The City of Aspen’s Historic Preservation Commission will look to protect five landmarks this week, in an effort to “lead by example.”
The Red and Yellow Brick buildings in Aspen’s West End, the original Aspen Mountain Rescue headquarters, a log cabin on Cooper Street and the downtown pedestrian malls are all being considered for the “Aspen Modern” designation.
Historic preservation officer Amy Simon said they all meet the criteria of capturing Aspen’s 20th century history, some by their architectural design, some by their cultural significance and some with individual history makers.
“For instance, the former Mountain Rescue property has an association with a person, Alfred Braun who helped found the 10th Mountain backcountry huts,” said Simon. “So each of them have something unique about them, but at the same time that are all representative of that transition period in Aspen’s history.”
The historic designation protects the exteriors of the buildings but leaves provisions allowing for upkeep and expansion. The commission does not need permission to designate private property as historic and feels it is prudent for the city to include its own holdings as well.
