The Squires-Tourtellot House at 1019 Spruce Street in Boulder, Colorado’s Mapleton Hill neighborhood, is thought to be the oldest house in the city. Built in 1865, the home is the only example of New England rural architecture in Boulder. It has 20-inch thick walls made from local river rock and fieldstone and features double-hung windows, louvered shutters, and a steep gable roof. It was owned by Frederick A. Squires and Jonathon A. Tourtellot, who were married to twin sisters Miranda and Maria Wade. 

 

• Mapleton Hill School was the fourth school built in Boulder in 1888. At that time, it was the first building on Mapleton Avenue. It was built in the Richardsonian Romanesque style and was the only school in Boulder built with stone instead of brick. 

• The Mapleton Hill Historic District boasts some of Boulder’s most elaborate houses. For example, the house at 1020 Mapleton Avenue is an impressive example of the residential Colonial Revival style. John McInnes, an early director of the First National Bank in Boulder, built the house in 1905. The building received the nickname “The Wedding Cake House” due to the three dozen white columns found on the building’s exterior. 

• Accessory buildings in Mapleton Hill include barns, sheds, chicken coops, carriage houses, and garages. These buildings are typically located at the rear of the property along the alley. While not all accessory buildings are individually significant, together they emphasize the historic character of the district and convey a sense of the past. 

• The Squires-Tourtellot house, constructed in 1865 at 1019 Spruce Street, is believed to be the oldest house in Boulder. It was owned by Frederick A. Squires and Jonathon A. Tourtellot, who were married to twin sisters Miranda and Maria Wade. The families operated a general store, hotel, and boarding house at 11th and Pearl Streets.