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Home My WebLink AboutInformation Only 062023AGENDA INFORMATION UPDATE June 20, 2023 5:00 PM, I.Information Update I.A Main Street cabin, Armory and Old Powerhouse buildings: confirmation of City Council direction - Work Session Follow Up Memo I.B Castle Creek Bridge Project Work Session Follow Up I.C 630 W. Main St. Work Session Follow Up 6-05-23 WorkSession FollowUp Memo.docx WorkSession FollowUp Memo 060823.docx INFORMATION ONLY_ 630 W.Main St_ work session follow-up. 6.15.23.pdf Exhibit A_AspenModern_National Trust Booklet.pdf Exhibit B_Pan Abode Historic Context paper.pdf Exhibit C_630 W Main_Architectiral Inventory Form.pdf Exhibit D_2017 Designation Memo and Criteria.pdf 1 1 1 FOLLOW-UP MEMORANDUM CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MEETING DATE:June 5, 2023 FOLLOW-UP MEMO DATE:June 7, 2023 AGENDA TOPIC:Main Street cabin, Armory and Old Powerhouse buildings: confirmation of City Council direction PRESENTED BY:Jennifer Phelan, Development Manager COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT:Mayor Torre, Councilmembers John Doyle, Bill Guth, Ward Hauenstein, Sam Rose ______________________________________________________________________ WORK SESSION DISCUSSION SUMMARY: Staff provided background on the remodel status of each building and past direction provided by Council for each building. Main St. cabin is proposed to be remodeled as a duplex for employee housing and is in the design and entitlement phase of development with a construction start anticipated in 2024. The Armory is intended for community use, a meeting space, and ACRA headquarters, and is projected with a construction start date in 2028. A temporary use of the building by relocated city staff is proposed with ACRA prior to remodel and the return of ACRA is anticipated once remodeled. The Old Powerhouse (OPH) is anticipated to house city offices and is in the design phase of development with a construction date anticipated in 2024. Staff presented an alternative timeline for redevelopment of the Armory with a construction start date in 2026, compressing the redevelopment timeline. Discussion on each asset occurred (with an emphasis on the Armory) including the use of the buildings, ownership of the assets, and potential redevelopment paths moving forward. After discussion, Council provided the following direction: 1. Topic:Confirm programming/use of the buildings moving forward. Council majority consensus: There was general consensus to move forward with the OPH as city offices. Discussion on the cabin use as employee housing appeared to be reasonable; however, questions on the density, who should redevelop the lot, whether it should be sold, and its historic designation were raised. 2 2 With the Armory, general agreement that most of the building should be a community use was confirmed, with reference to the top results of community outreach that provided more specificity (causal dining, community center, multi- purpose space, non-profit services, and lower price point retail). It appeared that there is general agreement that the ACRA visitor center is a compatible use in the Armory after its remodel, but questions on the extent of ACRA usage (offices) was debated, recognizing there is still time to resolve that programming aspect. 2. Topic:Confirm the order of redevelopment of the buildings (cabin/OPH then Armory). Council majority consensus: Staff should proceed with the OPH redevelopment and restart the design process on the Armory so that a condensed timeline can be implemented. 3. Topic:Should ACRA be a temporary use in the Armory during the OPH remodel and design and entitlement phases? Council majority consensus: It appeared that temporary relocation of ACRA into the Armory prior to its remodel is acceptable. 4. Topic: Is ACRA a user of the Armory after its remodel? Council majority consensus: A majority of Council appeared to provide support for the visitor center component of ACRA locating in the Armory and was not as supportive of providing staff offices in the building, recognizing there is time during the design and entitlement process to resolve the issue. NEXT STEPS: Staff will continue to progress the design of the powerhouse based on the work session feedback, will provide an Info Only memo on the cabin covering topics associated with de-listing, the Aspen Modern program, and the Pan Abode inventory in town. Restarting of the Armory remodel/re-use project should occur, with an initial feasibility/design analysis looking at what uses can be accommodated in the building. CITY MANAGER NOTES: __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 3 3 4 1 FOLLOW-UP MEMORANDUM CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MEETING DATE:May 25, 2023 FOLLOW-UP MEMO DATE:June 8, 2023 AGENDA TOPIC:New Castle Creek Bridge PRESENTED BY:Jenn Ooton, Sr. Project Manager Trish Aragon, P.E., City Engineer Pete Rice, P.E., Deputy City Engineer Jack Danneberg, P.E., Project Manager COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT:Mayor Torre, Councilmembers John Doyle, Ward Hauenstein, Sam Rose and Bill Guth _______________________________________________________________________ WORK SESSION DISCUSSION SUMMARY: Team members representing the City Manager’s Office and Engineering Department presented information regarding a proposed phased approach to consultant work related to an investigative study for the New Castle Creek Bridge. Staff presented answers to technical questions posed to the Federal Highway Administration and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and presented information about what community questions cannot be answered without a further investigative study: 1. Topic:Phasing of the Request for Proposals scope. Council agreed not proceed with all of the elements of the scope but did ask for information regarding replacement of the existing bridge, including what would it require to start a new Environmental Impact Statement process. Council majority consensus. Council agreed that more information regarding the replacement of the existing bridge in the current location and information about a new EIS process should be pursued. 2. Topic: Confirm whether a vote is needed Council majority consensus. For the Preferred Alternative to be implemented with bus lanes instead of LRT, the City Attorney’s office has determined that a vote is required to grant the use of the right of way for an exclusive bus lane across the Marolt-Thomas properties. The CDOT letter states that a vote is not required to move forward with the PA. Council requested confirmation with the Attorney General’s Office whether a vote is needed for the PA. 5 2 NEXT STEPS: Staff will bring back an award for consultant services for investigations around replacement of the existing Castle Creek Bridge in place, and the City Attorney will take the lead on next steps related to the question of a vote. CITY MANAGER NOTES: __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 6 Page 1 of 4 INFORMATION ONLY MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Torre and City Council FROM: Jen Phelan, Development Manager THROUGH: Scott Miller, Public Works Director MEMO DATE: June 15, 2023 PUBLISH DATE: June 20, 2023 RE: 630 W. Main St., Main St. cabin – June 5, 2023 work session follow-up This memo is providing additional information requested by City Council regarding the historic designation of the Main St. cabin at the June 5, 2023, work session. At that work session, the idea of selling the property to allow a private developer to redevelop the property was suggested and, as a result, more information on the AspenModern program, the Pan Abode inventory within town, and de-listing or relocating a locally designated landmark was requested. SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND: Staff has previously provided some background information to Council on the Main St. cabin as a redevelopment plan was contemplated. Specifically, the September 12, 2022, work session memo provided information on the zoning parameters for redeveloping the site into affordable housing, work undertaken with an architect to evaluate the feasibility of the site as housing, and work with a real estate agent on determining the potential value of the property. Property summary: The property commonly known 630 W. Main Street is a 3,000 sq. ft. lot located within the Main Street Historic District and is a designated AspenModern landmark. It was home to Mountain Rescue prior to the city’s current use of the property. The structure located at 630 W. Main Street is a Pan Abode log kit building, which is an architectural style identified under the AspenModern preservation program. The original Pan Abode was constructed as a one-story, approximately 20 ft. by 30 ft., structure. A 20 ft. by 35 ft. two-story addition was constructed on the rear between 1989 and 1990. The property was locally designated via Ordinance No. 9 (Series of 2017) along with four other City owned properties with significance to Aspen’s mid-20th century development history. The property is located within the Public (PUB) zone district and is considered an Essential Public Facility. Surrounding properties along Main Street are generally located in the Mixed-Use zone district. As a designated landmark, all exterior changes to the property require approval. Affordable housing is a Conditional Use in the Public zone district and a change of use approval to convert the building from an Essential Public Facility to affordable housing is required. Also, as a designated property, an applicant may request certain development benefits codified for designated landmarks that are reviewed and granted 7 Page 2 of 4 by the HPC, including a waiver of required off-street parking, dimensional variations, certain exemptions from the Growth Management Quota System, as well as other benefits noted in Section 26.415.110, Benefits, of the land use code. The AspenModern program: While the City’s historic preservation program began in the 1970s with a focus on Victorian era history, even the original 1980 survey of town identified post-war properties, then as little as two decades old, as important to Aspen’s built environment. The AspenModern program is the result of an extensive community and decision-maker analysis and discussion of the value of protecting significant examples of sites and buildings associated with Aspen’s evolution as an international resort destination after the Quiet Years. Many of the buildings of this period in the 1950s and 1960s reflect a time when Aspen was developing into a world class ski resort and vacation destination. The style of buildings of this period includes Bauhaus/International, Wrightian/organic, modern chalet, rustic, Pan Abode, and chalet (Exhibit A, Aspen Modern, America’s International Resort). The AspenModern program currently includes fifty designated properties woven throughout the City which serve a variety of uses and help connect the community with its unique history. Additional properties are qualified for the program. Since 2012, designation of these buildings has been voluntary, but designation is heavily incentivized in order to partner with property owners and address case by case preservation challenges. In addition to the benefits available to any designated building, a prospective applicant that is interested in voluntarily designating a property can negotiate additional incentives for the resource within a 90-day negotiation period. Figure 1: Identified modern architecture (orange/designated, yellow/eligible) Pan Abodes: The Pan Abode Cedar Homes Company has manufactured kit buildings since 1952 and these buildings represent a model of construction that was meaningful to the community for reasons including being very inexpensive to buy and quick to erect with relatively unskilled labor in what was then a short construction season. More than fifty of these buildings were developed in the area, with most of them constructed in the 1950s and 1960s. Through outside evaluation, it was recommended “that the 1950s 8 Page 3 of 4 and 1960s-era Pan Abode buildings have historic significance on the local level in Aspen” (Exhibit B, Pan Abode Historic Context paper). Notably, this building type was also somewhat commonly used in ski resort development (Bonnie’s, Merry -go-round and the Cliff House on local mountains) and by the US Forest Service, lending to a broader national significance. Not only did the buildings offer convenience, but they also spoke to the setting of mountain towns and rural needs. It is understandable that this building type was selected as the headquarters for Mountain Rescue, a volunteer community force formalized as an organization in 1965 under the leadership of Fred Braun, namesake of the Braun Memorial Hut system. The cabin was built with funds donated to the organization in the name of a grieving family whose lost son’s body was recovered by the Mountain Rescue organization, after a search and rescue effort commenced when he did not return from a hike between Ashcroft and Marble. Braun leased the 630 W. Main site from the City, and he and the Mountain Rescue team built the cabin. The history of the cabin is provided in Exhibit C, the building’s Architectural Inventory Form. In 2010, fifty Pan Abodes were documented as existing or recently demolished within Aspen. While staff does not have a full update on the remaining examples, only five have been landmarked and remain to illustrate a significantly different and important past approach to construction in Aspen. It is possible to see entire building types commonly associated with a ski town like Aspen disappear. Mid-century A- frames provide an example for this, Aspen A-frames have all been either demolished or remodeled beyond recognition. Rescinding designation/relocation of designated properties: An application for delisting is reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) at a public hearing. A recommendation is provided by the HPC and forwarded to City Council for consideration at public hearing. City Council is the final decision-making body and is expected to base its decision on adopted criteria associated with changed conditions. Specifically, the Council would need to determine how the building no longer meets the criteria for designation that were found to be met in 2017 (Exhibit D, 2017 Designation Memo and Criteria). Even if delisted, the property is still located within the Main Street Historic District, requiring any development, demolition, or relocation to be approved by HPC. After the Inventory of Historic Resources was first created in 1980, there were re-reviews of it every five years or so, when additional properties were added and some were removed (via ordinance) in the process of trying to refine the group to the most justified Victorians for designation. Outside of that process, there have been about 10 individual requests for de-listing during since 1992. Several were successful, including the former Holland House, upcoming site of Lift One Lodge. However, some were unsuccessful, such as 124 W. Hallam, an award winning HPC restoration a few years ago. Only one building has been approved to be moved off site from its original location in the past thirty years: the Zupancis cabin, in great part because any repurposing of the building would have destroyed its unique intact interior, which has great value for museum interpretation. Market value of property: When initially considering the reuse of the Main Street cabin for employee housing in 2022, staff reached out to a real estate representative to answer City Council’s questions regarding the value of the property if it were to be sold. As part of the question, Council asked how a commercial deed restriction would affect the sale price. Potential worth of the property on the open market was estimated at the $2.1-$2.3 million range, and assumes the historic designation is removed. The representative thought that optimization of the lot may be more difficult with the historic designation 9 Page 4 of 4 and assumed the designation to decrease the value. The consultant thought that highest and best use would most likely be affordable housing and that the value is stronger if residential is allowed. Most likely, the property would need to be rezoned from Public to Mixed-Use if privately owned. Recent changes to the MU zone district prohibit the development of free market residential and increases the allowable Floor Area for affordable housing development. However, the property is still subject to HPC review and maximizing Floor Area may not be attainable. Preservation in Aspen: Aspen’s history has included a boom of development with the silver mining years and then a bust cycle with the devaluation of silver and the following Quiet Years. Post World War II, development began to occur in Aspen with the beginning of the ski industry. The development that began in the 50s and 60s eventually accelerated pressures on the community and the mining era inventory within the city, resulting in a preservation program for Victorian era architecture in the 1980s. As time has passed, additional recognition and study of the mid-century modern aesthetic, reflective of Aspen’s growth within the ski industry has informed this community’s story over time. In 2012, City Council adopted a voluntary process for designating AspenModern buildings. Subsequently, in 2017, the City Council initiated designation of city-owned properties that were eligible, resulting in the designation of the Main St. cabin, the Red Brick, the Yellow Brick, the Pedestrian Malls, and Anderson Park. Designating these properties was a demonstration of the City’s own commitment to historic preservation regulations, and it was recommended by a Council appointed citizen task force representing a broad variety of viewpoints. To date, 50 private and public AspenModern properties have been added add to the collection of sites and structures within the preservation program that total approximately 305 locally designated sites (The Aspen Inventory of Historic Landmark Sites and Structures, February 2022). All of these sites and structures are regulated by historic preservation development standards and incentives, to assist in maintaining Aspen‘s cultural resources and inform the community and visitors of its storied past. Please feel free to reach out to Jen Phelan (jennifer.phelan@aspen.gov) with any questions you may have. Attachments: Exhibit A: Aspen Modern, America’s International Resort paper Exhibit B: Pan Abode Historic Context paper Exhibit C: 630 W. Main Architectural Inventory Form Exhibit D: 2017 Designation memo and criteria 10 Aspen Modern AMERICA’S INTERNATIONAL RESORT 11 Aspen Modern: America’s International Resort is part of the Modern Module program, a two-year endeavor in four cities, aimed at building public support for and engaging in discussions focused on the study and protection of America’s modern architectural resources. This series of events and publications is coordinated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Modernism + Recent Past Program and funded by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Henry Luce Foundation. The Aspen Modern event was presented in partnership with the National Trust’s Denver Field Oce and the City of Aspen, and in cooperation with the Aspen Art Museum, the Aspen Historical Society, the Aspen Institute, and Spring Board Aspen. We would like to thank Sara Adams, Adrian Scott Fine, Amy Guthrie, Jim Lindberg, Barb Pahl, Brian Porter, Chad Randl, Tim Semrau, State Senator Gail Schwartz, Margaret Supplee Smith, Harry Teague, and Tony Vagneur for their assistance, knowledge, time and commitment to preserving and interpreting the modern architectural legacy of Aspen. DECEMBER 2011 12 Signiﬁcant sites come in all shapes and sizes, and from all eras of American history. The architectural and cultural resources of the Modern movement and the recent past are an important chapter in our national story, encompassing innovative ideas in architecture and planning, as well as places that demonstrate the inﬂuence and impact of the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and urban renewal. Day by day, however, a steady campaign of demolition is eroding the physical fabric of the recent past, with little consideration of its community importance, design signiﬁcance, or role in creating a sustainable future. In order to address what many consider to be a growing crisis, the National Trust for Historic Preservation inaugurated its Modernism + Recent Past Program, also known as TrustModern, in 2009. Headquartered at the Western Oce of the National Trust in San Francisco, TrustModern seeks to reacquaint Americans with their living history by reframing public perceptions about Modern and recent past architecture; creating stronger federal, state, and local policies to protect these sites; promoting contextual studies; and fostering an action network of individuals and organizations interested in resource preservation and rehabilitation. The National Trust is also breaking ground in the conservation of modern architecture at its own sites, including two of the most signiﬁcant residential designs in the US: the Philip Johnson Glass House (1949) in New Canaan, CT, and Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House (1951) in Plano, IL. Preserving our “familiar past” is a complex and sometimes controversial undertaking. Thoughtful conservation of the built environment, however, not only informs our collective history, but provides innovative opportunities for planning and stewarding our landscapes. The National Trust is working to lead on this issue and moves forward with the ﬁrm conviction that these places matter. We welcome you to join us in this conversation. Modernism + Recent Past Program ON THE COVER Aspen Institute, Big Dipper; Mathias Goeritz, installed 1973. FACING PAGE Boomerang Lodge, 500 West Hopkins Avenue; Charles Paterson, 1949; enlarged 1956, 1960, 1965 and 1970. 13 t 14 3 Aspen’s mid 20th-century renewal as a high-end vacation resort coincided with the widespread adoption of modern architecture in America. Wealthy patrons sought out innovative design solutions to attract attention, and global tourists, to the scenic mining town. Adherents of two diering approaches—Wrightian/Organic and Bauhaus/ International—augmented the beloved Victorian-era character of the community with a richly deﬁned collection of modernist buildings. Entrepreneurs restored a number of historic buildings and erected contemporary Swiss-style chalets, rustic lodges, and pre- fabricated log buildings to entertain and house a growing numbers of visitors. World-renowned architects and young idealists were attracted to the area by Aspen’s economic potential and its one-of-a-kind mountainous surroundings. Their architecture communicated both a distinct sense of place and a sophisticated level of design, whether in the organic treatment of natural wood and rock walls or the machine-like precision of glass, concrete, and steel. Modernist buildings and landscape features characterized the new Aspen Institute campus, and alpine, vernacular, and manufactured structures were interspersed among extant buildings downtown and along neighboring streets. As Aspen matured into a noted sports and arts destination, builders introduced a new type of building to accommodate visitors: the condominium. “Condos” made a major impact on Aspen’s townscape, economy, and demographics as aordable housing, trac, and planning priorities became important concerns. Today, retaining the picturesque historic character, including the “new” modern heritage of the area, is a pre-eminent preservation issue in this close-knit community. tAspen Institute Health Center, 1000 North Third Street; Herbert Bayer, 1955. Photo Greg Watts. Aspen’s Modern Legacy Restore the best of the old, but if you build, build modern. WALTER GROPIUS, Aspen town meeting, August 29, 1945 15 4 tThe Bank of Aspen, 119 South Mill Street; Fritz Benedict, 1956. Photo courtesy Aspen Historical Society.tThe Patio Building, 630 East Hyman Avenue; Thomas Benton, 1969.tAspen Athletic Club, 720 East Hyman Avenue; Robin Molny, 1976. Commercial development slowed dramatically in Aspen after the Silver Crash of 1893, when the local mining economy fell to ruin. Yet, the community came back strongly in the mid 20th century, when the rise of the ski industry in the West brought new oppor- tunities, people, and ideas to the area. The city welcomed a league of imaginative native architects and builders who revived the downtown core with innovative oce, retail, and recreational buildings. Taliesin fellow and expert skier Frederic “Fritz” Benedict designed the Bank of Aspen at a prominent downtown corner in 1956. The ﬂat-roofed building, composed of wood and recycled brick, evoked Frank Lloyd Wright’s inﬂuence in its dramatic use of cantilevering, overall horizontality, and massing of chimney and piers. This deep respect for natural materials, composed with an eye towards modernity and an organic style, informed many works of the period, including the 1976 Aspen Athletic Club and the 1976 down- COMMERCIAL t t 16 t t t 17 t 18 7 tHannah-Dustin Building, 300 South Spring Street; Heneghan & Gale, 1969.tAspen Sports, 408 East Cooper Avenue; Sam Caudill, 1970.tPedestrian Mall; Robin Molny, 1976. Photo courtesy Aspen Historical Society. town pedestrian mall by architect Robin Molny, the 1969 Hannah-Dustin Building, by Benedict protégés George Heneghan and Daniel Gale, and the 1969 Patio Building by Californian architect Tom Benton. Each of these architects delighted in exploring new ways to manipulate materials (wood, concrete, brick, glass, tile, and stucco), light, and scale to create buildings that maintained a unique relationship to nature and the surrounding community. Deep overhangs protected citizens from the summer sun glare as well as the massive winter snowfall, while expansive glazed walls allowed people to communicate with the outdoor landscape even while indoors. Artfully controlled window and door openings presented a changing sense of light and shade throughout the day, enhancing the architectural experience. t t 19 t 20 9 tSkiers Chalet Steakhouse, 710 North Aspen Street, 1952. tAspen Highlands Base Lodge; Fritz Benedict, 1958, demolished 1998. Photo courtesy Aspen Historical Society.tChristiana Lodge, 511 West Main Street; Pan Abode Cedar Homes Company, 1962. U LODGING In January 1947, the world’s longest ski lift opened on Aspen Mountain. A rush to develop the area for a plethora of visitors soon followed, with an eclectic assortment of ski lodges, motels, and vacation homes rising throughout the valley. Rocky Mountain resorts at mid-century often relied upon Alpine imagery to attract tourists who identiﬁed downhill skiing only with the Swiss Alps. Aspen promoted this European link (with a distinct 20th-century slant) in a number of exuberantly-styled ski buildings. The Skiers Chalet, adjacent to the chair lift, featured broad sloping roofs, an abundance of wood, wrap-around balconies, and Tyrolean decorative motifs. Pan-Abode buildings are a distinctive feature of the mid-century landscape. The company produced pre-fabricated “Lincoln Logs” that could be formed into a variety of structures (all wood, including walls, ceiling, and ﬂoor). This aordable option thrived in Aspen, with tt 21 t 22 11 more than ﬁfty Pan-Abode buildings erected, including vacation housing, commercial buildings, and lodges, such as The Christiana. The 1956 Boomerang Lodge was the creation of Charlie Paterson, who escaped Nazi occupied Austria and settled in Aspen in a one-room cabin. He designed the modern lodge, one of the oldest in Aspen, while studying architecture at the Taliesin studio. Paterson incorporated unique uses of glass, including mitered corner windows looking towards the mountains and an underwater window for views into the pool from the lounge. Nearby is The Hearthstone House, designed in 1961 by Robin Molny, another Taliesin fellow. Sited deep into its corner location, the handsome wood structure has two angled wings projecting from a central hearth; the wide, shingled roof and horizontal scale of the building create a home-like atmosphere for the guests. tHearthstone House, 134 East Hyman Avenue; Robin Molny, 1961; enlarged 1963.tBoomerang Lodge, ca. 1960. Photo postcard ©Robert C. Bishop, courtesy Aspen Historical Society.tAspen Mountain. Photo courtesy Aspen Historical Society. tt 23 Buttermilk Mountain Base Lodge; Jack Walls, 1958, demolished. Photo Aspen Historical Society. 24 25 14 t118 East Bleeker Street; 1965.t312 West Hyman Avenue. Photo courtesy Genevieve Leininger, 1957.t500 West Smuggler Street. Photo courtesy Aspen Historical Society. L RESIDENTIAL Although Aspen hosts a number of year-round residents, housing in this area caters primarily to those who arrive seasonally to enjoy the snowy winters or the pastorally-green summers. The Swiss-style is a favorite, with a range of homes tucked into neighborhoods like little Alpine cabins. Yet, this traditional look (such as the 1946 single-family chalet at 949 West Smuggler Street, possibly Aspen’s oldest example of this style) mixes easily with the more contemporary versions, referred to locally as “Modern Chalets.” First appearing in the 1960s, the Modern Chalet is less decorative and more robust in scale than its forebears. With low-to-moderately pitched roofs based on a 3:12 ratio and broad façades of rectilinear glass and solid panels, these homes opened up to the outdoors and were considered more conducive to the mid-century resort lifestyle. Excellent examples can be seen in the West End, on Francis Street and along Bleeker Street. tt 26 t 27 t 28 17 In 1967, Fritz Benedict designed a modern twist on the Alpine cabin for Ski magazine; clients from Denver later built the house in Aspen. This shingled variation of the humble A-frame eectively shed the snow, ﬁt well in its mountain landscape, and epitomized aordable ski housing. Newcomers to Aspen brought their admiration of modern design to the mountains. Their International Style single-family homes, designed by Herbert Bayer and others, are, however, becoming increasingly scarce. One-story, with ﬂat roofs, glass walls, and small footprints, the buildings are often targeted for demolition. An exception is the well-preserved 1972 residence designed by modernist Victor Lundy for himself and his artist wife Anstis, next door to an extant Bayer-designed residence. Lundy cantilevered the roof of the vacation home/studio to extend over the ﬂoor-to-ceiling windows that frame the 20-foot-high great room and towering trees that line the property. tEdmundson House; Fritz Benedict, 1960, demolished 1993. Photo courtesy City of Aspen.t949 West Smuggler Street, 1946.t1102 Waters Avenue; Fritz Benedict; 1967. t t 29 18 tShadow Mountain Condominiums, 809 South Aspen Street; Donald W. Kirk, 1965.t211 West Hopkins Avenue; Pan Abode Cedar Homes Company, 1956. t301 Lake Avenue; Victor Lundy, 1972. The Pan Abode log cabin on Hopkins Avenue was erected in 1956. Ordered from a cata- log, the kit was delivered by train or truck and assembled on site. The company, still in business today, produced only about 100 buildings a year at that time. These simple structures are considered locally signiﬁcant in Aspen’s architectural history. Shadow Mountain Condominiums, built in 1965 at the top of Aspen Street near Lift No. 1, signaled Aspen’s enthusiastic embrace of a new housing model. Designed by Texas engineer Donald W. Kirk, the buildings step up the mountain; the many gable roofs appear stacked like traditional chalets in an Alpine environment. The saw-tooth rooﬂine also paid homage, in the modernist sense, to the peaks behind. Condominiums changed the small-scale residential atmosphere of Aspen and altered patterns of development throughout the 20th century. tt 30 t 31 20 tWalter Paul Paepcke Memorial Building, Aspen Institute; Herbert Bayer, 1962. tKaleidoscreen sculpture; Aspen Institute, Herbert Bayer, 1957. U COMMUNITY RESOURCES Soon after World War II, Chicago industrialist Walter Paepcke arrived in Aspen with the singular dream of transforming the sleepy town into a center for exploring the arts, culture, and life. He started the Aspen Skiing Company and quickly followed that enterprise with the founding of the Aspen Institute of Humanistic Studies on the open meadows west of town. Paepcke supported the work of the Bauhaus in Europe and the United States, and hired architect and landscape designer Herbert Bayer, with colleague and brother-in-law Fritz Benedict, to create an idyllic campus distinguished by Modern buildings and landscapes. Curving paths connected the structures, with a series of artworks and sculpture augmenting panoramic views of the mountain range beyond. Contributors to the Aspen Institute in- cluded Eero Saarinen, with his 1949 Music Tent (now demolished), and Buckminster Fuller’s Geodesic Dome ca. 1955. t 32 t t 33 t 34 23 The Aspen Institute campus was designed without a master plan but loosely organized in three main areas—housing for guests, institute administration and activities, and aliated institutes. The ﬁrst permanent building was the 1953 Seminar Building, designed by Bayer and Benedict. Bayer also created the 1954 Green Mound and 1955 Marble Garden, early examples of the “earthwork” and environmental sculpture movement. Paepcke hoped to expand further and build an entire neighborhood of modern homes next to the Institute, featuring the work of Walter Gropius and Philip Johnson among other notable designers, but the plans died with his passing in 1960. Benedict and Bayer went on to design the Pitkin County Public Library at 120 East Main Street, now converted to oces. The pair of architects created a low-pitched hip-roofed, red brick building with deep overhanging eaves. Veteran newsman and American icon Walter Cronkite dedicated the structure in 1966. tAspen Institute. Anderson Park; Herbert Bayer, 1973. Photo courtesy Jim Lindberg, NTHP. tAspen Institute. Koch Seminar Building; Herbert Bayer, 1953.tFormer Pitkin County Library, 120 East Main Street; Fritz Benedict and Herbert Bayer, 1960. t t 35 24 tGiven Institute, 100 East Francis Street; Harry Weese, 1972. Photos by Greg Watts. FACING PAGE Aspen Institute, Geodesic Dome; Buckminster Fuller, ca. 1955. Afterword The architecture and landscapes of the “recent past,” those built within the living memory of our own time, are particularly vulnerable to untimely destruction. Too young to be appreciated for their historic contributions, many of these structures are targeted for the bulldozer before reaching the venerable age of the antique. Unfortunately, Aspen recently suffered another major loss. In April 2011, the University of Colorado demolished the Given Institute, determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places for its exceptional architectural signifi- cance. In 1972, Chicago architect Harry Weese, also known for his vaulted concrete Metro Stations in Washington, D.C., created this serene conference center to promote advanced thinking in molecular biology and medical research. The Given Institute was named “one of Aspen’s finest modernist works” in Buildings of Colorado and placed on the 2011 Most Endangered Places list for Colorado Preservation, Inc. Advocates nationwide fought for the re-use of the Given Institute. Now it is gone. t t 36 Text Margaret Smith Editors Christine Madrid French, Amy Guthrie, Elaine Brown Stiles Design Lori Twietmeyer Photography Brian Porter Copyright © 2011 National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States. Photography copyright ©brianporterphotography.com National Trust for Historic Preservation 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036-2117 www.PreservationNation.org Denver Field Oce 535 16th Street, Suite 750 Denver, CO 80202 303.623.1504 mpro@nthp.org Modernism + Recent Past Program/TrustModern Western Oce 5 Third Street, Suite 707 San Francisco, CA 94103 415.947.0692 trustmodern@nthp.org www.PreservationNation.org/TrustModern www.twitter.com/trustmodern 37 The National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of America’s stories. For more information visit www.PreservationNation.org. Helping people protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. 38 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context Prepared For: City of Aspen 130 South Galena Street Aspen, Colorado 81611 Prepared By: TEC, Inc. 1658 Cole Boulevard, Suite 190 Golden, Colorado 80401 Generously funded in part by the Modernism + Recent Past Intervention Fund, National Trust for Historic Preservation. 39 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 1 June 2010 Table of Contents Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 2 The Pre-Manufactured Building in the U.S. ................................................................................... 2 The Pan Abode Companies ............................................................................................................. 7 Pan Abode Architecture .................................................................................................................. 7 Purchasing and Construction Process ........................................................................................... 11 Pan Abode Building Types in Aspen ............................................................................................ 13 Historic Significance of Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen .............................................................. 16 Period of Historic Significance ..................................................................................................... 17 References ..................................................................................................................................... 19 List of Figures Figure 1. Classic Notch System, as shown by the Pan Abode Cedar Homes company ................. 7 Figure 2. A 1951 building by the Pan Abode Company’s sister-company in British Columbia, the Pan-Abode Company. ..................................................................................................................... 8 Figure 3. Recessed entrance at 630 Main Street, built in 1965. ...................................................... 9 Figure 4. Curved brackets at the entrance of 1208/1210 Snowbunny Lane, built in 1965. ........... 9 Figure 5. A Chalet Style Pan Abode (demolished) ....................................................................... 10 Figure 6. The picture windows of Pan Abodes, as seen at 509 West Main Street, left, and 1355 Sage Court, right. .......................................................................................................................... 11 Figure 7. Picture windows, as seen in 300 West Hyman. ............................................................ 11 Figure 8. Advertisement for Richard Wright, one of the Pan Abode contractors in Aspen, 1965 ....................................................................................................................................................... 13 Figure 9. 1970 Pan Abode single-family houses at 103 Ardmore (left) and 110 Ardmore (right). ....................................................................................................................................................... 14 Figure 10. Multiple family building at 403 and 404 Park Avenue, built in 1964. ....................... 14 40 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 2 Summary This historic context statement on Pan Abode buildings has been prepared for the City of Aspen to determine the potential significance of the city’s group of at least 50 buildings that were pre- manufactured by the Pan Abode Cedar Homes Company and built in and around Aspen in the 1950s and 1960s. The City retained TEC Inc. (TEC) to conduct primary and secondary research to expand upon the existing information compiled on Pan Abode buildings in Aspen. Historical research focused on the local, regional, and national historic context of Pan Abode buildings and relevant historical themes. Resources consulted included materials from the City of Aspen, Pitkin County Assessor, Denver Public Library, Prospector Interlibrary loan, and historic maps, photographs, and newspaper archives. TEC also conducted oral history interviews with current and past Aspen residents familiar with the history of Pan Abode buildings to supplement information available in the written record. This historic context statement is an assessment of the significance of Pan Abode buildings in Aspen based on this research only. The project did not include fieldwork or evaluations of individual buildings; rather it assessed the significance of the Pan Abode building type using information compiled in this historic context. The City of Aspen provided the photographic illustrations included in this narrative. Based on this information, TEC recommends that the 1950s and 1960s-era Pan Abode buildings have historic significance on the local level in Aspen. The following paper explains this recommendation and includes a description of the Character-Defining Features of Pan Abode buildings. 41 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 3 The Pre-Manufactured Building in the U.S. The historical origins of the Pan Abode buildings of the 1950s and 1960s begin with the factory- made balloon frame houses made popular by the Sears, Roebuck & Co. mail-order catalog introduced in 1908 and, to a lesser degree, the Aladdin Homes catalog introduced in 1910. These pre-manufactured “kit” houses were essentially packages of pre-cut, numbered wood parts that were delivered to the desired building site to be easily erected by any person unskilled in the building trades. Their affordability and easy do-it-yourself construction became most attractive during the nation’s most uncertain economic times. Pre-manufactured building’s first wave of popularity followed the end of World War I in 1918 when soldiers returning home sought affordable housing in which to start a family. While new building technologies emerged throughout the Depression years of the 1930s, advances in pre-manufactured materials and building methods skyrocketed during the World War II years between 1942 and 1945 when the United States (U.S.) military concentrated its building efforts on fast, efficient, and inexpensive construction techniques. The private sector applied these techniques to meet urgent building needs that followed the end of the war. Six million returning veterans found an inadequate supply of suitable buildings to house themselves and their new families and pre-manufactured ready-to-assemble buildings became especially attractive to the many people in need of decent housing during the nation’s postwar housing crisis. It was this dire and urgent need for housing that spurred the second wave of factory-made buildings to new heights of affordability and sophistication (Ebong 2005). The population growth in the rest of the country boomed during the postwar years of the late 1940s and 1950s, but building activity was comparatively quiet in Aspen. The silver crash of 1893 deeply affected Aspen’s mining industries, and the town witnessed a dramatic decline that left it sparsely populated through the 1930s. Aspen struggled for the first three decades of the twentieth century until the commercial ski industry began to revive the town. The development of ski areas in and around Aspen in the 1930s and 1940s brought a renewed need for buildings and infrastructure. Although many of the nineteenth-century buildings were available for use, prospective buyers were required to pay back taxes on these properties, many of which carried unpaid property taxes since 1893. Thus by the early 1940s, buying property in Aspen became prohibitively expensive due to the accumulation of taxes owed on many of the existing properties. This circumstance made affordable building options an attractive feature of Pan Abode kit buildings, and for many it was the only way they could afford to live in Aspen during the early postwar years. 42 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 4 Although their low cost and easy construction was a critical factor, Pan Abode buildings also offered something more intangible than simply affordable shelter. Their log-frame architecture gave its inhabitants the romanticized rustic aesthetic that many sought in their mountain homes. The log cabin’s symbolism is deeply rooted in the American identity for its associations with the American frontier and our national ideals of rugged individualism. This identity and mythology is particularly entrenched in the American West, including Aspen, Colorado, where the town’s scenic mountainous surroundings became a backdrop for Rustic Style architecture as early as the 1930s. The Rustic Style developed in Colorado after 1905 and is identified through its log construction with battered walls, overhanging roofs, and small paned windows. The style grew out of the Pioneer Log structures found in Colorado which are often associated with the American west. After World War II, Americans extolled these ideals with even greater enthusiasm through popular culture and even children’s toys such as the iconic “Lincoln Logs” blocks. The Pan Abode’s cedar logs were grown, milled, and manufactured in a far-off location, but for many Americans these “log” buildings still resonated with their cultural past, even if they was a modern facsimile of a romanticized concept. For people looking for adventure, the Pan Abode’s self-built quality presented an opportunity for the “can-do” generation of the 1950s and 1960s to tackle a realistic project that reaped the rewards of an entirely new building. By the 1950s, “do-it-yourself” became a cultural phenomenon of the postwar generation. The attitude began as part of the postwar suburban ideal, but it undoubtedly carried into the vacation home. Many returning veterans welcomed the opportunity to apply technical skills they learned during the war toward realizing the postwar dream of a modern and comfortable new home (The National Building Museum 2003). In rural Colorado, people took this attitude one step farther in part due to the romanticized influence of the western frontier’s spirit of hearty self-reliance. Once Americans began establishing themselves as the well-off and burgeoning population of the middle class in the early 1950s, families began to enjoy recreational activities afforded by the nation’s newfound economic prosperity. They also enjoyed more leisure time than ever before. The New Deal’s Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 regulated a maximum 40-hour work-week, and after World War II the five-day work-week became typical. By 1950, leisure time accounted for over 34 percent of American’s waking lives (Gilbert 1995). At the same time, increasing personal wealth and the dramatic rise of personal automobile ownership gave Americans the freedom and mobility to venture outside of their hometowns in search of weekend getaways. Improved roads and the nation’s new interstate highway system provided access to areas not readily available before the war. Americans began traveling the highways and staying in motels 43 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 5 on Route 66 and at National Forest visitor cabins. As Americans discovered new communities, they sought modest vacation homes in their pursuit of outdoor leisure activities, such as skiing. Attracted to the town’s picturesque Rocky Mountain setting as well as its three highly regarded ski areas established by 1958, vacationers found their way to Aspen for lodging or to establish second homes. Kit buildings sold by the Pan Abode Cedar Homes company fulfilled many of these buyers’ preferences for Rustic Style architecture in the mountain town. Pan Abodes were an affordable choice in addition to being easily transportable, and reflected the romanticized idea of a western log cabin. These buildings also interested buyers due to their simplicity and ease of construction. Pan Abodes were often viewed as a symbol of the do-it-yourself independence of the west. In 1947, 37,000 of kit homes built nationwide were constructed using prefabricated components, and by 1960 the number had grown to 126,000 houses, or nine percent of all homes built. Prefabricated techniques for permanent house construction in particular grew parallel with the increasing market for vacation homes (Randl 2004). This increasing need for vacation homes was especially visible in Aspen, where many of the Pan Abode buildings constructed in the 1950s and 1960s were used as second homes associated with the ski industry. Individuals and families from Denver, Texas, New York, and other areas around the country utilized the ease of construction and affordability associated with Pan Abode buildings in order to construct their vacation homes. The increasing interest in Aspen’s ski industry in the late 1950s is evidenced by an increase in the number of new homes constructed in the city between 1958 and 1959. According to the Aspen Times, eight new homes were constructed in 1958 while in 1959 that number increased to 19 (Aspen Times 1960a). During this era of second home growth, Pitkin County’s population increased roughly 44 percent and Highway 82 leading into Aspen saw a traffic increase which was the highest of any road in Colorado. In 1960, the road experienced a 10.9 percent increase in traffic over the 1959 numbers (Aspen Times 1960b). Aspen’s Pan Abode homes allowed many owners to purchase a second home when they might not otherwise have been able to afford the cost of building. On average new houses cost $15.00 a square foot to build in 1960; however, the cost of a Pan Abode structure averaged between $8.06 and $13.67 a square foot around this time. Indeed, during the early 1960s, Pan Abode buildings constructed in Aspen cost roughly $10.00 a square foot, significantly less than the national average (City of Aspen 2010). Ski areas that were largely run by local ski clubs before the war and catered to locals as well as a handful of elite clientele transformed themselves into business ventures during this era. New ski areas were established and older slopes were improved to serve the new postwar consumer 44 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 6 culture. Backed by prominent financiers, the ski industry aimed to attract all types of visitors, from destination skiers to weekend visitors from Denver. In the process, Aspen became home to some of the earliest well-developed ski areas in the country. In 1946, the Denver Post magazine headlined with “Money Fever is Running in Aspen Again: Famed Silver Town Looks to Day When It Will Be World Ski Capital.” Although other skis areas had also been established in Colorado and other western states at the time, in 1950 Aspen was chosen to host the International Skiing Federation championships, the largest international competition of the year and one that had never before been held in the U.S. With thousands of people flocking to Aspen each year, Aspen distinguished itself from other ski areas early, and the flourishing postwar economy helped make this possible (Gilbert 1995). While the Pan Abode served as an idealized version of the western log cabin for many, in Aspen Pan Abodes also served as an integral part of the fledgling American ski industry. Aspen’s ski industry created an immediate need for buildings and infrastructure, including single-family homes, rental properties for tourists, multi-family apartments, and commercial buildings. Due to the temporary nature of the industry’s employment, employees interested in buying a residence were unable to qualify for traditional home mortgages. However, if a buyer had purchase money for a parcel of land, he or she could buy an affordable Pan Abode kit. By Aspen’s standards, the cost of a pre-manufactured building was significantly less than the cost of purchasing an existing home or hiring a contractor to build a house by traditional building methods. Perhaps seizing upon Aspen’s postwar growth, the Pan Abode Cedar Homes company stationed a sales representative in Aspen to sell Pan Abode buildings. The sales representative was also able to answer potential buyer’s questions about financing and referred buyers to institutions providing mortgages. By the 1960s, Pan Abode kit buildings became the most common type of Rustic Style architecture built in Aspen, with more than 50 Pan Abode buildings erected during the mid- 1950s through the late 1960s. Prior to the construction of Pan Abode buildings in Aspen, the majority of buildings were constructed using an architect’s plan, making these pre-planned buildings a different resource within the city. Part of the rise of Pan Abodes’ popularity can be attributed to the fact that they offered an attractive, affordable alternative to costly architect- or builder-designed buildings. During the earliest postwar years of the late 1940s and early 1950s, the U.S. was still trying to adjust to a peacetime economy after four years of war. Adjustment to a non-military economy and demand for single-family homes expanded exponentially. The U.S. housing construction industry could not keep up with the demand due to scarcity of materials and adequate financing immediately after the war. Before pre-manufactured kit houses became available, buildings often took many months or even years to construct. The Pan Abode Cedar 45 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 7 Homes company’s assortment of kit houses allowed these new homeowners to move into their houses within a few weeks instead of months. The Pan Abode Companies Aage Jensen, a Danish cabinetmaker, established the original Pan-Abode International, Ltd. in 1948 in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, to create pre-manufactured cedar log buildings. Jensen expanded his venture to the U.S. in 1952 with a second factory located in Renton, Washington, where the American company still operates today. The two companies became separate corporations: the American company assumed the name Pan Abode Cedar Homes, while the British Columbian company is distinguished by their hyphenated name, Pan-Abode. The main difference between the pre-manufactured buildings produced by the two companies lies in the British Columbian company’s double tongue-and-groove system, while the Renton, Washington, factory produces a single tongue-and-groove interlocking system. Because the 1950s and 1960s Pan Abode buildings in Aspen were sold by the Pan Abode Cedar Homes company in Renton, each features this single tongue-and-groove construction. Pan Abode Architecture Each Pan Abode was entirely constructed of milled logs made of Western Red Cedar. The company hailed cedar’s low-expansion properties that include resistant to shrinking, swelling, and warping during drastic changes in temperature. Cedar timber also provides good insulation, an important feature in Pan Abode buildings since the only insulation came from the 3-inch thickness of the cedar logs themselves. The buildings included no insulation within the walls until much later. All of the Pan Abode logs manufactured between 1952 and 1970 in the Renton factory were milled in 3”x6” rectangular logs with flat edges to create a relatively flat exterior and interior wall surface. The logs were joined on the top and bottom using a single tongue-and-groove design to create a tight seal that required no traditional chinking or any other interfacing (Figure 1). The ends of the logs formed overlapping, interlocking corners that Figure 1. Classic Notch System, as shown by the Pan Abode Cedar Homes company (Pan Abode Cedar Homes 2010) 46 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 8 joined in a style the Pan Abode Cedar Homes company calls the “Classic Notch” solid wall system. The continuous vertical notch at all of the building’s corners thus became a distinguishing characteristic of the building. The overlapping corner notch was intended to strengthen the building and facilitate construction (Pan Abode Cedar Homes 2010). The length of the log timbers were cut to size depending on the Pan Abode model ordered through the company catalog. Window and door openings were wood-framed. During the 1950s and 1960s, the majority of Pan Abode-manufactured buildings were one-story buildings between 1,000 and 2,000 square feet. The Pan Abode’s interior walls featured no additional finishes, leaving the cedar walls bare on the inside of the building. Electrical and plumbing infrastructure could be inserted through the walls, down joint seams, or inserted into the floor depending on local ordinances. Although the vast majority of the Pan Abode buildings sold were stock models advertised in the company catalog, a small portion of the company’s sales consisted of custom-designed buildings that were pre-manufactured and cut to size by request. These early custom-designed buildings also used 3”x6” timbers using the Classic Notch design. Pan Abode buildings were typically covered by a low-pitched, gabled roof; however, some were covered by a low-pitched shed roof (Figure 2). Roofs almost always had open overhanging eaves with wood trim. As a result, the one-story Pan Abode buildings took on the form and appearance of a mid-century Ranch-style house. The fascia board at the end of the roof Figure 2. A 1951 building by the Pan Abode Company’s sister-company in British Columbia, the Pan-Abode Company. 47 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 9 eaves was usually left flat with straight edges, but in a few cases the fascia was cut into a decorative cut-out vergeboard trim. Distinctive architectural features common to Pan Abode houses of the 1950s and 60s include recessed entrance porches that are framed at the edges by the building’s log ends with curved corners (see Figures 3 and 4). The logs ends were used decoratively in a variety of ways in the Pan Abode. This is also seen in the supporting brackets for a Pan Abode house’s entrance gable in Figure 4. Pan Abode buildings in Aspen were usually plain and lacked ornamentation. However, Aspen had at least one “Chalet Style” Pan Abode building that featured notched ends shaped into ornate scalloped curves, deep overhangs, vergeboard fascia, and cut-out patterns at the balustrade, window trim, and decorative shutters (Figure 5). Figure 3. Recessed entrance at 630 Main Street, built in 1965. Figure 4. Curved brackets at the entrance of 1208/1210 Snowbunny Lane, built in 1965. 48 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 10 Figure 5. A Chalet Style Pan Abode (demolished) A ca. 1950s and 60s Pan Abode buildings’ fenestration typically featured at least one large multi- light picture window at the façade. The multi-light arrangement was divided into horizontally oriented rectangular lights, which formed the module by which all of the original Pan Abode windows were based. The size of the window was determined by the number of rectangular lights used. The house in Figure 3, above, has one large 12-light picture window, as does the house in Figure 6, below. The house at right in Figure 6 depicts a house with one 9-light window and one narrow three-light rectangular window. The building in Figure 7 includes two large 9-light windows, one in each of its two projecting wings. In the case of most Pan Abodes constructed during the 1950s and 1960s, the fenestration consisted of either fixed panes, such as in large multi-light windows or sliding as in the case of smaller single and double light windows. Occasionally large multi-light windows would made into sliding windows; however, these windows have a large bar affixed to the window’s interior panes to ease their opening. Often these fixed windows are replaced with multi-light pivoting casement windows (Pan Abode Cedar Homes personal correspondence 2010). 49 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 11 Figure 6. The picture windows of Pan Abodes, as seen at 509 West Main Street, left, and 1355 Sage Court, right. Figure 7. Picture windows, as seen in 300 West Hyman. Purchasing and Construction Process One major selling point of the Pan Abode was its ease of construction from beginning to end. Once a customer selected a Pan Abode model, the company shipped the prefabricated building materials directly to the building site on a flatbed truck (Pan Abode Cedar Homes 2010). The Renton Pan Abode Cedar Homes company estimates that roughly 100 kit homes were sold each year during the 1950s and 1960s (Pan Abode Cedar Homes 2010). Although there is little documentation of how many Pan Abodes were built nationwide, a company representative revealed that the company’s largest clients during those years were ski companies across the Western U.S. The U.S. Forest Service also purchased numerous Pan Abode kits to erect small 50 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 12 cabins in national forests in the western U.S. The U.S. Forest Service documents that it began building small Pan Abode cabins along with A-frame cabins in Alaska at the Tongass National Forest in 1962 and in the Chugach National Forest in 1963 (Lantz 2009). The Pan Abode Cedar Homes company advertised and sold their buildings through their company brochures and their home office in Renton, Washington, but perhaps most importantly through the Pan Abode company representatives located in strategic cities across the western U.S. One such sales representative named Jack Holst played a prominent role in Aspen during the 1950s and 1960s. Jack Holst’s position with Pan Abode Cedar Homes Company lasted approximately 20 years in Aspen. During this time, his sales resulted in a substantial concentration of Pan Abode buildings in Aspen. Although all company representatives used a marketing brochure to show and describe the pre-designed kit plans to prospective buyers, representatives like Jack Holst built their own Pan Abode buildings to serve as models for selling Pan Abodes.1 An interview with Magne Nostdahl revealed that Jack Holst was the only official Pan Abode representative in Aspen (Nostdahl personal correspondence 2010). Pan Abode Representative Jack Holst handled all of the arrangements for new Pan Abode construction in Aspen from selling the building to ordering the structure, to the necessary transportation from Renton, Washington to Aspen, Colorado. Marthinsson and Nostdahl Construction Company worked alongside Holst constructing the new buildings for the owners. Nostdahl recalls that the majority of Pan Abodes he and his partner constructed measured between 3,000 and 4,000 square feet while only a few measured under 1,000 square feet. During the 1960s, the Marthinsson and Nostdahl Construction Company charged $10 a square foot to construct the new Pan Abode buildings. Marthinsson and Nostdahl Construction Company constructed Pan Abode buildings for roughly seven years before the market for these easy to assemble buildings began to fade. Nostdahl remarked that he believed Pan Abodes began to lose their popularity due to the lack of insulation in the structures. A city ordinance in Aspen required a level of insulation in each building and Pan Abodes did not conform to these needs. As a result, Jack Holst began ordering double walled Pan Abode buildings which increased the cost of the building and led to a decrease in buyer’s interest in the buildings (Nostdahl personal correspondence 2010). 1 Like a number of Aspen’s residents during the 1950s and 1960s, Holst continued to work several jobs in order to keep busy and afford the new postwar lifestyle. In addition to serving as the Pan Abode company representative in Aspen, Holst was also a commercial airline pilot and a ski instructor. 51 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 13 Pan Abode Building Types in Aspen Research suggests that Pan Abode buildings were primarily constructed throughout the western U.S. as small cabins for the U.S. Forest Service or as privately owned vacation homes (Pan Abode Cedar Homes 2010). In Aspen, Pan Abodes were used for a wider variety of purposes that were both unique and representative of Aspen’s economic circumstances in the 1950s and 1960s. Although Pan Abode buildings were most often built as single-family primary and secondary dwellings in Aspen, there are examples of Pan Abodes used as multiple-family apartment buildings, commercial buildings, a church hall, and even for ticket sales, administration, ski patrol, and maintenance facilities at Highlands Ski Area. City records indicate that the majority of the Pan Abodes in and around Aspen were built as modest-sized single-family dwellings. This was representative of the Pan Abode company sales during the 1950s and 60s, as most of the buildings sold consisted of smaller dwellings less than 2,000 square feet, with few custom plans (Pan Abode personal correspondence 2010). Building permits for known Pan Abodes in Aspen state they were constructed in Kennydale, Washington, a neighborhood in Renton. One building in Aspen, the Cortina Lodge may have been purchased from the Pan-Abode Company in Richmond, British Columbia due to its double tongue and groove construction. In 1970, two entire subdivisions, Ardmore and East Meadow, were platted and developed by local Pan Abode Cedar Homes contractors in Aspen. It was a speculative venture whereby this group of Pan Abode developers built and sold the Pan Abode houses along with their lots as a residential subdivision. The Ardmore subdivision had eight Pan Abode houses, and the East Meadow subdivision contained five Pan Abode houses (Figure 9). Charles Brinkman was a developer of the Ardmore subdivision, and longtime company representative Jack Holst was at least one of the developers of the East Meadow subdivision of Pan Abodes. Figure 8. Advertisement for Richard Wright, one of the Pan Abode contractors in Aspen, 1965 52 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 14 Figure 9. 1970 Pan Abode single-family houses at 103 Ardmore (left) and 110 Ardmore (right). Pan Abodes catered directly to the ski industry, which needed to house seasonal workers. At least one Pan Abode in Aspen served as a multiple-family residence. The apartment building at 403 and 404 Park Avenue consists of a raised two-story building with shallow overhanging eaves and decorative vergeboard at the side-gabled ends (Figure 10). This 10-unit multi-family building was developed in 1964 by Pan Abode contractors Arne Marthinsson and Magne Nostdahl. Both Marthinsson and Nostdahl were typical contractors who held multiple jobs. In the case of Marthinsson and Nostdahl, they were contractors during the summer months and ski instructors during the winter. Ski industry pioneer and founder of the Aspen Highlands ski area, Whipple “Whip” Van Ness Jones utilized two Pan Abode buildings to help establish the ski mountain in 1956 and during its long tenure. When Jones first moved to Aspen in the early 1950s, he purchased a property on 2nd Street that included a Pan Abode building. He also purchased the property across the street that housed a stable that was also of Pan Abode construction. When Jones established a new ski resort on the outskirts of downtown Aspen, instead of contacting one of the two architects or two designers listed in town in 1955 to Figure 10. Multiple family building at 403 and 404 Park Avenue, built in 1964. 53 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 15 construct new buildings, Jones determined it would be easier and more cost effective to relocate two Pan Abode buildings from his property in town up to the Aspen Highlands ski area (Doremus 2010). These two buildings became the ticket sales, administration, ski patrol, and maintenance buildings in 1957 and were used until the Aspen Highlands’ ownership transferred in 1993. When Jones needed a larger administration building, he ordered a new Pan Abode building to replace the old building because Pan Abodes were easy to assemble, inexpensive, functional, and fit into the aesthetic alpine environment with their cedar log materials and Rustic architectural style. After fire destroyed the Cloud 9 restaurant on the Aspen Highlands in the 1970s, the replacement restaurant consisted of a new Pan Abode building. The new building’s erection took roughly 45 days from start to finish. Subsequent to the Aspen Skiing Company assuming ownership of Aspen Highlands in 1993, the Pan Abode buildings at Aspen Highlands were demolished with the exception of Cloud Nine (Doremus 2010). In addition to owning several Pan Abode buildings at the Aspen Highlands mountain, Whip Jones and his family also resided in a Pan Abode building in town. According to his stepson Andrew Doremus, the Jones family moved from his original Pan Abode on 2nd Street to a second Pan Abode house on Francis Street. One of the more unusual uses for a Pan Abode building in the 1960s was for a church. The Messiah Lutheran Church erected a Pan Abode building in 1963 when the congregation relocated to its current site on Mountain View Drive. The church used the Pan Abode building for its services until 1985, when the Pan Abode was moved to Redstone for use as a private residence (Aspen Times 2004). The energy crisis of the 1970s slightly changed the design of Pan Abode-manufactured buildings, as the company introduced wider cedar log dimensions of 4”x6” for improved insulation and greater energy efficiency (Pan Abode Cedar Homes 2010). The slightly wider style of the post-1970 design appears to be a distinguishing feature between the company’s pre- 1970 and post-1970 designs. Later designs also introduced a double-wall structural system in which two 3”x6” timbers were separated by a 4” gap that could be filled with rigid foam insulation (Log Home Living Magazine 1987). 54 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 16 Historic Significance of Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen Aspen’s postwar-era Pan Abode buildings are significant under the City of Aspen’s significance Criterion 2a as a representative building trend closely associated with Aspen’s period of rise of the local international ski industry and tourism, both important historical events of the city’s postwar history. In an emerging tourism town, Pan Abode buildings fulfilled a basic need for buildings and lodging. Their flexible design made them highly adaptable for a wide variety of functions, resulting in a diverse group of Pan Abode buildings in Aspen. Pan Abode’s structural adaptability allowed them to serve in a variety of situations. They were also well-equipped for adaptive reuse; two were relocated to the Aspen Highlands ski area for nearly 40 years of continuous use. This architectural flexibility accommodated Aspen’s changing needs like no other building could. The Pan Abode Cedar Homes company sold at least 50 Pan Abode buildings in Aspen during the 1950s and 1960s. This may be considered a large collection of Pan Abode buildings at that time when the Pan Abode Cedar Homes company produced only about 100 per year nationwide. Aspen’s group of contractors even developed two small speculative subdivisions consisting only of Pan Abode houses in the early 1970s. As a result, preliminary research suggests that Aspen’s had a relatively high concentration of Pan Abode buildings when compared with similar cities in Colorado and possibly the Western U.S. Aspen’s postwar Pan Abode buildings are also significant under Criterion 2c for their building design. Pan Abode buildings’ distinctive pre-manufactured method of construction was representative of the architectural technology available following World War II. They are also architecturally significant as unique representatives of national historical themes and attitudes of the postwar age. Their ability to be easily constructed by unskilled labor is evocative of the emerging “do-it-yourself” spirit that permeated the postwar generation of the 1950s and 60s nationwide. They also fulfilled the need for affordable construction, and their easy financing made them attainable to people who ordinarily would not qualify for traditional home mortgages or who could not afford Aspen’s expensive back-taxes on the existing pre-World War II building stock. This was especially important for the temporary employees who worked in the seasonal Aspen’s Pan Abode buildings represent six important hallmarks of the postwar era: The pre-manufactured building movement following World War II; Do-It-Yourself attitudes ; Rustic Style residential architecture Affordable construction attainable by many; Adaptable architecture to suit a wide variety of building functions; and Close associations with the rise of Aspen’s international ski and tourism industries. 55 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 17 ski industry. Finally, the Pan Abode form as an entirely cedar-log-built building represents the popularity of Rustic Style architecture during the postwar years, particularly in the mountainous regions of Colorado. In summary, Pan Abode buildings’ historic significance in Aspen lies not simply in the fact that they are kit houses, but the manner in which they were ideally suited to Aspen’s unique circumstances during the postwar years. Period of Historic Significance Although Pan Abode buildings continue to be manufactured today in the company’s Renton factory, their period of significance in Aspen began in 1956 when the first Pan Abodes were built, and ends in 1970. By 1970, the desire for a modest-sized vacation home in Aspen came to an end as development pressures increased in town. As land values steadily increased in connection to Aspen’s population growth and tourism success, developers sought to maximize the capacity of their properties with larger and taller buildings that capitalize on the allowable square footage. In 1966, the city of Aspen adopted its Aspen Area Master Plan to control growth and development. As Aspen continued to grow in population and popularity as an internationally acclaimed ski resort through the 1970s and 1980s, the city sought to reduce the density and future population of Aspen and utilized growth management plans and ordinance restrictions to aid in achieving this goal. The Pan Abode buildings constructed between 1956 and 1970 represent the last generation of buildings prior to the institution of these regulations. Character-Defining Features of Pan Abode Buildings are the physical characteristics of the buildings from their period of significance between 1956 and 1970. They are: • 3”x6”, single tongue-and-groove cedar log construction • Overlapping notches at the corners • Original wood-framed, multi-light picture window • Low-pitched roof, usually gabled but occasionally shed • Deep overhanging eaves • Recessed entrance with rounded or squared corners Character-Defining Feature: A prominent or distinctive aspect, quality, or characteristic of a historic property that contributes significantly to its physical character. Structures, objects, vegetation, spatial relationships, views, furnishings, decorative details, and materials may be such features. NPS 2010 56 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 18 All or most of these character-defining features should be visible at the façade in order to convey the original appearance of the Pan Abode building. These character-defining features can be used as a guide for evaluating individual Pan Abodes; however, individual survey and an assessment of integrity of the individual known Pan Abode properties in Aspen will be required to determine whether a Pan Abode building continues to conveys its historic significance to the 1956-1970 period of significance. 57 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 19 References Aspen Times (The) 1960a January 8. 1960b January 15. 2004 “Messiah Lutheran Marks 50 Years.” Accessed Online: http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20040922/NEWS/109220011&parentprofile= search 2007 “Jack Holst Obituary.” Accessed Online: http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20071103/ASPENWEEKLY04/111040083&p arentprofile=search City of Aspen 2010 Estimated Cost per Square Foot for Pan Abode Construction, 1956-1969. Ditto, Jerry, and Lanning Stern. 1995 Design for Living: Eichler Homes. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Doremus, Andrew 2010 Personal Correspondence. April 1. Ebong, Ima. 2005 Kit Homes Modern. New York: Collins Design. Fetters, Thomas T. 2002 The Lustron Home: The History of a Postwar Prefabricated Housing Experiment. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Gilbert, Alice M. 1995 Re-Creation Through Recreation: Aspen Skiing from 1870 to 1970. Aspen Historical Society. Gordon, Alastair. 2001 Weekend Utopia: Modern Living in the Hamptons. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. Holst, Les. 2010 Personal Correspondence. March 30. Koones, Sheri. 2006 Prefabulous: The House of Your Dreams, Delivered Fresh From the Factory. Newtown, CT: The Taunton Press. 58 Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context 20 Meinecke, Conrad. 1945 Your Cabin in the Woods: A Compilation of Cabin Plans and Philosophy for Discovering Life in the Great Outdoors. New York: Bonanza Books. Meyer, Guido 2010 Personal Correspondence. March 29. National Park Service (NPS) 2010 Denver Service Center Workflows, Design and Construction Definitions (C). Accessed Online: http://www.nps.gov/dsc/workflows/definitionsdc_c.htm. 28 April. Nostdahl, Magne. 2010 Personal Correspondence. June 3. Pan Abode Cedar Homes 2010 “About Us – History.” Accessed Online: www.panabodehomes.com/history.php 2010 “Classic Timber Building System.” Accessed Online: www.panabodehomes.com/classic_timber.php 2010 Personal Correspondence with Tom Prevette. March 31 and April 29. Ramsey, Dan. 1987 Building A Log Home From Scratch, 2nd Edition. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: TAB Books. Randl, Chad. 2004 A-Frame. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. Rybczynski, Witold. 1991 Waiting for the Weekend. New York: Viking Press. The National Building Museum 2003 Do-It-Yourself: Home Improvement in 20th-Century America. October 19, 2002- August 17, 2003. Accessed Online: http://www.nbm.org/exhibitions- collections/exhibitions/diy.html Watkins, A.M. 1962 Building or Buying the High-Quality House at the Lowest Cost. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. Weslager, C.A. 1969 The Log Cabin in America: From Pioneer Days to the Present. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. 59 OAHP1403 Official Eligibility Determination Rev. 9/98 (OAHP use only) Date Initials Determined Eligible - NR Colorado Cultural Resource Survey Determined Not Eligible - NR Determined Eligible - SR Architectural Inventory Form Determined Not Eligible - SR (Page 1 of 25) Need Data Contributes to eligible NR District Noncontributing to eligible NR District I. Identification 1. Resource Number: 5PT991 2. Temporary Resource Number: Not Applicable 3. County: Pitkin 4. City: Aspen 5. Historic Building Name: Mountain Rescue Aspen Building 6. Current Building Name: Not Applicable 7. Building Address: 630 W. Main St. Aspen, CO 81611 8. Owner Name & Address: City of Aspen 130 S. Galena St. Aspen, CO 81611 60 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 2 of 25) II. Geographic Information 9. P.M. 6th Township 10 South Range 85 West NE 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of Section 12 10. UTM Reference Zone: 13 Easting: 342050 Northing: 4339585 11. USGS Quad Name: Aspen, Colorado Year: 1960 (photorevised 1987) Map scale: 7.5' 12. Lot(s): M Block: 24 Addition: Aspen Original Townsite Year of Addition: 1880 13. Boundary Description and Justification: This parcel (2735-124-44-855), defined by a lot and block description, includes all of the land and built resources that are historically associated with this property and remain in place there today. III. Architectural Description 14. Building Plan: Rectangular Plan 15. Dimensions in Feet: 20' x 65' 16. Number of Stories: 2 17. Primary External Wall Material(s): Log 18. Roof Configuration: Front Gabled Roof 19. Primary External Roof Material: Metal Roof 20. Special Features: Porch 21. General Architectural Description: Facing toward the south across a small landscaped front yard, this log kit building rests upon a masonry foundation and has a rectangular plan of 20’ x 65’. This consists of the original 20’ x 30’ one-story building toward the front, behind which is a 20’ x 35’ two-story addition. The building’s exterior walls are constructed of slender milled logs that interlock at the corners. These were designed to fit snugly together so that no chinking or daubing were required to make it weathertight. A 5’ x 5’ open cutaway porch with the main entry is located on the southwest corner. In addition to the areas of exposed logs, clapboard siding has been applied to the upper rear wall and on the east and west sides of the building. 61 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 3 of 25) The roof over the one-story portion of the building is front-gabled. Behind that, the two-story roof consists of hipped, pyramidal and gabled sections. All of these are finished with standing seam metal panels. The southeast corner of the rear addition projects above the main roof and forms a 10’ x 12’ cupola. Wood beam purlins are visible at the open eave along the front of the building. However, while those located directly above walls are clearly engaged, the eastern midpoint purlin and ridge beam may be decorative rather than functional. Boxed eaves with fascia boards are present on the rest of the building. A short metal ventilator rises above the one-story roof. South (front): The front of the building holds the main entry, which is located in an open cutaway porch on the southwest corner. The entrance faces west and contains a wood panel door with an X-pattern in the lower half and nine lights in the upper. The 5’ x 5’ porch is open to the south and west, although the west side has a half wall formed by a closed rail of milled logs. The floor is of wood planks, and the openings are arched overhead. A large window dominates the front wall. This consists of a central fixed six-light window flanked by what appear to be three-light casements, all set in wood framing. The south wall of the rear cupola and adjacent wall above the front gabled roof is finished with wood siding with a curved face. These seem to have been manufactured to look like milled logs. However, they do not have the same profile as the true milled logs on the main floor. The cupola contains two pairs of awning windows set in wood frames. Above these, the upper walls of the cupola are finished with beadboard siding. Another pair of fixed single-light windows set in wood frames is found near the upper floor’s southwest corner. West (side): This side of the building consists of two sections, each with its own features. The front one-story portion holds no entries and is mostly characterized by clapboard siding over the original milled log walls. A small fixed single-light window with a wood frame is present toward its northwest corner. The rear area of the building has a side entrance that contains a slab door with a small hood above. The hood is gabled and supported by metal bracing. Flanking the entry are three fixed single-light windows with wood frames. Near the two-story addition’s southwest corner is a horizontal band of three small single-light fixed windows that are set high on the wall. These provide light to an interior stairway. Toward the rear of the building, the wall material changes from clapboard siding to wood panels secured with multiple rows of large-diameter screws. These extend from the foundation to the eaves. North (rear): The two-story rear of the building is dominated by a full-width overhead metal garage door on the main floor. A chain-operated door control projects from the building’s northwest corner. Centered in the upper wall is a pair of glass doors set in wood framing. These provide access to a small unadorned metal balconet that allowed personnel to participate in loading and 62 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 4 of 25) unloading activities on the ground below and to engage in rope climbing practice associated with a metal frame system that projects from the ridge beam above. East (side): This side of the building holds no entries. The front one-story area contains two pairs of sliding windows with wood frames. As on the west, the original milled logs that form the walls have been clad in clapboard siding. The rear two-story area has a pair of single-light fixed windows on the main floor. The cupola holds a pair of what appear to be casement windows set in wood frames. 22. Architectural Style / Building Type: Kit Building 23. Landscaping or Special Setting Features: This property is located on the west side of Aspen’s developed core, in a predominantly residential area along the north side of Main Street (Colorado State Highway 82) two properties east of 6th Street. Pedestrian access is from the sidewalk along Main Street, with street parking available in front of the building. A short concrete sidewalk runs toward the north through the small front yard, reaching the porch at the building’s southwest corner. The yard is simply landscaped with grass, along with a small graveled area on the west with a bike rack. Reaching over the western property line above the bike rack is a spruce tree whose trunk is actually located on the adjacent lot to the west. A wooden picnic table sits in the grassed area on the east side of the yard. The picket fence along the eastern property line appears to be associated with the adjacent house rather than this site. The side yards are extremely narrow because the building reaches almost to the property lines with a very small setback. An east-west alley runs behind the building, providing access to the rear garage entry. Outside the garage door, the ground is covered by a concrete apron. Property uses beyond the site boundaries are residential in all directions, primarily consisting of small single-family homes. The building on the site fits with the surrounding scale and appears to be another house. 24. Associated Buildings, Features or Objects: Located behind the building off its northeast corner is a tall metal pole that rises above the two-story rooftop. Atop the pole is an old emergency siren that probably dates from the 1960s but is long out of use. This appears to be a Darley Model 5 siren manufactured by the W. S. Darley Company of Chicago. The siren looks like a metal canister with a series of vertical openings around the perimeter and a conical cap. This rests upon and is bolted to a small metal plate. The plate and siren are secured with guy wires to welded metal framework that is located several feet lower on the pole. 63 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 5 of 25) IV. Architectural History 25. Date of Construction: Estimate: Actual: 1965-1966 Source of Information: General Construction Permit, City of Aspen, Building Inspection Department, Approved 22 November 1965 (Permit #960C) 26. Architect: Pan Abode Southern Division, Inc. Source of Information: Building Plans for Aspen Mountain Rescue Unit, 630 W. Main St., 1 November 1965 27. Builder/Contractor: Mountain Rescue Aspen Volunteers Source of Information: General Construction Permit, City of Aspen, Building Inspection Department, Approved 22 November 1965 (Permit #960C) 28. Original Owner: Mountain Rescue Aspen Source of Information: General Construction Permit, City of Aspen, Building Inspection Department, Approved 22 November 1965 (Permit #960C) 29. Construction History: The one-story log kit building on this property was constructed in 1965-1966 for meeting and training space, along with equipment storage use, by Mountain Rescue Aspen. Its two-story rear addition was built in 1989-1990 to hold a garage, mechanical room, equipment storage area, shower and sink room, office space and a meeting room. Clapboard siding was applied to the east and west exterior walls of the original building, possibly during the 1989-1990 expansion. In 1990, a window on the second floor at the rear of the addition was removed and replaced with a pair of doors. A pair of sliding windows on the east side of the original building was replaced in 2015 with a set that closely matched what was already there. The current metal roof was installed in 2015 to replace a metal roof that had been present for an unknown amount of time. Finally, the front windows were modified sometime after 1975 to include casement windows on either end (they were originally all fixed windows). Despite this change, the overall window pattern remained visually intact and they continue to be framed with wood. 30. Original Location: Yes 64 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 6 of 25) V. Historical Associations 31. Original Use(s): Commerce & Trade: Organizational 32. Intermediate Use(s): Not Applicable 33. Current Use(s): Government: Government Office 34. Site Type(s): Offices, Meeting Rooms, Equipment Storage, Training 35. Historical background: Throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s, the site under study was situated toward the west end of Aspen in a residential neighborhood of small mining-era homes. Unique among its surroundings, Lot M in Block 24 contained a small firehouse, known at the time as a hose house, behind which was a bell tower. Organized in 1881, the Aspen Fire Department maintained a primary firehouse downtown, along with a small number of outlying hose houses. Each location was staffed and managed by volunteers forming a single company that took pride in its facility, equipment, firefighting ability, and athletic prowess. In June 1887, the City of Aspen purchased Lot M with the goal of building a hose house for Red Star Hose Company No. 3 (it was one of four fire companies in Aspen at the time). Founded exactly one year earlier, the Red Star men needed a home where they could meet, train, and store their hoses and carts. A false front building was erected on the front of the lot, together with a lattice bell tower behind it, and the company remained there into the very early 1900s before disbanding. Aspen fell into decline following the 1893 Silver Crash, resulting in closure of the mines and the town’s depopulation. The community entered what became known as the “Quiet Years,” and by the early 1900s there was no longer any need for several fire brigades. Lot M likely sat vacant throughout the first half of the twentieth century after the Red Star Hose Company disappeared. Exactly when the hose house was demolished is not currently known. As the City of Aspen emerged from its long slumber following World War II, tourists and other visitors began to arrive in the still small but once-again growing community to engage in a variety of recreational and cultural activities. These included skiing, hiking and mountain climbing. As the number of residents and visitors increased year after year, so did the frequency of mishaps that required rapid, skilled, organized rescue efforts. For skiers on Aspen Mountain, the ski patrol handled their needs. But for those who encountered trouble among the region’s extensive peaks and valleys, a different sort of rescue operation was needed. 65 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 7 of 25) Throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s, a series of headline-grabbing incidents occurred in the Aspen area that called on the determination and skill of volunteers who were willing and able to engage in rescue efforts. Just a few of the episodes that took place are mentioned here. What they underscored was how critical it was for coordinated, trained rescuers to be available at any time to help those in need. Eventually this led to the formation of a permanent organization devoted to rescue operations. In the meantime, a determined group of Aspen residents rose time and again to the meet the challenge. In September 1952, Larry Hackstaff (age 20) and his good friend Gordon Schindel (age 19) were climbing the Maroon Bells when they both fell and were unable to descend further. After they failed to return to Aspen, two small airplanes scoured the area but did not locate them. Two days after they were reported missing, more than forty volunteers from Aspen set out to find the young men and bring them to safety. Hackstaff was found alive in a crevasse but was severely injured. Schindel was deceased, his body located in a snow field about 175’ away. With great effort, the rescuers carried the two down the mountain to Maroon Lake, from where one was transported to the Pitkin County Hospital and the other to Sardy Mortuary. The following summer, the Aspen Chamber of Commerce organized the Aspen Mountain Rescue Squad. Sheriff Lorain Herwick oversaw its efforts and coordinated with the US Forest Service. In addition to deploying volunteers on foot, the squad was able to call for reconnaissance flights and recruited area ranchers able to search on horseback. They planned to spend time training for rescue operations. This was the first formal rescue organization to exist in the Aspen area. In July 1954, a music student visiting Aspen became stranded on Maroon Bells while climbing with a friend. Arthur Grossman (age 19) from Oklahoma City became ill with what appears to have been altitude sickness and his friend Malcomb Norton (age 22) of Baker, Oregon descended to find help. Sheriff Herwick gathered the rescue squad volunteers, who ascended the mountain and brought both of the young men to safety. Two years later, in August 1956, Aspen lodge owner Ralph Melville fell more than 300’ while climbing North Maroon Peak and sustained serious injuries. He was accompanied by two friends, Loren Jenkins and Mary Lou Hayden. After the fall, the 17-year-old Jenkins descended to find help and Hayden had to complete an extensive series of climbing maneuvers to reach her injured friend. She moved Melville to a safe location where they could wait for assistance and bundled him in extra clothing and her own jacket as the temperature fell. A group of rescuers, including Dr. Charles Houston (leader of the 1953 K2 expedition), set out by horseback and then on foot to reach Melville and Hayden. At daybreak, they brought Melville down to Maroon Lake for transport to the hospital. For her efforts, Hayden received the Carnegie Medal for Heroism. 66 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 8 of 25) On August 9, the editor of the Aspen Daily Times printed commentary on the rescue effort, lauding the character of those Aspenites who stood ready to help anyone in need: “Last Sunday an Aspen resident slipped and fell while descending a mountain. Unable to succor himself, he was dependent on his fellow men for aid. Without their help he would have died. He did not perish on the mountain, however. Several people, both friends and strangers, reacted to his plight and altered the normal pattern of their lives to rescue him. They did not have to do this. There were no tangible rewards. No law required them to undergo the physical hardship and possible danger necessary to save the injured man. Some people take their actions for granted; attribute them to an intangible, unwritten code, always present in the mountains, which requires man to aid his fellow man when in danger. Such a code does indeed exist. But unfortunately it does not seem to apply to all men. The majority usually can, and do, find excuses for not participating. This makes the actions of the minority the more laudable. Last Sunday’s rescue was carried out with speed and efficiency. Two hours after word of the accident reached town a group of nine men were riding horses, loaned by a local rancher, up a mountain path en route to the snow-gulley accident site. By 11:15 the next day the injured man was safe in the hospital. We are proud of all the men who participated in this altruistic effort and we think they merit our gratitude and the gratitude of all men.” Later that same month, another incident took place that called the rescuers into action. In this case, two climbers were reported to be in trouble on the face of Hagerman Peak, where they could be heard calling for help. Four mountaineers from Aspen, Bob Craig, Sepp Kessler, Tony Woerndle and Sandy Sabbatini, rushed to provide assistance. Sheriff Herwick drove them to the end of the road and from there they climbed to Snowmass Lake to assess the situation. Forced to spend the night on the cliff face, the climbers in distress were known to be lightly clothed and had taken no extra food with them. What happened to them in the end is unknown, as the Aspen newspaper failed to follow up on the story. In addition to the rescuers mentioned so far, many others responded to calls during the 1950s and 1960s. Among them were Hugh Strong, Fritz Benedict, Elli Iselin, Steve Knowlton, William “Shady” Lane, Dick Wright, Jim Snobble, Gale Spence, Jack Dollinger, David Swersky, Bill Golesten, Jack dePagter, Ralph Melville, Richard Arnold, Dr. Robert Lewis and Earl Eaton. Most of these men were avid skiers and climbers themselves, and some taught skiing on Aspen Mountain. Others provided necessary assistance from carrying litters to flying search planes and helicopters. As time passed, many of the same names appeared in the newspaper accounts of each rescue operation. 67 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 9 of 25) In August 1957, the body of a young man from Delaware had to be recovered from Capitol Peak after he fell to his death. Unable to raise a rescue squad in Aspen, Sheriff Herwick arranged for the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group from Boulder to be flown to Aspen to handle the recovery effort. The body was in an area of snowfields, unstable rock and steep cliffs, and proved difficult to reach. The rescue group was assisted by ranchers from Carbondale, who had traveled to the area on horseback. A year and a half later, on New Year’s Day 1959, a rescue operation was mounted to retrieve a student from the University of Colorado who had developed a heart condition while skiing and climbing near Snowmass Lake. His companion secured the young man in a tent, wrapped in sleeping bags to fend off the bitter cold, while he skied down to get help. The rescue team from Aspen traveled for hours by weasel and then skis to reach the ill man, and then it took four more hours to bring him out by toboggan. Incidents such as these kept happening into the early 1960s. For example, in June 1960, several members of the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group from Boulder were flown to Aspen at the request of Sheriff Herwick to retrieve the body of Walter Taylor from a deep gulch in the Snowmass Wilderness. He had gone hiking with a group of friends despite the fact that he was not feeling well, was under the care of a doctor for heart problems, and was complaining of numbness. Due to the strain of hiking at an altitude of more than 10,000’, Taylor died of a heart attack. The rescue team traveled by horse to within three miles of the body and then had to hike from there. As darkness was approaching, they were forced to spend the night before bringing the body down. One month later, Sheriff Herwick posed a question to the Pitkin County Commissioners, asking them if the families of those rescued shouldn’t be expected to cover the mounting costs of rescue operations. He stated that in all his years as sheriff, no family had ever offered to cover the costs of rescuing their loved ones. The commissioners determined that it was fair to ask, but not demand, that at least some of the costs be covered, especially in cases where extraordinary efforts were required. Pitkin County would continue to pay the costs in cases where no more than a sheriff’s posse and volunteers were needed. Beyond that, the sheriff was given the authority and discretion to ask that families cover the costs inherent in engaging numerous personnel and hiring search planes, rescue helicopters, and bloodhounds. Rescues continued to take place and predominantly involved backcountry skiing incidents, climbing falls, avalanches, car accidents, plane crashes, health emergencies, and a variety of injuries. As in the 1950s, those who responded through the 1960s were Aspen and Pitkin County residents with the necessary skills, physical ability, equipment and determination to be of help at a moment’s notice. While they skied, rode horses, hiked and climbed to reach those in need, others rushed to the staging areas below to provide critical supplies. The 68 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 10 of 25) T-Lazy-7 Ranch on Maroon Creek Road below the Maroon Bells, owned by Harold and Louise Deane, regularly provided horses and mules for rescues and often participated in the operations themselves. Mountain Rescue Aspen was incorporated in 1965 under the leadership of Aspen resident Fred Braun and since then has worked in conjunction with the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office. Alfred A. Braun was born in Germany in 1904 and immigrated to the United States as a young man. After living in the Chicago area for a number of years, where he worked as a tool maker in a factory, he moved west to Aspen in 1951 with his wife Renate. There the couple owned and operated the Holiday House ski lodge. Fred also became an avid mountaineer and loved spending time hiking and skiing in the backcountry. Braun founded the Aspen chapter of the Colorado Mountain Club in the mid- 1950s, and its members regularly participated in area rescue operations. Between 1967 and his death in the late 1980s, he managed Colorado’s first cross-country ski hut system, located in the Elk Mountains between Aspen and Crested Butte. Today the popular cabins are collectively known as the Alfred A. Braun Memorial Hut System. Fred was inducted into the Aspen Hall of Fame for his service to the community. In July 1965, a fourteen-year-old from St. Charles, Illinois by the name of Robert Rossetter disappeared while on a hike from Ashcroft to Marble with companions from the Ashcrofters Camp. The newly-formed Mountain Rescue Aspen launched an extensive search that turned into one of the largest mounted to that time. Because of the sizable area that had to be scoured, they were assisted by two Army helicopters, two search planes, and a twelve-man team with radio equipment from Fort Carson near Colorado Springs. More than two hundred people participated on foot, many of them from the Outward Bound school in Marble. The boy’s parents arrived to help with the search and privately hired a third helicopter. After a week of searching with no sign of the boy, who was reportedly carrying a sleeping bag, food, a parka and matches, speculation arose that perhaps he had hiked out of the area and was attempting to hitchhike back home. The Army team withdrew from the search, leaving the effort to the remaining volunteers, many of them from Aspen and from the Outward Bound school. Two weeks after he went missing, Rossetter’s body was found in a fork of the Crystal River near Geneva Lake, just a few hundred yards from the base camp of one of the groups searching for him. Thankful for their efforts, Rossetter’s family and friends contributed $1,127 in August to Mountain Rescue Aspen. His parents requested that any additional donations be sent to the organization. The money was used to purchase supplies, including radio equipment, ropes, flashlights, and a tent. Another $800 were donated by the Pitkin County commissioners and City of Aspen, 69 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 11 of 25) which provided the group with quarters at city hall. The commissioners authorized a $500-per-rescue fund for the group, which would be made available to cover various expenses, including the hiring of helicopters and horses. Primary among those who founded the organization that summer were Alfred Braun, John Mueller, Jack dePagter, Glen Brand and Ralph Melville. Mountain Rescue Aspen clearly needed an adequate facility that could serve as a base of operations. Fred Braun arranged to lease Lot M in Block 24 from the City of Aspen, and the organization set out to construct a building there that would serve as its headquarters. Donations to the Rossetter memorial fund were solicited and the project was soon underway. Seeking an affordable design for the narrow residential lot, they settled upon erecting a small pre- manufactured building purchased from the Pan-Abode Company. Founded in 1948 in British Columbia, Canada by Danish cabinetmaker Aage Jensen, the firm was formally known as Pan-Abode International, Ltd. In 1952, it opened a second factory in Renton, Washington that supplied the U.S. market. Pan-Abode engineered and manufactured kit buildings that employed a patented system of interlocking milled logs for the exterior walls. The timbers were fabricated of Western Red Cedar and then shipped to the buyer for assembly. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, most Pan-Abode buildings were one-story in height and ranged from 1,000 to 2,000 square feet in size, although they could also be larger or smaller. In addition to its Pacific Northwest operations, the company maintained an office in Walnut, California that operated as Pan-Abode Southern Division, Inc. A network of local agents handled sales across the United States and Canada. In Aspen, Pan-Abode was represented starting in the late 1950s by Jack Holst, a senior pilot with United Airlines who commuted to Denver for work. He also owned Aspen Travel Service together with his wife, Janet. The couple launched their travel agency around 1957, with offices located at 104 South Mill Street. In addition to offering travel services, the Holsts provided car rentals, foreign automobiles sales, and the marketing of Pan Abode buildings to the public. Jack was an avid skier who took on additional work as an instructor. In 1963, he posted an advertisement in the Aspen Times (31 May 1963, p. 9) that read: PAN ABODE PRE-CUT log homes have proven themselves extremely well in the past five years….in the Aspen area….both COST and WEATHER-wise! When considering the type of construction for your new house, or cabin why not consult JACK HOLST – ASPEN TRAVEL….sole agent for….PAN ABODE, INC. REMEMBER NOTHING CAN BE BUILT FOR LESS. Although he handled sales out of the travel agency office, Holst operated his business representing Pan-Abode for many years as a separate legal entity called Pan-Abode Sales of Aspen, Inc. 70 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 12 of 25) Fred Braun worked with Holst during the fall of 1965 to acquire a Pan Abode building for Mountain Rescue Aspen. Plans for the small, one-story, 600- square-foot log cabin (the front 20’ x 30’ area of the current building) were provided by the Pan-Abode Southern Division office in California at the beginning of November. These showed interior uses that were limited to a meeting room, storage space, kitchenette, hallway and restroom. The exterior would feature exposed milled log walls, a multi-light front window, two-light sliding windows on the sides and back, a rear pedestrian entrance, a low-sloped gabled roof, and a cutaway porch with arched openings at the southwest corner. A handwritten note on the plans suggest that the building cost $2,435.00. The City of Aspen approved the plans provided by Pan-Abode on 23 November 1965 and the construction permit was issued. Aspen contractor Magna Nostdahl was engaged to supervise construction (many of the city’s Pan- Abodes were built by the Marthinsson and Nostdahl Construction Company). However, Fred Braun and Mountain Rescue Aspen chose to act as the general contractor and have volunteers from the organization provide the necessary labor. Because Pan-Abode supplied the bare structure and nothing else, the additional work and materials required were expected to boost the cost to $3,500.00. Aspen Valley Plumbing and Heating donated both labor and supplies to install the restroom and kitchenette. Construction of the building took place within a relatively short period of time over the winter of 1965-1966. On 6 March 1966, the new home for Mountain Rescue Aspen was dedicated as the Robert B. Rossetter Memorial Cabin. A sign identifying it as such was mounted on the south wall of the front porch. This included the cabin’s name as well as the short span of Rossetter’s life from 1951 to 1965. The dedication ceremony was attended by members of the organization, along with city, county and Forest Service officials and representatives from other Colorado rescue units. Rossetter’s parents and other family members also attended the event. In 1966, Mountain Rescue Aspen became a member of the national Mountain Rescue Association and its dedicated volunteers began earning accreditation in various areas of rescue training. From that point on, rescue operations became more sophisticated and professional, making use of modern technology and search and rescue practices. The headquarters on Main Street continued to be occupied for the next forty-eight years, although the building eventually had to be expanded to meet the organization’s needs. In 1970, Fred Braun arranged to have a detached garage added to the back of the lot for storage. No substantial changes appear to have taken place on the property throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s. However, by the late 1980s the 600-square-foot Pan Abode had become inadequate to handle the activity that took place there, especially when rescue operations were about to be launched. There was simply not enough room for the volunteers to store their equipment, meet for 71 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 13 of 25) training, and get geared up. In the summer of 1989, Aspen architect Graeme Means prepared plans for an addition that more than doubled the building’s size. Constructed over the following months and finished in early 1990, the two- story rear addition included a garage, mechanical room, equipment storage area, shower and sink room, and office and meeting space. This expansion allowed Mountain Rescue Aspen to remain in the building for another twenty-four years. As time passed, it outgrew the headquarters on Main Street and had to find a new location, not only for meeting and training, but also to store vehicles and equipment nearby so they could be accessed quickly. In 2014, the organization benefitted from another sizable donation and constructed a much larger, 14,000-square-foot facility in the Aspen Business Center. Since then, the property at 630 West Main Street has been remodeled on the interior and turned into office space occupied by the City of Aspen. 36. Sources of information: Architectural Inventory Form, 630 W. Main St., Aspen, Colorado (Site 5PT991). Prepared by Suzannah Reid and Patrick Duffield, Reid Architects, June 2000. Aspen, Colorado 7.5’ Topographic Quadrangle Map, US Geological Survey (1960, photorevised 1987). Aspen, Colorado 1:62,500 Topographic Quadrangle Map, US Geological Survey (1894, reprinted 1939). AspenModern, Pan Abode, 630 W. Main St., City of Aspen Website Located Online at www.aspenmod.com. The Aspen Times (Aspen, CO) “Local Laconics,” 17 June 1887, p. 4. “Youth Killed; Another Injured in Peak Climb,” 11 September 1952, p. 1. “C. of C. Organizes Mt. Rescue Squad,” 23 July 1953, p. 1. “Mountain Rescue Group Called Out Again Thursday,” 22 July 1954, p. 1. “Jack Holst…,” 26 July 1956, p. 15 (photo caption). “Melville Recovers Quickly,” 9 August 1956, p. 1. “Editorial,” 9 August 1956, p. 4. “Aspen Alpinists Leave on Dramatic Rescue,” 30 August 1956, p. 13. “Body of Climber Taken Off Capitol Monday,” 1 August 1957, p. 13. “Ski Rescue,” 8 January 1959, p. 1 & 8. “Medical Data Gained From Ski Rescue Here,” 8 January 1959, p. 3. “Snowmass Hiker Dies of Heart Attack June 25,” 1 July 1960, p. 9. “Mary Lou Hayden Killed in Auto Crash Sat., July 2,” 8 July 1960, p. 10. “Aspen Travel Service,” (advertisement including mention of Pan Abode homes), 14 July 1961, p. 6. 72 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 14 of 25) “An Open Letter from Aspen Travel,” (advertisement for Pan Abode homes), 13 July 1962, p. 9. “Who Should Pay Rescue Costs, Sheriff Asks,” 6 July 1962, p. 15. “Woman’s 3 Crashes Wed. End with 250-Foot Plunge,” 3 August 1962, p. 13. “Unlucky Angler Breaks Leg at Lake,” 17 August 1962, p. 5. “Pan Abode Pre-Cut Log Homes,” (advertisement) 31 May 1963, p. 9. “Thirty Boys in Ashcrofters Camp Mountain School,” 16 July 1965, p. 4. “No Sign of Missing Youngster,” 23 July 1965, p. 1. “Search Called Off for Rossetter Boy,” 23 July 1965, p. 1. “Members of the Ft. Carson Leadership Mountain Rescue Team…,” 23 July 1965, p. 5. “The Possibility of Death,” 30 July 1965, p. 8. “Camper’s Body Found in River,” 30 July 1965, p. 17. “Ropes Used to Rescue Climber,” 13 August 1965, p. 17. “Rescue Group Gets $1127 in Robert Rossetter’s Name,” 27 August 1965, p. 12. “Double Fall Kills Maroon Climber,” 27 August 1965, p. 13. “Mountain Safety,” 27 August 1965, p. 20. “Some Restrictions Needed,” 3 September 1965, p. 8. “Dedication Sat. for Rescue Facilities,” 3 March 1966, p. 1. “New Rescue Cabin Dedicated Last Sat.,” 10 March 1966, p. 9A. “Dedication of the Robert Rossetter Cabin…,” 10 March 1966, p. 14B. “The Braun Huts: A History,” 16 March 2004. “Mountain Rescue Aspen Honoring its Roots this Year,” 6 July 2015. Bird’s Eye View of Aspen, Colorado, Aspen Times, 1893. “The Braun and Friends Huts,” 10th Mountain Division Hut Association, Organization Website Located Online at www.huts.org. Building Plans for Aspen Mountain Rescue Unit, 630 W. Main St., 1 November 1965 (located in City of Aspen building permit file). Chicago Tribune “St. Charles Boy, 14, Lost in Mountains,” 20 July 1965, p. 1. “2 Copters, Climbers Hunt St. Charles Boy,” 21 July 1965, p. 3. “Hunt For Lost Boy Is Halted Temporarily,” 23 July 1965, p. 7. City of Aspen, Building Division, Community Development Department, Building Permits File for 630 W. Main St. Colorado Midland Railway Map of Aspen and Vicinity. Colorado Springs, CO: General Superintendent’s Office, Colorado Midland Railway, January 1901. Find A Grave Memorial, Alfred Braun, Red Butte Cemetery, Aspen, Colorado. 73 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 15 of 25) Fred Braun, Aspen Hall of Fame, Organization Website Located Online at www.aspenhalloffame.org. General Construction Permit, City of Aspen, Building Inspection Department, Approved 22 November 1965 (Permit #960C). Hayes, Mary Eshbaugh. The Story of Aspen. Aspen, CO: Aspen Three Publishing, 1996. Map of Aspen, Colorado & Subdivisions, 1964. “Mission Accomplished,” Aspen Sojourner, Midwinter/Spring 2015 Issue, 1 February 2015. Mountain Rescue Aspen History and Information, Organization Website Located Online at www.mountainrescueaspen.org. Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context. Prepared for the City of Aspen by TEC, Inc. of Golden, CO, 2010. Pan Abode Cedar Homes History, Company Website Located Online at www.panabodehomes.com/history. Photograph from the Koch Home at 611 W. Main St., View Toward the North, Aspen Historical Society Collection, circa 1900 (ID #2013.007.0053). Photograph of the Mountain Rescue Aspen Building at 630 W. Main St., View Toward the North, City of Aspen, Community Development Department Files, circa 1975. Pitkin County Assessor, Real Estate Appraisal Records, 630 W. Main St. (Lot M, Block 24), Aspen, Colorado (parcel #273512444855). Rocky Mountain Sun (Aspen, CO) “Red Stars,” 12 June 1886, p. 2. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, Aspen, Colorado, 1890, 1893, 1898, 1904. United States Federal Census Records for Alfred and Renate Braun, 1940 (Norwood Park, Cook County, IL). 74 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 16 of 25) VI. Significance 37. Local landmark designation: None 38. Applicable National Register Criteria: X A. Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad pattern of our history X B. Associated with the lives of persons significant in our past X C. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction D. Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in history or prehistory Qualifies under Criteria Considerations A through G Does not meet any of the above National Register criteria 39. Area(s) of significance: Architecture, Recreation 40. Period of significance: 1966 (Architecture) 1965-1967 (Recreation) 41. Level of significance: National No State No Local Yes 42. Statement of significance: Between approximately 1887 and 1905, during Aspen’s mining era, this property was in its first stage of development and use. Located there throughout those years was a City of Aspen firehouse operated by the Red Star Hose Company No. 3. Behind the building stood a bell tower that was used to call the men to action. As the city went into decline following the 1893 Silver Crash, the firehouse closed and was eventually dismantled. Throughout Aspen’s “Quiet Years” and into the early post-World War II era (from about 1905 to 1965), the property appears to have sat vacant. Criteron A: For twenty years after World War II, search and rescue operations were conducted by an informal group of Aspen mountaineers with the necessary skills, stamina and determination to be of help. They worked under the direction of the Pitkin County Sheriff and were aided by others in the community who stepped forward to provide necessary equipment and supplies. In some cases, outside assistance was requested when helicopters and search planes were necessary, and when more personnel were needed on the ground. 75 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 17 of 25) Mountain Rescue Aspen was founded in 1965 to become the area’s primary organization that provided search and rescue services for backcountry skiers, hikers, climbers, and other travelers and recreationists who found themselves in dire straits. Although dependent upon volunteers, those who participated were provided with extensive training and certification. The establishment of this organization brought search and rescue activities into the modern era. With the help of donations that were secured following a series of tragic hiking and climbing incidents, in 1965 the organization leased Lot M in Block 24 (630 West Main Street) from the City of Aspen and arranged to have a building erected on the property. Completed in early 1966, this served for the next forty- eight years as the home of Mountain Rescue Aspen. The facility provided storage space and served as a meeting place and training facility for the organization’s many volunteers. Throughout its decades of operation, Mountain Rescue Aspen earned and has maintained the respect of the community for its professionalism and the necessary work it does. Due to its history of use, the Mountain Rescue Aspen Building is NRHP eligible under Criterion A on the local level for its association with Recreation in Aspen during the second half of the twentieth century. Its period of significance is limited to 1965-1967, the fifty-year mark in accordance with NRHP guidelines, despite the fact that the organization remained there through 2014. Criterion B: One of the driving forces in the establishment of Mountain Rescue Aspen was local hotelier and mountaineer Alfred Braun. An immigrant from Germany who arrived in the United States earlier in the century, Braun came to Aspen with his wife Renate in the early 1950s. There they owned and operated the Holiday House ski lodge. Fred was an avid mountaineer and loved spending time hiking and skiing in the backcountry. In the mid-1950s, Fred Braun founded the Aspen chapter of the Colorado Mountain Club, whose members participated in area rescue operations. Between 1967 and his death in the late 1980s, he managed Colorado’s first cross-country ski hut system, located in the Elk Mountains between Aspen and Crested Butte. Today the cabins are collectively known as the Alfred A. Braun Memorial Hut System. Fred was eventually inducted into the Aspen Hall of Fame for his service to the community. In addition to founding and leading Mountain Rescue Aspen together with other volunteers of that era, Braun arranged for the lease on the property and construction of the building that would become its home. He then went on to manage Mountain Rescue Aspen for a number of years and is viewed today as one of its primary founders. Due to the property’s association with the life and volunteer work of Alfred Braun, the building is eligible for the NRHP under Criterion B in the area of Recreation on the local level. As above, the period of this association is limited to 1965-1967. 76 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 18 of 25) Criterion C: The building originally erected on this property for Mountain Rescue Aspen was a 600-square-foot Pan Abode log kit cabin. Purchased from Pan-Abode International and manufactured in their factory in Washington State, it was shipped to Aspen in pieces that required assembly. However, what the company provided was essentially the structure and nothing else. Other elements such as the foundation, flooring, utilities and interior finishes were to be provided by the buyer. The construction work was undertaken by volunteers from the organization, with supervision provided by a local contractor. Completed between late November 1965 and early March 1966, the building housed the organization for the next forty-eight years. As the number of participants grew and the frequency of rescue operations increased with a growing population and expanding tourist economy, the small building eventually became inadequate to handle meetings, training sessions, and the frenetic activity of preparing to deploy on search and rescue missions. By the late 1980s, the situation had become problematic and in 1989-1990 Mountain Rescue Aspen arranged to have the Pan Abode more than doubled in size with the construction of a two-story rear addition. The expanded building is what remains on the property today. The front section is clearly recognizable as a pre-manufactured rustic kit building dating from the middle decades of the twentieth century. Elements of the style and era include its tongue-in-groove cedar log construction with notching at the corners, wood framed multi-light front window, low pitched gabled roof, deep overhanging eaves, recessed entrance with rounded corners, one story height, and simple rectangular form. According to Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context (2010), the building exhibits many of the style’s characteristic features and the established criteria in terms of time period, methods of construction, and architectural detailing. For these reasons, this property is NRHP eligible under Criterion C on the local level in the area of Architecture for embodying the distinctive characteristics of the twentieth century Kit Building style of architecture. The building type was common in Aspen between 1956 and 1970. This site’s period of significance is limited to 1966, the year the building was completed. City of Aspen Significance: The Mountain Rescue Aspen Building at 630 West Main Street clearly meets the City of Aspen’s guidelines for the character- defining features of what it terms the Rustic Manufactured Style of architecture (also known as a Kit Building). As stated above, it falls within the criteria established in Pan Abode Buildings in Aspen: A Historic Context, with the primary exception being the fact that its exterior walls are painted rather than natural, stained wood. 77 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 19 of 25) Most of the more than fifty Pan Abode buildings constructed in Aspen during the period between 1956 and 1970 served as single-family homes. A smaller number were used as apartments, commercial buildings, a church hall, and for ski resort purposes. The Mountain Rescue Aspen building was among the smallest of these, with a footprint of just 600 square feet. Today the building is representative of the post-World War II decades, during which numerous rustic homes, tourist cottages, and other buildings were erected in Aspen. As discussed in detail above, it is also associated with Fred Braun and the history of Mountain Rescue Aspen. While some owners employed more traditional log construction materials and techniques, others such as Mountain Rescue Aspen purchased and erected manufactured log kit buildings that could be assembled and finished with local labor. A number of Pan Abodes remain standing in Aspen today, most of them single-family homes. What makes this one unique among them are its small size and history of use, both characteristics that add to the building’s importance. Applicable City of Aspen Criteria (Section 26.415.030.C.1, Aspen Municipal Code): X A. The property is related to an event, pattern, or trend that has made a contribution to local, state, regional or national history that is deemed important, and the specific event, pattern or trend is identified and documented in an adopted context paper X B. The property is related to people who have made a contribution to local, state, regional or national history that is deemed important, and the specific people are identified and documented in an adopted context paper X C. The property represents a physical design that embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction, or represents the technical or aesthetic achievements of a recognized designer, craftsman, or design philosophy that is deemed important and the specific physical design, designer, or philosophy is documented in an adopted context paper D. The property possesses such singular significance to the City, as documented by the opinions of persons educated or experienced in the fields of history, architecture, landscape architecture, archaeology or a related field, that the property’s potential demolition or major alteration would substantially diminish the character and sense of place in the city as perceived by members of the community X E. The property or district possesses an appropriate degree of integrity of location, setting, design, materials, workmanship and association, given its age. Does not meet any of the above City of Aspen criteria 78 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 20 of 25) 43. Assessment of historic physical integrity related to significance: This property was developed in 1966 with the front half of the building that remains there today. This was the original Pan Abode building that provided the site with something of architectural interest. The 20’ x 30’ one-story milled log kit building was more than doubled in size in 1989-1990 with a rear two-story 20’ x 35’ addition that extended the building back toward the alley. The project also seems to have resulted in additional changes that impacted the Pan Abode. These included replacing some of the front fixed windows with casements, although the overall window pattern remained the same, and the milled log side walls were clad with clapboard siding. In addition, the roof material was changed to standing seam metal at an unknown time (although it seems to have originally been corrugated metal). From the front sidewalk, it is still clearly apparent that this is a Pan Abode building based upon the appearance of the front wall and other characteristics. While the non-historic changes may be viewed as substantial, they have only impacted its architectural integrity to a modest degree. Today the building exhibits a reasonably good level of integrity related to its original design, materials and workmanship. What remain untouched are its location, setting, feeling and association. Substantial elements of the building’s original architecture are still apparent, and it continues to convey its mid-1960s origins and use. VII. National Register Eligibility Assessment 44. National Register eligibility field assessment: Eligible 45. Is there National Register district potential? No Discuss: This properties surrounding the site appear to include a concentration of historically and architecturally significant resources from the same era that are contiguous or close to one another and might allow for the creation of a National Register, State Register, or local landmark district. If there is National Register district potential, is this building contributing? No 46. If the building is in an existing National Register district, is it contributing? N/A VIII. Recording Information 47. Photograph numbers: 630 West Main Street, #1752-1777 Negatives filed at: Tatanka Historical Associates, Inc. P.O. Box 1909, Fort Collins, CO 80522 79 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 21 of 25) 48. Report title: Intensive-Level Survey of Five City-Owned Historic Properties in Aspen, Colorado 49. Date(s): 15 February 2017 50. Recorder(s): Ron Sladek, President 51. Organization: Tatanka Historical Associates, Inc. 52. Address: P.O. Box 1909, Fort Collins, CO 80522 53. Phone number(s): 970/221-1095 80 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 22 of 25) Site Location Map USGS Aspen 7.5’ Topographic Quadrangle Map 1960 (revised 1987) 81 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 23 of 25) Aerial Map 82 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 24 of 25) Current Photographs View of the Property from Main Street View to the North View of the Property from the Southeast View to the Northwest 83 Resource Number: 5PT991 Address: 630 W. Main St., Aspen, CO Architectural Inventory Form (Page 25 of 25) Current Photographs North (rear) Wall of the Building View to the Southeast 84 MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Skadron and City Council THRU: Jessica Garrow, Community Development Director FROM: Amy Simon, Historic Preservation Officer RE: 215 N. Garmisch Street, 630 W. Main Street, 1101 E. Cooper Avenue and Aspen Pedestrian Mall- Historic Designation, Second Reading of Ordinance #9, Series of 2017 DATE: April 24, 2017 ________________________________________________________________________ SUMMARY: In 2012, when the AspenModern program inviting voluntary historic designation for mid-century era properties was created, City Council, at the recommendation of a citizen task force, agreed to lead by example and evaluate the merits of landmark status for several municipally owned properties. Other work program priorities delayed further discussion, but in December 2015, the Historic Preservation Commission made a unanimous motion asking Council to take action in 2016. On January 26, 2016, Community Development Staff held a worksession with Council to discuss implementing the AACP and reconciling the content of that document with the Land Use Code; one of Council’s 2015 “Top Ten Goals.” Amongst several topics discussed at that meeting, staff asked for direction on the initiation of historic designation review for City-owned properties that are eligible for the AspenModern program. The properties originally discussed in 2012 were 110 E. Hallam Street (The Red Brick), 215 N. Garmisch Street (The Yellow Brick), 630 W. Main Street (Mountain Rescue) and 1101 E. Cooper Avenue (Anderson Park). Council directed that the assessment of these properties should begin and indicated that the Pedestrian Malls should be added to the list because recent conversations about the need to address deterioration issues with the Pedestrian Malls call for a determination of their historic significance. An RFP was released for consultant services to study the properties in early August 2016. Representatives from the City Manager’s office, Asset Management, Planning, Parks and Open Space and Kids First, occupants/managers of the affected sites, participated in the selection of the historic preservation consultant and the review of first drafts of the work products. It was the unanimous decision of the committee to select Tatanka Historical Associates based on their superior qualifications and approach to the deliverables. A short summary of the consultant’s qualifications follows. Ron Sladek of Tatanka Historical Associates authored the Architectural Inventory Forms and Integrity Scoring that is being provided for each property. 85 HISTORIC DESIGNATION The forms are the standard used to analyze historic significance in the State of Colorado as directed by the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Mr. Sladek has worked in the preservation field for 30 years, has completed similar studies of several thousand properties in fifteen states, is the Chair of the Ft. Collins Landmark Commission and is a Governor appointed member of the Colorado State Historic Preservation Review Board, currently serving alongside Councilwoman Ann Mullins. Mr. Sladek has consulted for the City of Aspen previously, most notably producing significant research and documentation of Ute Cemetery and Aspen Grove Cemetery. Tatanka Historical Associates determined that all five properties meet the City’s criteria for designation, as well as the somewhat higher standards suggested by the criteria for listing on the State or National Registers of Historic Places. It should be noted that City staff initially identified these properties as important to the community’s history reaching as far back as 2000. Since that time, even in light of additional research, intensified criteria, scoring and other tools developed to determine local significance, the properties continued to rise above other local examples, in staff’s opinion. That said, Tatanka Historical Associates performed their study and reached their conclusions independently, with nothing other than fact checking by staff. Council was presented with the consultant findings on February 21, 2017 and directed staff to initiate a land use application for voluntary designation. HPC held a public hearing on March 22nd, found that all five properties meet the criteria for designation and recommended Council approval. HPC passed two separate Resolutions in order to allow a member who received public notice on one of the designations to participate in review of the other four. Council has elected to do the same since one Council member lives within 300 feet of 110 E. Hallam. This memo and ordinance only addresses 215 N. Garmisch Street, 630 W. Main Street, 1101 E. Cooper Avenue and Aspen Pedestrian Mall. City Council makes the final determination on all historic designation by adoption of an ordinance. APPLICANT: The City of Aspen. ADDRESSES AND PARCEL IDS: 215 N. GARMISCH STREET, Yellow Brick, #2735-124-36-850; 630 W. MAIN STREET, former Mountain Rescue, #2735-124-44- 855; 1101 E. COOPER AVENUE, Anderson Park, #2737-181-39-801; ASPEN PEDESTRIAN MALL. AspenModern Criteria. To be eligible for designation on the Aspen Inventory of Historic Landmark Sites and Structures as an example of AspenModern, an individual building, site, structure or 86 object or a collection of buildings, sites, structures or objects must have a demonstrated quality of significance. The quality of significance of properties shall be evaluated according to criteria described below. When designating a historic district, the majority of the contributing resources in the district must meet at least two of the criteria a-d, and criterion e described below: a. The property is related to an event, pattern, or trend that has made a contribution to local, state, regional or national history that is deemed important, and the specific event, pattern or trend is identified and documented in an adopted context paper; b. The property is related to people who have made a contribution to local, state, regional or national history that is deemed important, and the specific people are identified and documented in an adopted context paper; c. The property represents a physical design that embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction, or represents the technical or aesthetic achievements of a recognized designer, craftsman, or design philosophy that is deemed important and the specific physical design, designer, or philosophy is documented in an adopted context paper; d. The property possesses such singular significance to the City, as documented by the opinions of persons educated or experienced in the fields of history, architecture, landscape architecture, archaeology or a related field, that the property’s potential demolition or major alteration would substantially diminish the character and sense of place in the city as perceived by members of the community, and e. The property or district possesses an appropriate degree of integrity of location, setting, design, materials, workmanship and association, given its age. The City Council shall adopt and make available to the public score sheets and other devices which shall be used by the Council and Historic Preservation Commission to apply this criterion. Staff Response: Summaries of the Criteria Findings for each property are attached to this memo as Exhibit A. Staff finds that all four properties addressed by this Ordinance are eligible for AspenModern designation and are all excellent examples of Aspen’s mid- century history, worthy of preserving for the benefit of future generations. Though age is not a designation criterion per se, for reference, 215 N. Garmisch is 57 years old, 630 W. Main is 52 years old, 1101 E. Cooper is 68 years old and the Pedestrian Mall is 41 years old. 87 HISTORIC PRESERVATION BENEFITS Historic designation of AspenModern era resources is voluntary and allows the property owner to request site specific incentives as described at Section 26.415.025.C.1.d of the Municipal Code. City Council may, at its sole discretion, approve any land use entitlement or fee waiver permitted by the Municipal Code and may award any approval that is assigned to another Board or Commission, including variations; and Based on input from the Aspen City Manager’s office, Asset Management Department, Kids First and the Parks Department, incentives in the form of limitations to the HPC’s future purview over the properties are proposed to be included in the City Council Ordinances. The draft language contained in Ordinance #9, Series of 2017 reads: 215 N. Garmisch Street (Yellow Brick)- If an application for an addition sited at the southeast corner of the property, where a basketball court is currently located, is submitted, HPC may not deny it on the basis of location. Other applicable review criteria and design standards must be met, including those related to footprint and height, but a request to place new construction in this area must be accommodated. HPC shall allow an addition in this location to be connected to the historic resource, but the design of the connector must meet all applicable review criteria and design guidelines. Section 26.415 of the Municipal Code does not provide the HPC with review authority over interior alterations to a historic landmark. Regardless of any changes to the Municipal Code in the future, HPC shall not gain purview over the interior of this property. 630 W. Main Street (Mountain Rescue Aspen) Section 26.415 of the Municipal Code does not provide the HPC with review authority over interior alterations to a historic landmark. Regardless of any changes to the Municipal Code in the future, HPC shall not gain purview over the interior of this property. 1101 E. Cooper Avenue (Anderson Park)- The City of Aspen shall be permitted to relocate three small 19th century structures that were moved to this property at an unknown date, to another location on the property. HPC shall review and approve the new location, the orientation of the buildings, their relationship to grade, the method for relocation, the design of the new foundations, and any repairs or alterations to the structures, but may not make a finding that the act of on-site relocation is inappropriate. These structures will be considered contributing historic resources, like the 1949 log cabin which is the primary historic resource on the site. The City of Aspen shall be permitted to construct a basement below the log cabin if desired. All applicable standards for Relocation established in Section 26.415 88 of the Municipal Code shall apply, however HPC shall not make a finding that the act of excavating a basement below the cabin is inappropriate. Section 26.415 of the Municipal Code does not provide the HPC with review authority over interior alterations to a historic landmark. Regardless of any changes to the Municipal Code in the future, HPC shall not gain purview over the interior of this property. Aspen Pedestrian Mall- Until such time as a Master Plan for future repairs and improvements to the mall is adopted and provides updated direction, HPC’s does not have review authority over the following improvements, developments or actions to the Pedestrian Mall. All permanent alterations to the mall that are not addressed below shall be reviewed and approved by HPC according to applicable review criteria and design standards for historic landscapes: HPC shall not have review authority over the routine removal and/or replacement of trees undertaken to maintain the health of the forest, or routine repairs to mall materials or features including replacement of brick with stockpiled material, or repair or replacement of infrastructure or ditches where the mall surface will be restored to the previous condition. Where trees are to be replaced, the City of Aspen Parks Department may plant trees of the following types without review by HPC: aspen, spruce, cottonwood and crabapple. Any other tree species proposed to be planted shall require historic preservation staff or HPC review and approval. HPC has review authority over the location of public art, but not the selection of public art. HPC shall have a recommending role over the selection of any City installed street furniture. HPC shall not have review authority over temporary, fully removable physical improvements related to Special Events or mall leases. HPC shall not have review authority over any moveable objects placed on the mall by the City or placed by a business owner as part of a mall lease for outdoor dining. Up until 2011, when the AspenModern ordinance was adopted, no historic designations in Aspen required owner consent. City Council could landmark any property found to meet the criteria. About 250 Victorians, essentially all of the 19th century structures still standing, and 26 mid-20th century properties were landmarked under that policy. 89 Lengthy debates about the appropriate approach to continue to implement for non- Victorian era architecture resulted in the creation of a voluntary program that relies on the negotiation of individualized incentives that address the unique conditions of each property. This concept has led to some remarkably successful historic preservation projects over the last few years and resulted in the recent naming of the Aspen HPC as “Commission of the Year” by the National Alliance of Historic Preservation Commissions, and recognition by History Colorado. Thirteen properties have been landmarked through the AspenModern ordinance. Each received incentives that were discussed at length with Council. The approved incentives have ranged from rather modest to more than what has been made available to Victorians. At least five properties of historical importance have been demolished because the owner had no interest in designation or the incentives were inadequate, including the Given Institute, the loss of which received national press coverage. A number of other structures throughout the City are currently unprotected but eligible for landmarking, should the owner choose to apply. More information about the City’s programs is available at aspenmod.com and aspenvictorian.com. The City has no immediate plans to redevelop any of the sites being discussed for designation, however, the opportunity to make necessary improvements in the future is an important responsibility that needs to be addressed. Preservation in Aspen requires a “give and take” and a degree of fairness in terms of development rights for all affected property owners. Only about 15% of the total lots in town are designated and those owners, which include the City and private property owners, are responsible for maintaining Aspen’s identity as a historic community. Staff and HPC support the terms requested by the property users. Preservation of these structures helps to achieve all of the stated purposes of the City’s preservation program, which are: A. Recognize, protect and promote the retention and continued utility of the historic buildings and districts in the City; B. Promote awareness and appreciation of Aspen's unique heritage; C. Ensure the preservation of Aspen's character as an historic mining town, early ski resort and cultural center; D. Retain the historic, architectural and cultural resource attractions that support tourism and the economic welfare of the community; and E. Encourage sustainable reuse of historic structures. F. Encourage voluntary efforts to increase public information, interaction or access to historic building interiors. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 90 STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff and HPC recommend Council approve historic designation of 215 N. Garmisch, 630 W. Main, 1101 E. Cooper and Aspen Pedestrian Mall. RECOMMENDED MOTION: “I move to adopt Ordinance #9, Series of 2017.” CITY MANAGER COMMENTS:__________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ EXHIBITS: Ordinance #9, Series of 2017 Exhibit A: Criteria Findings Exhibit B: Application Exhibit C: 215 N. Garmisch Historic Assessment and Integrity Scoring Exhibit D: 630 W. Main Historic Assessment and Integrity Scoring Exhibit E: 1101 E. Cooper Historic Assessment and Integrity Scoring Exhibit F: Aspen Pedestrian Mall Historic Assessment and Integrity Scoring Exhibit G: Draft HPC Resolution #9, Series of 2017 Exhibit H: Public comment 91 92 93 This building was constructed the year that Mountain Rescue Aspen was founded. Serving as a storage space, meeting place and training center for the organization’s many volunteers, the building became the center of the community’s response to the need for search and rescue operations in support of the growing number of outdoor enthusiasts in Aspen’s backcountry. A. The property is related to an event, pattern, or trend that has made a contribution to local, state, regional or national history that is deemed important, and the specific event, pattern or trend is identified and documented in an adopted context paper; Criteria Finding To be eligible for designation on the Aspen Inventory of Historic Landmark Sites and Structures as an example of AspenModern, an individual building, site, structure or object or a collection of buildings, sites, structures or objects must have a demonstrated quality of significance. The quality of significance of properties shall be evaluated according to criteria described below. When designating a historic district, the majority of the contributing resources in the district must meet at least two of the criteria a-d, and criterion e described below Must Meet at Least Two of these CriteriaB. The property is related to people who have made a contribution to local, state, regional or national history that is deemed important, and the specific people are identified and documented in an adopted context paper; C. The property represents a physical design that embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction, or represents the technical or aesthetic achievements of a recognized designer, craftsman, or design philosophy that is deemed important and the specific physical design, designer, or philosophy is documented in an adopted context paper; D. The property possesses such singular significance to the City, as documented by the opinions of persons educated or experienced in the fields of history, architecture, landscape architecture, archaeology or a related field, that the property’s potential demolition or major alteration would substantially diminish the character and sense of place in the city as perceived by members of the community, and E. The property or district possesses an appropriate degree of integrity of location, setting, design, materials, workmanship and association, given its age. The City Council shall adopt and make available to the public score sheets and other devices which shall be used by the Council and Historic Preservation Commission to apply this criterion. The property scores 17 out of 20 points through the scoring system created to evaluate the architectural integrity of properties relative to their recognized style. A score of at least 15 points defines this property as a "Best" example of the Rustic (manufactured) style. Though a large addition was made to the original Pan Abode building on this site, substantial elements of the building’s original architecture are still apparent and it continues to convey its mid- 1960s origins and use. This criteria is not met. Alfred Braun, a local hotelier and mountaineer, was one of the driving forces in establishing Mountain Rescue Aspen. An inductee of Aspen’s Hall of Fame for his role in organizing and advocating for backcountry access, Braun arranged for the lease on the property and construction of the building that would be home for Mountain Rescue Aspen until 2014. The criteria for designation are met. Criteria Analysis for 630 West Main Street Required CriterionThe building that housed Mountain Rescue Aspen is a product of Pan Abode International. While expanded in 1990, the original building retains essential elements of pre-manufactured rustic kit home including tongue- in-groove cedar log construction, wood framed multi-light front window, low pitched gabled roof, deep over-hanging eaves, a recessed entrance, one story height and simple rectangular form. The building exhibits many of the style’s characteristic features of time period, methods of construction, and architectural detailing. 94