Historic Preservation and the Imagined West - Term Paper Example

It is the oldest and most historic block of the Mile High City. The buildings of the area tell a lot about the birth and the early years of the city of Denver. The Lower Downtown was formed with the intension to encourage the preservation of a significant area which is vital because of its historical area, architectural look and economic value. The historic resources were given protection due to the historic status of the area. Protection was also given to the 127 contributing historic structures by the act of zoning ordinance.

This ordinance included building height limitations and encouraged mixed use development. For rehabilitation and new constructing purposes it provided strict design guidelines. This LoDo District was formed when an unorganized group of Lower Downtown property owners joined District Collaborative, a marketing entity, to form the so called LoDo District. This joint effort was focused on the needs of the neighborhood as it produced a diverse group of people whose community and philanthropic interests were based on those needs.

Denver City was named after James Denver who was the territorial governor or Kansas and the main street was named after his son General Larimer. Larimer’s cabin which was torn in 1961 and a one-story false-front store was built at its place until in 1982 when the Granite building was constructed. The first bank, bookstore, photographer and dry goods store of Denver was housed at the city block of Larimer Square. Denver’s first post office was also built on the same block, where currently the Bent Lens is located.

The block also had Denver’s first theatre in the Lincoln building, currently where the store Eve is located. The North West corner of Larimer Streets had a building which was once a legendary watering hole for politicians, policemen and city hall reporters known as Gahan’s Saloon. Dana Crawford, an award-winning