1.Title / Content Area: Auraria 9th Street Historic District ​ 2. Historic Sites: Auraria Campus, Denver ​ 3. Auraria Colorado Experience: Auraria ​ 4. Developed by: Century Middle School Team, Adams 12 School District ​ Library of Congress Teaching With Primary Sources Western Region Team 5. Grade Level and Standards: Grade Level: 3-5 ​ ​ Content in this Document Based Question ( DBQ ) link to Prepared Graduate Competencies in the Colorado Academic Standards Prepared Graduate Competencies: 1, 2, and 4 ​ Colorado Standards: 3rd: History Standard 1 GLE 2. 4th: History Standard 1 GLE 2.. 5th: Geography Standard 2 GLE 2 C3 Standards in Social Studies: D2.Geo.2.3-5. D2.Geo.4.3-5. D2.Geo.5.3-5. D2.His.2.3-5. D2.His.3.3-5. 6. Assessment Question: How does examining the Auraria 9th Street Historic District help us understand what used to ​ be in this area of Denver? 7. Contextual Paragraph The Denver Public Library states, “Auraria, Denver’s oldest neighborhood, predates the city’s ​ ​ establishment, and its history neatly encompasses the city’s founding, its development, and its redevelopment as a modern urban center. As a contemporary Denver neighborhood, Auraria is synonymous with the Auraria Higher Education Center (AHEC), which opened in 1976, and home to the University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and the Community College of Denver. The neighborhood forms a rough triangle, bounded on the south by Colfax Avenue, with the South Platte River to the west and Speer Boulevard to the east, roughly the line of Cherry Creek, converging at today’s Confluence Park.” Auraria was established in the late 1800’s by a small group of miners because of the discovery of gold in the area. The town plan was to have buildings, residential and commercial, on square blocks which established a core town in the area. As soon as it was established though, another town was established across the river, Denver City. The two rivals later merged to become Denver, and Auraria was partially abandoned until later when it became active as one of the first mixed-use residential and commercial areas in Denver, and often referred to as West Denver. In the 1970’s Auraria campus was established, and today the area is used for a variety of purposes including residential, commercial, and brewing once again. As quoted in the National Register nomination, “Though not historically noted, the residents were typical of the pioneer stock that built the city, people like a flour mill owner, railroad engineer and telegrapher, cattle and horse dealer, dentist, blacksmith, coppersmith, tinner, cabinet maker, ice dealer, livery owner, and bookkeeper for the Tivoli Brewery, who all lived in this block between 1873 and 1905.” The 9th Street Historic District was one of the very first locations of a town which helped to start Denver. As it developed, it became a diverse community and this is reflected in the many architectural types located in the district including Italianate, Victorian, and a Spanish Mission style church. 7. Connection to Historic Auraria’s 9th Street Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in ​ Preservation 1973 and continues to be preserved on the Auraria campus today. Preservation efforts have been a collaborative effort between the universities that are present on the campus, local community members, and the History Colorado State Historical Fund. The buildings have been adapted for use on campus for a variety of purposes and retain the majority of their character defining exterior features. Document Based Question (DBQ) Document Set Auraria 9th Street Historic District GUIDING QUESTIONS: 1. Who may have lived in these types of houses? 2. What materials would have been used in the construction of these homes? 3. How can a house such as these shown here, represent the social standing of the owner? https://www.historycolorado.org/location/auraria-9th-s treet-historic-district Early Auraria GUIDING QUESTIONS: 1. What can this image tell you about the early settlement of Auraria? 2. What kind of buildings are included in this image? 3. What are the different types of materials used to construct these buildings? 4. What materials make a building more permanent than temporary? 5. How can you tell that people establishing this area wanted it to become a town or city? http://cdm16079.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collectio n/p15330coll22/id/68186 9th Street Historic District on Auraria Campus GUIDING QUESTIONS: 1. The Auraria 9th Street Historic District is located on the college campus. Does it look similar or different from what it did when it was first established? 2. What are the good things about keeping historic buildings present on a college campus? 3. How does this remind others about the importance of another time period in history? https://library.auraria.edu/news/2018/unearthed-direct ory-ninth-street-historic-park Denver Story Trek GUIDING QUESTIONS: 1. What does this story tell you about the 9th Street HIstoric District? 2. How does it compare to what you have seen in the photos you have examined? 3. How can the preservation of the buildings in this district help to illuminate the stories presented here? https://denverstorytrek.org/places/ninth-street-historic- park St. Cajetan’s Catholic Church GUIDING QUESTIONS: 1. How does a church play a role in the community? 2. Examine the image. What clues does the building give us about what cultures may be present in this neighborhood? http://cdm16079.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collectio n/p15330coll6/id/20 Assessment Question How does examining the Auraria 9th Street Historic District help is understand what used to be in this area of Denver? Response 1.Title / Content Area: Brown Palace Hotel ​ 2. Historic Sites: Brown Palace Hotel, Western Stock Show, Denver ​ 3. Colorado Experience Episode Colorado Experience: Brown Palace ​ ​ 4. Developed by: Laura Israelsen, Denver Public Schools ​ rd th 5. Grade Level and Standards: Grade Level: 3 ​ – 5 ​ ​ ​ ​ Standards: Colorado Social Studies Standards 1-4 ​ Prepared Graduate Competencies: Content in this Document Based Question ( DBQ ) link to Prepared Graduate Competencies in the Colorado Academic Standards rd 3 ​ : PGC 1-5, 7 t​ h 4 ​ : PGC 1-5, 7 t​ h 5 ​ : PGC 1-5, 7 ​ 6. Assessment Question: What does the focus on animals tell us about their importance to the people in Colorado ​ and their history? Other questions to consider: Why would these images be part of the architecture? Why would animals be invited into the most elegant buildings? Why would it be important to show the Grand Champion Steer in the lobby of the Brown Palace? How does this help preserve the story of place or reflect the priorities of the community? ** Extension Questions to consider about the building (Used in 6-12 DBQ) Could be added here for a GT leveled thinking question. Why is it important to try to save buildings and architectural features even when they are created with difficult materials such as sandstone? Is it ever ok to change the materials? Should we try to save everything on a building? Should we work to save these medallions? 7. Contextual Paragraph James Whitehouse was commissioned to create 26 medallions carved in sandstone on the ​ Brown Palace Hotel. Each of the medallions depicts Colorado animals. The hotel’s “silent guests” can still be seen between the seventh floor windows on the hotel’s exterior. There are bears, mountain goats, deer, elk, mountain lions, buffalo, rabbits, sheep and many more. You never know what is going to be in the lobby of the Brown Palace Hotel. Every year the champion steer from the Western Stock show is brought into the lobby and shown. Try to imagine a 1500 pound steer standing right by the concierge desk complete with cowboys, wranglers and professionally dressed business people! 1945 was the first time a Champion Steer was a guest in the hotel lobby. 8. Connection to Historic The Brown Palace was, and continues to be, a defined historic landmark in the city of ​ Preservation Denver. Placed in the National Register of Historic Places in April of 1970, the building was designed by Frank Edbrooke who also designed the Oxford Hotel in Denver. It was built of an iron and steel frame and constructed with both cement and sandstone from the ​ Whitehouse & Wirgler Stone Company. Because of the design and materials used to build the hotel, it was one of Colorado’s first fireproof buildings. It was also the tallest in Denver ​ when it was built. Preserving the building has been an ongoing work of “art” and can be challenging at times because of the nature of the materials in the building. With Colorado’s weather, freezing and thawing of water that seeps into the sandstone and concrete can cause damage to the foundation and other parts of the building. With regular historic preservation and maintenance efforts ongoing damage to the building can be avoided. Document Based Question (DBQ) Document Set Colorado Animal Medallions on Brown Palace GUIDING QUESTIONS: 1. What did you notice about this image ? 2. Why are these medallions included in the architecture on the Brown Palace Hotel? 3. Why were they created with sandstone? 4. What tools were used to create the medallions on the side of the building? Would this take special skills as a craftsman or not? Explain. Whitehouse and Wirgler Sculpters and Carvers, Photos courtesy of the Brown Palace The Brown Palace Hotel Click on this link and use the + and - tools to look closely at the architectural features on the Brown Palace ​ exterior. GUIDING QUESTIONS: 1. What are the architectural features of the hotel? 2. How is it different from other hotels you have seen? 3.