Since Boulder was founded in 1871 much has changed, but you may be surpised by some buildings and locations that have changed very little since they were built. We’ve put historic photos of these recognizable Boulder locations side by side with a photo from September 2018. People often forget Pearl Street was a bustling road until the creation of the Pearl Street Mall in 1976. Do you have memories of some of these locations? We’d love to hear about them – comment on this post!
1218 Pearl Street – 1885 & 2018
George F. Fonda, who owned and operated Fonda’s Drugstore, was a pioneer druggist in Boulder, and later a fire chief for many years.
Pearl Street and 11th Avenue – 1976 & 2018
Before moving to their current location on 55th Street in 2011, the Daily Camera operated from this location beginning in the late 1800s.
Old Main and Varsity Lake on the University of Colorado campus – 1930s & 2018
Old Main was the first building at the University of Colorado and was completed on April 18, 1876. It housed the entire university until 1884 when the President’s House, Cottages 1 and 2, and the Medical Building were constructed. It continued to serve as a main campus building, housing the library, classrooms and offices for the first decades of the university’s history and still stands today.
Tulagi at 1128 13th Street – 1951 & 2018
Tulagi moved to this location on “The Hill” in 1951, at the time it was known as a beer tavern, serving 3.2 percent beer. Find out more about Tulagi’s history here.
1047 Pearl Street – 1898 & 2018
This location is most famous for having been Tom’s Tavern from 1959-2007. Now, it’s home to the restaurant Salt, but the Tom’s Tavern name remains on the east side of the building.
1426 Pearl Street – 1972 & 2018
This building has featured many businesses throughout the years from a Goodwill Store to an escape room.
This post was written by Elevations Credit Union in partnership with the Museum of Boulder. For more information on the history of Boulder Valley, we encourage you to check out the museum’s extensive archives. All historical photos courtesy of the Carnegie Library for Local History / Museum of Boulder Collection.
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