This Is a Shame

Palmer High School is finally getting some much needed improvements. This was our city's first high school, dating back to 1874, although the current building was erected in 1939-40. Considering that it's over 85 years old, you can understand why it's due for some major upgrades. The gymnasium and football field are actually a block away in another building entirely, so students have always had to walk to gym class (and trust me, this bungs up traffic around Palmer while classes are in session -- downtowners know to take another route during school hours) and I think part of this multi-year, $100 million renovation is dedicated to moving the athletics to an entirely new building and closing part of Boulder Street to accommodate the expanded campus. A decision has recently been made to demolish four old Victorians to accomplish this, and that is a damn shame. This particular home on Weber and Saint Vrain has always been a favorite of mine, with its beautiful architectural details. Never mind the fact that it has been divided up into apartments for as long as I can remember and it sits right next door to the school's tennis courts, I hate to see it go and pretty I'm sad about losing it along with the other three casualties. I lived a few blocks up the street from this old grande dame for several years. Sigh. I grabbed this picture on October 2nd as the fire department was apparently playing some role in its demolition. I wonder if it's already gone.