A hallway in Lowell Elementary.

National and State Register

Colorado's Mid-Century Schools, 1945-1970

The historic context encompasses all school buildings constructed for K-12 public education. The MPDF examines historical trends shaping school construction and design, including the post-war baby boom, evolving Progressive educational philosophy, mid-century Modernism, suburban growth, and the Cold War. The MPDF is organized into two primary contexts: Education at Mid-Century and Building the Mid-Century School.

Colorado Preservation, Inc. completed a windshield survey of public school buildings in Colorado in 2010. A list of more than 750 buildings accompanies the document. More than seventy Colorado architects and firms active in mid-century school design were identified. The MPDF begins with the end of World War II when, following fifteen years of economic depression and conflict, school districts began constructing new schools. It ends in 1970 when the last of the Baby Boom generation (1946-1964) entered school. The context focuses on primary classroom buildings, which encompass classrooms, offices, gymnasium, auditorium, cafeteria, and library. Property types include school buildings and significance in the areas of education, social history, community planning and development, and architecture.

Cover documentation accepted by the National Register on 5/1/2017.

Colorado's Mid-Century Schools, 1945-1970 MPDF

Arapahoe County

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    Jamaica Primary School

    Located in the Havana Park subdivision, the Jamaica Primary School was completed in 1958. Situated at the center of a neighborhood of mid-twentieth century Ranch houses, the school was originally designed as a small community school with eight classrooms for kindergarten through third grade students. 

El Paso County

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    S.A. Wilson Elementary School

    Located in Security-Widefield, an unincorporated area south of Colorado Springs, the S. A. Wilson Elementary School was constructed in 1959 and expanded in 1961. A predominantly agricultural area until the mid-1950s, Security-Widefield quickly developed with the expansion of nearby Fort Carson. Between 1954 and 1961, the school district grew from 125 students to more than 3,500. The S.A. Wilson Elementary School was one of six new schools constructed by the local architectural firm of Francis & Guy.

Larimer County

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    Truscott Junior High School

    The Truscott Junior High School is locally significant as a representation of mid-twentieth century educational trends in Colorado, including the construction of new schools to meet the demands of an expanding population as well as the needs of Progressive educators.