John Scarffe, Boulder County. The Red Lion Inn site received Boulder County Historic Landmark Designation during a Boulder County Commission regular virtual meeting at 3 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2020. Staff Planner Denise Grimm introduced the Red Lion Inn’s application for the historic landmark designation of the site at 38470 Boulder Canyon Drive on behalf of Tebo Properties and owner Stephen D Tebo.

The site is a 10.36-acre parcel and includes seven contributing resources and four non- contributing resources. The contributing resources include the Main Lodge, Cabin #1, Cabin #2, Cabin #3, Cabin #4, #5, and the Storage Shed The non-contributing resources include the 1980s apartment building, the septic building, the circle depression and a miscellaneous shed.

Timothy and Isabella Blanchard, early Colorado settlers and ranchers, homesteaded the property along Boulder Creek and, at an unknown date, began the resort known as Blanchard Lodge, Grimm said. By 1920, John C. Doherty, a recent arrival from Maine, began working at the lodge. 

In 1927, Doherty married Blanchard’s daughter, Elizabeth, and they took over the business. During the next 40 years, they further developed the property by constructing several buildings including the Craftsman-style main lodge around 1930 and numerous guest cottages, Grimm said.

“The Dohertys donated a right-of-way across their property for Chapman Drive, the road up the west side of Flagstaff Mountain, which presumably contributed to why the Boulder Chamber of Commerce and U.S. Bureau of Public Roads commemorated Doherty’s public service contributions with a park in his memory just east of the State Highway 119 tunnel in Boulder Canyon.” 

Chris Mueller purchased the property in 1963 and eliminated the overnight accommodations to focus on the restaurant, renaming it Red Lion Inn. The existing cabins were converted into long-term rental units, Grimm said. 

Local developer Stephen Tebo bought the property in 2014 and has partnered with Wedgewood Events Center to refocus the property for hosting events. On July 2, 2018, a subcommittee of the Historic Preservation Advisory Board (HPAB) discussed the eligibility of the property and, although some of the buildings have been altered, they said the property should be considered eligible for landmark status, Grimm said. 

On February 19, 2020, the HPAB subcommittee reviewed the property and found the main lodge, the five cabins and the storage shed to be eligible for landmark designation and gave their support for Use of Community Significance with the condition that the eligible structures be landmarked with Boulder County. 

The Red Lion Inn site meets the criteria for historic designation because the character, interest, or value of the proposed landmark is part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the county. The property is significant for its association with the development of early 20th century tourism in Boulder County. 

The property is significant for its association with John C. Doherty and his public service contributions, and the proposed landmark is an embodiment of the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style valuable for the study of a period, type, method of construction, or the use of indigenous materials. The property is significant for its Craftsman style of architecture. 

HPAB considered this application at the September 3, 2020, meeting and voted unanimously to recommend approval. The Boulder County Commissioners said it was a great proposal and adjacent to Chapman Road. 

The Commission approved the request for the Red Lion Inn site’s Boulder County Historic Landmark Designation.

(Originally published in the October 22, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)