Larimer Square - Denver, CO - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

"The Larimer Square Historic District, covering the 1400 block of Larimer Street, was the birthplace of Denver City in 1858, with false-fronted stores, hotels and saloons catering to prospectors and pioneers. The original wood buildings were destroyed during the fires of 1863, but the surviving second generation two and three-story late Victorian brick buildings date from the late 19th century. In the mid 1870's, it was the main street of the city, and the site of Denver's first post office, bank, theater, and streetcar line. By the 1930s, urban decay left a skid row of pawnshops, gin mills, and flophouses. The buildings were spared demolition from the sweeping urban renewal projects of the mid-1960's, primarily due to the efforts of Denver preservationist Dana Crawford. As part of the nation's first historic neighborhood revitalization campaign, a for-profit corporation renovated all 16 of the block's commercial buildings in 1969, providing mixed space for shops, restaurants and offices." (from (visit link) )

As a Denver native, I grew up with the run-down area of lower downtown Denver and the radical ideas of Dana Crawford that these old buildings were worth preserving and renovating into Larimer Square. As a young college students, we would go to Larimer for poetry readings (some really baaaad poetry!), comedy shows and funky retail of beads, incense and peace signs - it was the 1970s since Larimer was revived in 1969. This is still a vital economic area one block west of the 16th Street Mall and a main walkway to the Auraria Higher Education Center. The application for Larimers designation as a National Historic District may be found at (visit link) .

The above coordinates are for the NRHD plaque on the wall outside of Ted's.

Street address: 15th and Larimer Denver, CO USA 80202 County / Borough / Parish: Denver Year listed: 1973 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1875-1899 Historic function: Commerce/Trade Current function: Commerce/Trade, Recreation And Culture Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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