‘Temple Hoyne Buell: Shaping the Denver Landseape HIST - 4839 Agee and Gustin 05/01/2012Day in and day out we pass by thousands of structures and for the most part they are no more than a blur out of the comer of our eyes. There are people, however, who see the world and structures around us differently. Rather than seeing an abandoned lot in knee high grass they envision a town square, rather than seeing a dilapidated old apartment complex as a black eye to the city they imagine a new chic hotel, rather than seeing abandoned warehouses as something to be ton down for a new parking lot they foresee swank residential lofts. Behind every building there is a person responsible for the shape and form it has taken. These people are known as architects and for better or worse they directly aflect the landscape we see day in and day out. One of the most influential architects of twentieth-century Denver was Temple Hoyne Buell, ‘The Denver skyline is scattered with classic buildings such as The Brown Palace, the City and County Building, Union Station and the Denver Art Museum with a myriad of architectural styles. A city is comprised of a collection of structures, small and large. However, large classic structures by themselves do not define a city. Buell’s influence weighs heavily across the Denver metro area, yet many of us are unaware as to the extent. He has designed schools, government buildings, low-income housing, landmark status buildings and developed a major shopping center. All of which have ultimately placed the stamp of Temple Buell on the Denver skyline and made him one of the most influential architects of twentieth-century Denver, Temple Buell was bom and raised in Chicago, Illinois where his family had established a long running history with the city. His great-great grandfather, Dr John Temple, was one of the 13 founders of the city of Chicago in 1833. His great grandfather, Thomas Hoyne, was the12 mayor of Chicago in 1876", Buell graduated from the Lake Forest Academy in 1912, eamed his degree in Architecture from the University of Illinois in 1916 and his Masters in Architecture from Columbia University in 1917. As many men did during this time, Buell enlisted in the Amy in December, 1917 to fight for his country during World War I. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant after attending officer’s training at the Plattsburgh Barracks in New York and assigned to active duty in France.” During the Battle of Chateau-Thierry in June of 1918, Buell suffered an attack of poison gas by German troops. He resigned from the Army in 1919 and returned to Chicago where he went to work for the architectural firm of Marshall and Fox and later the firm of Rapp and Rapp where he designed hotels and movie theaters. Always the entrepreneur, Buell had every intention of opening his own firm in Chicago. The effects of the poison gas did not initially present themselves upon Buell’s retum home to Chicago. After two years of struggling with the high humidity climate Chicago is known for, Buell was diagnosed with tuberculosis after he collapsed while playing squash with his lungs hemorrhaging and directed by his doctor to head west to Denver’s dry climate where Buell declared “I came to Colorado to die.”* Shortly before departing for Colorado, Buell married Marjorie McIntosh, who was the daughter of a wealthy Chicago investor. Had it not been for World War I, Temple Buell might have never made his way to Denver as his long established family ties to Chicago would have likely kept him in the Windy City. However, like many others before him, Colorado made an impression on Buell and he never looked at the move in a negative light, “I never thought that * Olga Curtis, “The Man Who Gave Away $25,000,000,” Denver Post, Empire Magazine, january 7, 1968, p. 10. 2 Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, “Architects of Colorado: Biographical Sketch,” http://www.historycolorado.org/sites/default/fites/files/OAHP/Guides/Architects_buell.pdf * william Gallo, “Temple Buell, at 86, Takes on New Challenges,” Rocky Mountain News, November 8, 1981, p. 6.coming out here because of tuberculosis was a hardship. 1 fell in love with Colorado the first time I saw .* He spent nearly a year at the Oakes Home Sanitarium in north Denver. Tired and bored from spending a year on his back, Buell decided the time had come to get back on his feet and went back to work, although he could only manage an hour a day to begin with, He accepted a position with the Denver architectural firm of Mountjoy and Frewen where he worked temporatily prior to opening his own firm in 1923, T.H. Buell and Company. The T.H. Buell and Company firm permanently moved into the old Atlas Hotel building at 14" and Stout in 1935, a company which he operated until 1989. Buell had planted his roots in Denver and spent the next sixty-eight years transforming the Denver skyline one building at a time. ‘Temple Buell and his sixty-eight year transformation of the Denver skyline officially began when he opened the doors to his firm in 1923, which started albeit on a smaller scale. ‘The firm of T.H. Buell and Company began their work designing schools in the Denver area, he wasn’t established enough for larger projects and as Buell stated, “I had to start with little school buildings.”* Buell was known for his atter mn to detail and innovative designs which made him a popular choice for the rapidly growing school system. Buell was responsible for designing twenty-six schools across the Denver metro area in his sixty-eight years, more than any other Colorado architectural firm in his time. Denver schools such as Merrill, Kunsmiller, Ebert School, Asbury, Knight and Whiteman elementary schools, and Kennedy, Lincoln, Regis and * Olga Curtis, “The Man Who Gave Away $25,000,000,” Denver Post, Empire Magazine, January 7, 1968, p. 11. ° Wiliam Gallo, "Temple Buell, at 86, Takes on New Challenges.” Rocky Mountain News, November 6, 1981, p.6 * Olga Curtis, “The Man Who Gave Away $25,000,000," Denver Post, Empire Magazine, January 7, 1968, p. 11schools, all designed by Buell and his firm’. In Denver brick was an inexpensive material used on building in the 1920s and 1930s. Bull was never one to be satisfied with building a square box, he insisted on using intricate brickwork design on the exterior of his projects. He designed schools which were practical and fully functional on the inside, yet the exterior featured beautiful weaved brick patterns.* ‘The Horace Mann Junior High was one of the ‘most notable schools that Buell had designed which carried a distinetive Gothie style and exceptional masonry work, “We employed only brick and all the effects we could create with it; Classical, Gothic, Renaissance and Buell. I dreamed up Horace Mann sitting one day on my “Buell had firmly established a reputation for porch watching sun and shadows on brick work. himself with his work designing schools. With his reputation quickly growing, Buell transformed it as an opportunity to bring in more work. Buell and his firm had been commissioned in 1928 to design a movie theater for the Publix Theaters Corporation in New York. This project would eventually become known as the Paramount Theater and would become the crown jewel of Buell’s architectural feats and the building he is most known for. One of the most prominent characteristics that separated Buell apart from other Denver architects was his ability to listen to what his client wanted to see, rather than telling them what they would receive. ‘This small simple thing made Buell and his firm increasingly popular, “We don’t fight cover architectural styles, the client is always right.""" By the 1940s the T.H. Buell and Company architectural firm had grown to the largest architectural firm in Denver, employing more than Noel, Thomas J. and Barbara S. Norgren. Denver: the City Beautiful and its Architects, p. 192 ® Mary Chandler, “Buel’s Stature Rose With Denver” Rocky Mountain News, January 7, 1990, p.78. * Thomas J. Noel and Barbara S. Norgren, Denver the City Beautiful and Its Architects, 1898-1944, p. 157. * Thomas J. Noel and Barbara S. Norgren, Denver the City Beautiful and its Architects, 1898-1944, p. 134.Is 150 people."' The Great Depression had created massive amounts of unemployed citizens and as the economy was improving so was the demand for housing. During the early 1940s and late 1950s Buell found a niche in designing low-income housings. Over a fifteen year period between 1940 and 1955, Buell and his firm designed three separate low-income housing projects in Denver; the Lincoln Park, Stapleton Homes and Quigg Newton Homes projects. The Lincoln Park project was the first of the federally funded housing projects in Denver with the boundaries that ran between Mariposa and Osage, West Colfax and West 13", These homes would never be known for their architectural importance, nor were they visibly memorable structures. These projects weren’t about notoriety, these were projects based on needs, ‘They were built for families whose annual incomes were less than $1,000 annually and the rents ran $2.44/month per room.” ‘The city was expanding and these housing projects created affordable living quarters to those in need, Buell felt a responsibility to build for all of the residents within the city and not only the elite of the city. Through his storied career, Buell went on to design many other notable buildings in Denver; the Katherine Mullen Memorial Nurses home in1 934, the U.S. Custom House (expansion) in 1935, the Denargo Market in 1939 (demolished), the Denver Medical Depot in 1942 and the old Denver Post 1949 (demolished) are merely a small sampling of his, work which would take pages to note and fully appreciate.'? The Paramount Theater, U.S. ‘Custom House and the Denver Medical Depot all ultimately landed on the National Register of Olga Cutis, “The Man Who Gave Away $25,000,000," p. 11 “Thomas J Noel and Barbara S. Norgren, Denver the City Beautiful and Its Architects, 1898-1941, p. 157 * ARCHITECTS OF COLORADO, Temple Hoyne Buell, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH; ittp://mww historycolorado.org/sites/default/fi HP /Guides/ArHistoric Places. These structures all had significant impact to the history of Denver for very different reasons in cach case. Buell’s transformation of the Denver skyline was in full swing, a run that lasted for nearly seventy years. ‘The Crown Jewel Photo courtesy of Denver Public Library, Westorn History Colletion ‘When Buell was commissioned to design a movie theater for Publix Theaters he wanted to make a bold statement. He was looking to design a movie theater that outshined the other movie theaters built in Denver during 1920s. Construction of the Paramount Theater completed in the summer of 1930 for $450,000 a figure that did not include the interior design costs.* The Paramount Theater with its Art Deco design opened their doors August 29, 1930. The Grand ™ United States Department of the interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Inventory ‘Nomination Form: Paramount Theater (Denver: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, 1979}, 3, hhtto://oahp historycolora Images/SDV/190/50V_ 1Opening drew nearly 20,000 people to downtown Denver who lined the streets awaiting the showing of the silent movie, “Let's Go Native.” The Paramount featured # rare Publi One Wurlitzer organ equipped with 1,600 pipes which created beautiful orchestral sounds, special effects such as train whistles, ocean surf and galloping horses." The full use of the Wurlitzer organ was short lived as movie studios had begun to add sound to their movies and silent films were slowly being phased out and the once famous Wurlitzer began to gather dust, In order to capture his vision of the Art Deco form, Buell secured a material which was readily available and easy to manipulate. Buell made the decision to use terra cotta for much of the exterior omamental decorations for the Paramount. Terra cotta became a popular building material during this timeframe as it was inexpensive, extremely light and coincidentally, Denver was one of the few cities where it was abundantly produced in the west. It was a material that could casily be mass produced, customized and was particularly adaptable to vigorous and rich omamental detailing. The Paramount's terra cotta work was performed by the Denver Terra Cotta Company's master craftsman Julius Peter Ambrusch, an Austrian born painter and sculptor who had executed designs for architects from all over the western states.'* The interior details within the Paramount were nothing short of Hollywood glamour. ‘The Paramount was built to accommodate 2,100 patrons and the lobby featured a grand staircase with detailed ironwork railing, gilded crown moldings of gold, silver and copper, while inside the theater there were * paramount Theater, History, http://www.paramountdenver.com/history * United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places inventory ‘Nomination Form: Paramount Theater (Denver: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, 1979), 3, http://oahp historycolora AH /SDV/190/SDV_190-< Nomination. pdfIs beautiful silk murals created by celebrated artist Vincent Mondo and an amazing sunburst design flowed across the ceiling.'” The Paramount had become the place to be seen in Denver. The glitz and giamour of the downtown movie houses began to fade. Movie patrons no Jonger were willing to make the drive downtown to the Paramount and movie houses of its kind were closing their doors in the city. Patrons were content to catch a movie where it was elose and convenient. After years of dectining attendance through the iate 1940s and early 1950s, the Paramount faced an extensive remodel of the balcony, mezzanine lobby and the lower lounge in 1953. One of the remodel specifications entailed using artificial walnut paneling, a popular yet tacky material from that era which covered much of the extensive mural work housed within the Paramount. ‘The remodel unfortunately did little to help declining revenues and attendance. The Paramount's management made a bold shift from a movie venue to a concert venue in 1977 and commenced booking live concerts, a move that immediately helped increase attendance figures.'* The revival of the Paramount was underway and things were beginning to tun around financially for the theater until a fire on the stage area in 1978 caused extensive damage to the Paramount. In a strange twist of fate, the fire actually assisted in saving the theater from total devastation. The tacky wood paneling used in the 1953 remodel actually preserved much of the beautifully detaited mural work from fire damage and it was very much a surprise when the paneling was pulled back during the fire damage assessment. A small but vocal group named “Friends of the Paramount” mounted an effort to restore the Paramount back to its original * paramount Theater, History, htto://www.paramountdenver.com/history. * «paramount Hosts Concerts,” Denver Post, August 16, 1981beauty when it was the place to be seen in the 1930s.'? Two years afier the fire severely damaged the theater; restoration of the Paramount was well underway with the Paramount ‘Theatre officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, fifty years after first opening its doors to eager movie goers of Denver. Unlike many architects whose work is later recognized after theit death, Buell was alive and weil when the Paramount was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and also when it was declared an historic landmark by the City of Denver in 1988. The National Register of Historic Places inventory nomination form submitted by Historic Denver, summed up the importance of the Paramount Theater to Denver beautifully, As Denver's last remaining “movie palace,” home of the twin console Wurlitzer and Vincent Mondo’s tapestries, the Paramount represents an era when viewing a film was an experience second to enjoying the fantasy world created by the theater designer. The excitement of yesteryear can be captured onec again with the preservation of the Paramount,” * The Expansion * United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Mistoric Places Inventory ‘Nomination Form: Paramount Theater (Denver: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, 1979}, p. 6, * National Register of Historic Places inventory Nomination Form: Paramount Theater}10 Posteard courtesy of Sanborn Sowwentr CO In 1930 the Federal Government finalized the purchase for the site of the new U.S. Custom House in downtown Denver. ‘The site for the new Federal building had formerly been East Denver High School and was acquired from the City and County of Denver for a mere $296,500"! The design of the building featured an Italian Renaissance Revival style with the exterior featuring Colorado Yule marble, the same marble used for the Lincoln Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington D.C.” Construction of the U.S. Custom House ‘was complete in 1931, however, the design of the first phase of the U.S. Custom House was not a ‘Temple Buell design. The first phase of the U.S Custom House was designed by James ‘Wetmore who was an architect from New York. ‘The original build was slated to use Indiana limestone which became a bit of a political juggernaut with the Denver Chamber of Commerce, Colorado Senator Lawrence Phipps and Representative W.R. Eaton insisting the build consisted * United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Inventory~ ‘Nomination Form for Federal Properties U-S. Custom House (Denver: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, 1979}, 3, http://oah.historycolorado.ors/OAHP_Images/SDV/153/5DV ination pdf ” Federal Building and U.S. Custom House, Denver, CO; http://www.gsa.gov/portal/ext/htmi/site/hb/category/25431/actionParameter/exploreByBuilding/build ingla/7a5[an of Colorado Yule marble rather than the “inferior” Indiana limestone. The construction costs of the US . Custom House totaled $1,260,000 with $200,000 unexpected due to the added cost of the more expensive Colorado Yule marble.” Awarding the U.S. Custom House commission to an architect outside the state of Colorado was considered poor protocol to Buell and his Colorado colleagues and firmly believed it should have been awarded to a local firm equaily capable of designing the structure as the outsider from New York. The U.S. Custom House quickly reached max capacity and an expansion of the building was deemed necessary four years after the original build had completed. In 1935 Buell teamed with another notable Denver architect Meredith Music, and together, awarded the commission of the expansion of the U.S. Custom House. Despite Buell’s concems about the original build being awarded to an outside architect, he found the structure to be a thing of architectural beauty with its massive Italian Renaissance Revival style. He did not want to lose sight of original architectural style while planning the expansion, Rather than design a building that was completely different, he chose to model the expansion in line with the original build. The expansion was a complete success and believed that the expansion enhanced the overall appearance of the U.S. Custom House, which helped support the National Register nomination later. ‘The U.S, Treasury again tried to use a material other than Colorado Yule marble for the exterior of the building, this time using Georgia marble as a means of cutting back on budget costs. This decision was a hotly debated topic as Buell felt strongly that Colorado Yule marble should be used as it was feared that the Georgia marble would not match closely enough to the Colorado Yule marble and would be easily identifiable at the juncture points of the two builds. * Federal Building and U.S. Custom House, Denver, CO; bateo://wwww. tal/ext/ntm/si /actionParameter/exoloreByBuilding/building!d/74}1z ‘The expansion of the U.S. Custom House would eventually double the size of the original building and cost $870,000 to complete, $400,000 less than the original build.”* The expansion completed by 1937 and the U.S. Custom House now occupied the entire city block benween 19" and 20, and Stout and California, The U.S. Custom House had become a part of a massive Federal complex in downtown with the U.S. Post Office and U.S. Federal Courthouse as its neighbors The U.S. Custom House has become a major player in the Federal system throughout the years following the completion of the expansion. Denver became known as “Little Washington” and “the second capital” during the 1930s due to the large number of civilian federal workers living in Denver. By 1940 it had been estimated that the city of Denver had a workforce of nearly seven thousand federal employees.> The U.S. Customs Service operation was housed within whose main function was to collect duties which averaged $500,000 a year with a high of $1,400,000 in 1957.2 During the 1950s the U.S. Custom House also held the second largest civilian teletype center in the nation.” There was one feature however that made the U.S. Custom House an important and sentimental structure to Denver residents, the U.S. Armed Forces induction station. Hundreds of thousands of young men walked through these doors as * United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places inventory— Nomination Form for Federal Properties U.S. Custom House (Denver: Office of Archaeology and Histo Preservation, 1979), 3, htto://oahp.historycolorado.org/OAHP_Images/SDV/153/SDV_153-c Nomination. pdf % United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Denver Medical Depot (Denver: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, 1979), Federal Building and U.S. Custom House, Denver, CO; http://www.gsa.gov/portal/ext/html/site/nb/category/25431 /actionParameter/exploreByBuilding/buildingld/745 *” “Center of Babel,” Denver Post, Empire Magazine, July 19, 1953,113 civilians and walked out as soldiers. The U.S. Custom House is where their military careers ‘would begin which gave them a sentimental attachment to this large imposing building in downtown Denver. The National Register of Historic Places understood the significance of the U.S. Custom House and in 1979 it was officially added to the register. The Depot Photo courtesy of Denver Public Library, Western History Collection ‘The design of the Denver Medical Depot was completed by Temple Buell on April 30, 1942 with construction of all buildings completing in record fashion by September 30, 1942.78 The depot was built on a huge thirty-seven acre lot north of downtown at 38" and York Street. tary installation construction; ‘The design was very much in line with other World War Il mi nothing extravagant, completely practical and fully functional. In just twenty-two days after design plans were completed, the first two main buildings were erected, constructed with over * United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places inventory Nomination Form: Denver Medical Depot (Denver: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, 1979} bttp://oaho historycolorado.org/OAHP. ” v. ymination.odt|14 1,250,000 icks each.”? The build consisted of multiple shifts working round the clock in order to complete the project in rapid fashion. There were nearly 1,000 workmen associated with the building of the depot, which made it possible to complete ahead of schedule. Unlike the Paramount or the U-S. Custom House, the Denver Medical Depot featured multiple structures that were designed and built at the same time, eleven separate structures in all, This was the only complete military installation project Buell would be associated with, though he would work on multiple other military facilities throughout his career. Prior to the outbreak of World War Il, the Medical Department was in charge of securing and storing medical wartime supplies. There was a pressing need for a medical depot in the Rocky Mountain Region while wartime efforts were ramping up while international relations were deteriorating in the late 1930s, ‘There was fierce competition to land the regional medical depot as it meant an increase in government jobs and revenue to the area to which it was awarded. Afier much debate and posturing by politicians, Denver was the chosen location over ‘Omaha, Nebraska and Salt Lake City, Utah for the regional medical depot on March 26, 1942. ‘The Denver Medical Depot became one of eleven facilities in the United States designated as medical depots and the only facility that served the Rocky Mountain Region. The depot would feature over 535,000 square feet of storage space and was charged with four missions during its operations; ® United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Denver Medical Depot, p. 16. » United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Denver Medical Depot (Denver: Oifice of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, 1979) http://oaho.historycolorado.org/OAHP_Images/SDV/5142/SDV_5142-4 Site Form and_Nomination.odf135 1. Distribution depot for Rocky Mountain Area, 2, Key depot for drugs, chemicals, biological products, surgical supplies; laboratory, X-ray, dental, pharmacy, hospital and field equipment and supplies, special kits or assemblies for San Francisco and Los Angeles Medical Depots and Seattle Medical Section. 3. Assembly of Zone of Interior hospitals for western United States 4. Depot for returned material; depot to operate a Medical Depot fifth-echelon shop for reclamation or repair of unserviceable medical depot property. Denver had a large military presence during WWII which featured such complexes as Lowry Field, the Denver Ordnance Plant, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Buckley Field and the Denver Medical Depot. At the peak of WWII the depot employed more than 800 workers, nearly 47% of which were women.*” During WWII the depot handled an estimated 250 million tons of medical supplies which had been sent to Army facilities throughout the Rocky Mountain Region. The Army had intended the depot to be a permanent facility when initially built but later deemed as government surplus. As post WWII efforts were winding down and depots being consolidated, the facility was shut down in October of 1946, a mere four years in existence, In the years that followed, the depot would change hands multiple times between Federal and local government use. The Veterans Administration acquired the depot as a supply facility in September of 1946 but its stay was short and moved out towards the end of 1947. The City and County of Denver would sign a lease/purchase agreement with the federal government, in 1949. ‘The size of the facility enabled the city to move the auto license bureau, highway and fire department shops and traffic engineering departments to the depot site. This move was * US, army Medical Department, Office of Medical History, htto://history.amedd army mil/booksdocs/wwii/medicalsupply/appendixa pet * United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Inventory ‘Nomination Form: Denver Medical Depot (Denver: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, 1979) hntto://oahp.historycolorado.org/OAHP_Images/SDW/5142/SDV_$142-d Site Form and Nomination.paf * 38TH & YORK STREET; htto://www.renewdenver.org/redevelopment/dura-redevelopment-projects/denver- county/38th-and-york-street html116 temporary as the federal government had decided to move the U.S. Air Force Finance Center to Denver in 1950 and the depot was their chosen location. The city and federal governments would come to an agreement to terminate the lease, and the city moved out. The depot would undergo a major renovation in which former warehouse space was converted to office space. ‘The Air Force Finance and Accounting Center moved into the remodeled space in 1951 and would spend the next twenty-six years at 38" and York Street. The City and County of Denver ‘would find its way back to the depot facility and utilized the space for such departments as ‘Wastewater Management, Building and Zoning and the Denver Public Schools from 1977 — 1992. The city would move their facilities out of the depot in late 1992 and the depot would sit ‘vacant until a redevelopment effort took place in 1998 to convert the space into an office/industrial park. It cost approximately $3.6 million for the redevelopment/decontamination of the depot site and once complete 70% of the original space being was now utilized.?> The Denver Medical Depot was the final building designed by Buell that would be added to the ter of Historic Places, which was completed in 1998 and later added to the State Register of Historie Properties. ‘As much notoriety eamed by Temple Buell as an architect, his prowess was equally impressive as a developer. Temple Buell, never the type to sit back and wait for things to Vhen I came to Denver, I was interested in land, not just in buying it, but developing happen, it, It’s a challenge to figure out how a city is going to grow, what kind of property people will ™ 38TH & YORK STREET; http://www renewdenver.org/redevelopment/dura-redevelopment-projects/denver- county/38th-and-vork-street htm! ° 36TH & YORK STREET(17 ‘want, planning the city of the future.”** When Buell saw something with potential, whether it be aplot of land or a building, he made his move. He developed massive plots of land across Denver; from Cherry Creek Shopping Center, Cherry Hills Village and Cherry Hills Heights. Buell had a hand in each one and how their development would be shaped. Cherry Creek Shopping Center became the flagship development piece for Temple Buell and had a direct affect on buying habits for Denver residents for years to come, In 1925, Buell acquired a forty-nine acre plot of land south of downtown which he purchased for $25,000 and added an additional five acres for $5,000 shortly thereafter. He recognized the potential of his purchase immediately. Yet, not many people saw potential in the forty-nine acres which had previously been a city dump and fully neglected for years. The eastem part of the land Buell purchased was still being used as a city dump when it was acquired. ‘The area had been decimated previously when a Parker damn broke which sent a wall of water rushing down the Cherry Creek, clearing everything in its path leaving a swampy mess. Beautification of the area began shortly before World War II when the city of Denver, with federal assistance, made modification to the streets surrounding the soon to be shopping center development.*’ Buell was anxious to start development of this plot of land in the early 1940s, but the start of WWII delayed development.** Buell displayed tremendous patience, waited out WWII and spent nearly 25 years fighting zoning battles with the city of Denver prior to starting construction on his dream shopping center. In 1948, Buell finally received the go ahead to move (Olga Curtis, “The Man Who Gave Away $25,000,000," Denver Post, Empire Magazine, January 7, 1968, p. 11. * Erin kindbert, “1925 Temple Buell Readies for Future,” Denver Business Journal, November 12, 1999 * Marjorie Barrett, “Buell’s Still Designing Denver's Lifestyle at 85.” Rocky Mountain News, August 31, 1980, p. 8forward with development of Cherry Creek Shopping Center after clearing zoning issues with the Denver City Council. The Cherry Creek Dam was completed in 1950 which also alleviated any fisture flooding potential of his site. Buell recognized that the land was ideally situated for access from all points in the city, “When I bought the land, I wasn’t sure if Cherry Creek would ever be anything but a dump. But I did know that it was centrally located.”? By 1954 the shopping center that Buell had been dreaming about, opened, transforming the way Denver residents would shop forever. Shoppers were no longer forced to fight for scarce street parking; Cherry Creek Shopping Center had alleviated that issue when Buell brought off-street parking into the equation. Buell had transformed the former dump into a modem shopping center that in its first year of business with only three tenants sold more than $16 million worth of merchandise. By 1968 the shopping center had grown to nine buildings with annual sales totaling $67 million making it the richest shopping center in Denver." Buell, together with Cherry Creek Shopping Center, transformed the shopping center landscape and buying habits of the Denver consumer for the foreseeable future. In the late 1930s Buell purchased 192 acres of vacant land at University and Hampden for $29,000. He had grand plans for this prized plot of land, ‘There were grand intentions of building a $100 million resort complex with a six-hundred room luxury hotel, two-hundred condominiums as well as a championship caliber eighteen hole golf course on the sixty-nine acres he had purchased."" Buell had envisioned a luxury hotel wanted to bring a hotel to Denver ‘Olga Curtis, “The Man Who Gave Away $25,000,000,” Denver Post, Empire Magatine, January 7, 1968, p. 11. “ olga Curtis, “The Man Who Gave Away $25,000,000,” Denver Post, Empire Magarine, January 7, 1968, p. 12 * warjorie Barrett, “Buell’s Still Designing Denver's Lifestyle at 85." Rocky Mountain News, August 31, 1980, p. 8.419 that was as luxurious as the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs or the Arizona Biltmore, which was designed with Frank Lloyd Wright influence. Buell performed his homework well in advance and had the land zoned for the hotel, but his dream eventually fell apart when the Cherry Hills. zoning code department would not allow the building of the two-hundred luxury condominiums on the property. Buell countered the ruling and filed a $20 million lawsuit against Cherry Hills Village in hopes of forcing the city to cave under pressure and change their ruling.” The two sides would never come to terms regarding the condominium plans and the hotel vision was eventually scrapped. After years of being nothing more than vacant field with the land being used for overflow parking for events at Cherry Hills Country Club. The land was later converted to an exclusive residential community within Cherry Hills with the former Buell mansion featured as the community clubhouse. It is easy to identify the imprint that Buell had on Denver from an architectural and developer perspective, Buildings are an easy reminder of the person responsible for their design; they are tangible pieees that we can see day in and day out and will be a constant reminder for as ong as the building exists. Temple Buell was someone who had a very large philanthropie side to him which can be equally impactful to a city. In 1962 the Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation ‘was established to support his charitable activities which focused on architectural education, catastrophic illness research and other programs throughout Colorado.” The foundation donated substantial gifts to various organizations throughout the years, Buell had donated a $5,000,000 to Columbia University for the creation of the Temple Hoyne Buell Center for the Study of «cherry Hills Zoning Challenged.” Rocky Mountain News, October 22, 1982, p.102, “Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation, Our history, http://w. buelfoundation org/history.htm120 American Architecture in 1983, a $600,000 building to the University of Southern Colorado with an additional $100,000 for renovations of their public television station in 1984, $100,000 to the Denver School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Colorado at Denver in 1988 and the much publicized $25,000,000 donation to the Colorado Women’s College in 1966. Buell ‘was no longer known for his architectural and development work alone, but his work as a philanthropist as well. During the cra Buell was born into, it was very much uncommon for men to speak about their personal worth. For that reason, ‘was very much a shock to many Denver residents when they read about Temple Buell endowing $25,000,000 to the Colorado Women’s College in 1966. ‘This gift was the single largest gift ever endowed to a university in the state, public or private and the largest in the nation since 1900." However, this arrangement was not as simple as handing a check over to the school for $25,000,000. The gift was to be posthumous in which the Buell Development Corporation would turn over the assets to the school upon the death of ‘Temple Buell.” The assets consisted of Cherry Creek and Pueblo Midtown shopping centers, five parcels of land in downtown Denver and several million dollars worth of corporate stock. The endowment stipulated by Buell that “the income and assets of the Temple Buell College ‘Trust will be devoted to promoting the academic standing of your already outstanding college, 1 look forward to a happy and prosperous association, and to the possibility that further events will enable me to make other substantial provisions for the school.“ The school was quickly * wiliam Gallo, "Temple Buel, at 86, Takes on New Challenges” Rocky Mountain News, November 6, 1981, p. 6 * Olge Curtis, “The Man Who Gave Away $25,000,000," Denver Post, Empire Magazine, January 7, 1968, p. 14. “Gene Lindberg, “CWC Given $25 Million by Temple Buell” The Denver Post , November 4, 1966, p. 1121 renamed to the Temple Buell College in favor of its largest donor; this was not a stipulation of the donation. The relationship between TBC and Buell quickly soured as donations from their other donors began to fall by the wayside as the misconception was the school had plenty of funding with the $25,000,000 gift. The school eventually reached out to Buell and asked the terms of the donation be changed to allow for an annual gift of $1,000,000 instead of fully dependent upon his death, By this time Buell was a more than displeased by TBC and their decision to award two new campus building commissions to an architectural firm other than TH, Buell and Company. The two sides could never come to terms regarding the endowment and in 1973 the agreement between the Buell and TBC was terminated and the school renamed to Colorado Women’s College once again. Buell would later talk frankly about the matter, “My definition of a mess, and this was a mess, is trying to shovel two pounds of --- into a one pound bag.” Attendance continued to decline after the fallout with Buell and cash flow problems plagued the school in the years to follow. By 1982 the college merged with the University of Denver, which assumed all assets and liabilities and the Colorado Women’s College was no more. The $25,000,000 endowment was made with the best intentions for all parties involved, yet in the end it cost the Colorado Women’s College their existence and tarnished the reputation Buell had worked so hard to establish. Temple Buell, through his lifelong endeavors eamed the right to be noted as one of the most influential architects in twentieth-century Denver. Historic buildings are what define the character of a city and Buell was responsible for three buildings on the National Register of Historic places in Denver. The Paramount Theater, the U.S. Custom House and the Denver * Wiiliam Gallo, “Temple Buell, at 86, Takes on New Challenges.” Rocky Mountain News, Novernber 6, 1981, p. 48.122 Medical Depot are part of the 1,300 important historic Colorado sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Paramount, the U.S. Custom House and the Denver Medical Depot are a study of contrasts. The Paramount was a building architecturally beautiful, easily recognizable and a building that held strong nostalgic sentiment for people of a magical era long gone. The U.S. Custom House was a large and imposing structure that epitomized “big government” and was part of a massive federal system downtown, The Denver Medical Depot ‘was a collection of buildings which were used to support World War Il efforts and featured little to no architectural beauty. The difference was easily identifiable while reading through their nominations forms. The National Register nomination form for the Paramount Theater consisted of only eight pages; it was a building well liked, well known and citizens wanted it added to the register. The National Register nomination form for the U.S. Custom House consisted of twenty pages. It was an architecturally pleasing structure, a building known by many citizens but required a little more detail to secure the nomination, ‘The National Register nomination form for the Denver Medical Depot consisted of over forty-four pages. It wasn’t a building that was overly pleasing on the eye, many citizens weren’t aware of it as it was north of the eity in an industrial area and definitely required a full and thorough explanation in order to secure the nomination. There are architects who work their whole careers yet never have a building submitted to the National Register of Historic places. Buell had the good fortune to have landed three distinetly different structures on this prestigious list which was a testament to his longevity and dedication to changing the Denver skyline, a building at a time. Temple Hoyne Buell was an architect, developer and a philanthropist that forever changed the skyline of Denver. Buell designed buildings, developed shopping centers and gave money as if it was his second nature. He won numerous awards throughout his storied career; he(23 won the Prize of Rome in architecture in 1917 but was unable to accept due to World War I beginning, he was awarded the Columbia Alumni Medal in 1923 and was awarded Architect of the Year award by the Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 1988, itis their highest honor. Buell wasn’t without his faults however. He was unsuccessful in marriage, having attempted it three times. ‘The first marriage 1o Marjorie McIntosh lasted thirty-seven, years, his second marriage to Virginia Bennett Crocker lasted eight years and his final marriage to Sherry Montague took place when he was eighty. He made mistakes with the way the Colorado Women’s College endowment was handled. He had troubles connecting with his children and grandchildren as he worked twelve to fourteen hours a day. Yet, those faults merely made him human, like everyone of us. You are to judge someone based on the collective whole of their life and not the mistakes made along the way. The good that Temple Buell was able to accomplish greatly outweighed his missteps along the way. Buell enhanced what Denver was to become with his abilities as an architect and business acumen as a developer. His foresight with his foundation will assist organizations for years and years to come with more than $250,000,000 in assets as of June 30, 2011." The hard work that Buell put into his architectural firm and development company will continue to benefit Denver and Colorado residents alike. Temple Hoyne Buell the architect, developer and philanthropist changed the skyline of Denver as we see it today and made him one of the most influential people to have ever set foot in Denver during the twentieth-century, * Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation; http://www_buellfoundation.org/financials.htmBibliography Books ‘Noel, Thomas J. Buildings of Colorado. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997, Noel, Thomas J. and Barbara S. Norgren. Denver: the City Beautiful and its Architects, 1893-1941. Denver: Historic Denver, inc., 1987. Articles KINDBERG, ERIN. "1925 Temple Buell readies for future." Denver Business Journal, November, 1999. 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UNITED STATES; http://caselaw findlaw.com/us-10th-circuit/1436290.htm| Federal Building and U.S. Custom House, Denver, CO; http://www. gsa.gov/portal/ext/htmi/sit (25431 /actionParameter/exploreByBuilding/build ingld/745 United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Paramount Theater (Denver: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, 1979), 3, http://oahp.historycolorado.org/OAHP_!mages/SDV/190/5DV_ 1: ¢_Nomination.pdf United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Denver Medical Depot (Denver: Office of Archaeology and Historic(25 Preservation, 1979), http://oahp.historycotorado.org/OAHP_Images/SDV/5142/SDV_5142- ite Form and Nomination.pdt 38TH & YORK STREET; http://ww_renew ri Jopment/dura-redevelopment- projects/denver-county/38th-and-york-street.htm| From Pillar to Post; http://www.westword.com/content/printVersion/211112 Against the Grain; htto://www.westword.com/2000-04-20/culture/against-the-grain/ Roots; htto://www.westword.com/1996-11-28/culture/roots/ Post Mortem; htto://www_westword.com/1998-03-05/culture/post-mortem/ HISTORY OF CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE; http://www. cherryhillvillage.com/aboutchv.aspx US. Army Medical Department, Office of Medical History, :[[history.amedd army.mil ji/medic Iv/appen Newspapers Mary Chandler, “Buell’s Stature Rose With Denver" Rocky Mountain News, January 7, 1990, p.78. Denver Post, January 7, 1956, p. 10-16 (Empire). Denver Post, April 12, 1964, p. 10-15 (Empire). Denver Post, November 4, 1966, p. 1-2 Denver Post, August 16, 1981 “Center of Babel," Denver Post, Empire Magazine, July 19, 1953, Rocky Mountain News, January 7, 1990, p. 78. Rocky Mountain News, August 31, 1980, p. 8. Rocky Mountain News, November 8, 1981, p. 6 and 48. Rocky Mountain News, August 29, 1971, p. 40. Rocky Mountain News, June 11, 1984, p. 44-45. Rocky Mountain News, August 24, 1985, p. 24.126 Rocky Mountain News, June 6, 1984, p. 25. Rocky Mountain News, October 22, 1982, p. 102. Rocky Mountain News, April 22, 1983, p. 67. Rocky Mountain News, August 18, 1967, p. 8. The Albuquerque Tribune, April 6, 1973, 9.1. The Coshocton Tribune, January 23, 1977, p. 8. Altoona Mirror, February 3, 1977, p. 25. Lincoln Park Homes Public Housing in Denver, Colorado, Courtesy: Historic American Buildings Survey.[27 Horace Mann Middle School, Courtesy: www.thedenvereye.comParamount Theater, Courtesy: www.thedenvereye.comMullen’s Home for Nurses, Courtesy: www.thedenvereye.com 129Fruitdale School, Courtesy: wwnw.thedenvereye.com131 ccent on atmosphere cscs ae cn cot sone ts toon anopeing cemarein Amerlen But tn 1 ampere, ‘eer athusiayie accaptare of Grey Crt ‘eso! ntcmnny senor, AG cena. 24 aBmESNECE = thm aman ay the pert pcce Cherry Creek (oo tp te Be nasres tat yon Cheer Cra oon oe Cherry Creek Shopping Center advertisement from 1959, ten years after construction started.