original condition, are of recent construction and, have design qualities which are non-contributing to the architectural integrity of the Historic District.

Bureau of Reclamation Residential, Operational and Maintenance Properties

Within the boundaries of the Boulder City Historic District can be found 130 permanent residences constructed by the Federal government between 1931 and 1945. In addition, several buildings or structures were erected to support the operation and maintenance of the town, or which served related functions, Those which still exist within the district include:

502 Government Dormitory Number One (Park Street)
238 Residence Garage (Park Street)
332 Residence Garage (Colorado Street)
576 Residence Garage (Block 9 )
575 Water Storage Tank (Watertank Hill)
576 Water Receiving Tank (Colorado Street)
333 Water Filtration and Purification Plant (RaiIroad Avenue)
334 Bureau of Reclamation Warehouse (400 Railroad Avenue)
335 Bureau of Mines Metallurgical Laboratory (Date Street )
337 Bureau of Mines Engineering Laboratory (500 Date Street)

The Water Storage Tank (#575), a visual landmark in Boulder City, was the first permanent structure built by the Bureau of Reclamation, It is 35 feet high and 100 feet in diameter and is constructed of steel with a concrete foundation. The Water Purification and Filtration Plant (#333) is an exceptional example of industrial architecture, and fs composed of a two-story brick rectangular mass with offset tower, and single-story brick masonry wings extending from each elevation* Its Period Revival style includes elements from Italian Renaissance Revival architecture such as low-pitched red tile roofs, asymmetrical massing, and brick detailing including quoins and dentils. The warehouses are traditional industrial structures, rectangular in plan of frame construction with double-pitched roofs and exterior metal siding. The Bureau of Reclamation Warehouse (#334, the first building completed by the Government In May, 1931? has been covered with contemporary horizontal metal siding and has modifications in door and window openings to accommodate its present function as offices, A masonry and frame addition to the west gable wall has doubled the size of the warehouse. The Bureau of Mines Metallurgical Laboratory (#335), originally built in 1931 as the Six Companies Garage for vehicle maintenance, is a 50′ by 150′ structure located at the edge of the industrial area for Boulder City. Its surfaces are clad in corrugated metal sheeting. The Engineering Laboratory (#336), constructed by the Bureau of Mines in 1941, features two intersecting single-story wings, a double-pitched composition tile roof, and verandahs along the major facades which face a landscaped court.

Government Dormitory Number One (#502) is one of the best examples of Spanish Colonial Revival influenced architecture in Boulder City, Irregular massing, stuccoed surfaces, low-pitched red tile roofs, arcaded facade, and an internal courtyard contribute to its functional and aesthetic success. Three automobile garages (#332, #238, #577) of rowlock brick construction were for common use by some occupants of the Bureau’s residential areas along Denver, Colorado and Park Streets.

Residences were constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation through private construction contracts in groups of buildings ranging from four to sixty units per contract. Those buildings have been similarly grouped as part of the historic district building inventory and are discussed below.

GROUP A: Bureau of Reclamation Engineers’ Housing
Construction Date: October 1931
Architect: USBR engineering staff, Denver office
Contractors:
Louis J. Bowers, Salt Lake City, Utah (104, 108, 112, 127, 230, 232)
W. W. Dickerson, Lehi, Utah (106, 110, 114, 229, 231, 234)

These were the first permanent residences built by the Bureau of Reclamation to accommo- date their field and office engineers during the construction period. Two separate contracts were let simultaneously for these houses in April, 1931, and construction was completed in October of that year. Located along Park Street and on alternating lots along the north side of Denver Street, the group consists of six two-bedroom houses and six one-bedroom houses. Four similar floor plans and facade treatments were used to vary the architectural character of the streetscape. Each plan features a central entry, living room with fireplace, kitchen with built-in dining nook, and bathroom. An open screen porch extends from a bedroom in each house, and all but three one-bedroom houses include a half basement, Designed in a Spanish Colonial Period Revival style, each house is constructed of stuccoed common brick with the pitched roofs covered in red clay tile. Similar design features in this group include round arch entries and multiple-light paired or triple windows at the street facade. Three of the one-bedroom houses have buttressed, parapetted gable walls, unique among the other homes in the Historic District. All houses are well-preserved, with only minor alterations such as porch enclosures or small compatible additions,

• 104 (1318 Denver)
• 106 (1326 Denver)
• 108 Frank C. Lewis House (1334 Denver)
• 110 (1342 Denver)
• 112 (1350 Denver)
• 114 E. A. Felts House (1360 Denver)
• 127 (304 Nevada Highway)
• 229 C. M. Jackson House (726 Park)
• 230 (722 Park)
• 231 (718 Park)
• 232 (714 Park)
• 234 (706 Park)

GROUP B: Bureau of Reclamation Engineers’ Housing
Construction date: December 1931
Architect: USBR engineering staff, Denver office
Contractor: Louis J, Bowers, Salt Lake City, Utah

This second group of permanent residences was built by the Bureau of Reclamation to house additional engineers and government employees. Two of the homes were occupied by Claude Williams (#132), Chief Ranger for the Boulder Canyon Reservation; and Boulder City Police Chief, G. E. “Bud” Bodell, Others were occupied by Bureau Engineers over short periods of time as different phases of the dam’s construction progressed, The construction contract was awarded in July, 1931> and most homes were occupied by January, 1932. All of the houses are located on adjacent lots along the north side of Colorado Street. Again, in the interest of diversification, four floor plans, similar to those in Group A, were built with four façade variations. Three houses of each façade treatment and floor plan were built, ranging in size from 630 to 850 square feet, All homes are constructed of rowlock brick and are suggestive of the Spanish Colonial Period Revival style but exclude tile roofs or stuccoed exteriors.

The massing of the four house variations ranges from rectangular with parapetted roofs or pitched roof with parapetted gable walls, to asymmetrical with intersecting gable roofs and inset entry porches. Architectural details are simple and include steel lintel led openings, casement windows, wrought iron porch railings, clay tile gable ventilators, and in some cases, kneebraced canopies over the entrance. The group as a whole maintains a high level of original integrity with only minor or reversible alterations such as metal porch canopies, infilled screen porches or painted brick. Two (#139» #140) have compatible additions to the rear; one (#116) has a sensitive gabled roof brick addition to the side with a carport attached,, Only one home (#115) in this group has an addition with double carport which is inconsistent with the character of the neighborhood.

• 132 Claude Williams House (1304 Colorado)
• 133 John Newel 1 House (1308 Colorado)
• 134 R. E. Hewes/ O. I. Craft House (1312 Colorado)
• 135 B. G. Sucher House (1316 Colorado)
• 136 (1320 Colorado)
• 137 (1324 Colorado)
• 138 (1328 Colorado)
• 139 Harold B. Jenkins/W. R, Nelson House (1332 Colorado)
• 140 A. A..Brownson/0 s J. Littler House (1336 Colorado)
• 141 (1340 Colorado)
• 115 (301 Ash)
• 116 (1349 Denver)

GROUP C; Bureau of Reclamation Project Department Head Housing
Construction date: March 1932
Architect: USBR engineering staff, Denver office
Constructor: Ferman W. Riddle, Los Angeles, CA

Construction contracts for these four large houses were let in November, 1931, and the structures were completed by March, 1932, Prominently located on Denver, Nevada, and Park Streets, these homes were built for the Chief Construction Engineer, Office Engineer, Field Engineer, and District Counsel for the Boulder Canyon Project, Three houses are similar in plan, measuring 33 feet deep and 53 feet wide, and feature a central living room flanked on one side with a three-bedroom wing, and on the other with a kitchen and dining wing. The fronts of these gable-roofed wings form the sides of a recessed central entry porch, now infilled with glazing. Three sets of French doors provide access to the porch from the living room, The Ralph Lowry House (#102), the J, R. Alexander House (#235), and the John C. Page House (#129) have basement garages made possible by the sloping conditions of their sites, All homes are roofed with red tiles and walls are built of rowlock brick, Similar in design appearance to Group B, the houses feature open eaves, steel casement windows and Spanish tile gable ventilators. The J. R. Alexander House (#235) is a two-story four-bedroom house. Its most distinguishing features are the four-feet deep cantilevered balcony and carved detailing of the porch eaves and exposed deck beams, Windows are discretely-placed steel casements with Mission-style shutters. All four homes contribute significantly to the original integrity of their neighborhoods and have been altered very little.

• 101 Walker R. Young House (1300 Denver)
• 102 Ralph Lowry House (1306 Denver)
• 129 John C. Page House (312 Nevada Highway)
• 235 J. R. Alexander House (700 Park)

GROUP D: Bureau of Reclamation Engineers’ Temporary Housing
Construction date: August 1932
Architect: USBR engineering staff, Denver office
Contractor: DeCant Hudson Company, Ltd,

Construction of this group was underway in June, 1932, and they were occupied by Bureau employees and their families by August of that year. This group of 30 frame houses was intended to be temporary to accommodate additional Bureau staff and engineering : forces as the construction activity at the Dam increased. Originally, the foundations were composed of timber sills and posts set on concrete footings, but in 1939, deterioration was evidenced and the system was replaced with concrete block foundations, Because the houses were assumed to be temporary, no attempt was made to vary their appearance. The houses are located on consecutive lots on Avenue B, Colorado and Arizona Streets, and on Avenues K and L. These modest cottages are rectangular in plan and surmounted by double-pitched, open-eave roofs covered with asphalt composition shingles. Exterior walls are finished with drop siding. The original plan included a living room, one bedroom and a kitchen and also featured an L-shaped screen sleeping porch extending the length of one gable wall and across half of the front façade. Most screen porches have been converted to bedrooms in various ways during government ownership. Of the 29 houses in this group, 12 have retained their original integrity or have only minor alterations. Thirteen have modifications which are reversible, such as exterior metal siding, window replacement but in original location, or compatible rear additions. Only four houses have been irreversibly altered from their original appearance with either incompatible additions or wall finishes and major modifications of window and door openings.

• 142
• 143
• 144
• 145
• 146
• 147
• 148
• 149
• 150
• 151
• 152
• 153
• 227
• 259
• 273
• 274
• 275
• 277
• 278
• 279
• 280
• 281
• 282
• 283
• 284
• 285
• 377
• 378
• 379