Reader submission: This time *I* did not take the photos, but these were submitted by architect Peter Carey of Carey Design in Boulder. He is on the historic preservation board in Longmont where they are identifying potential mid-century modern homes for preservation.

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw these gorgeous photos. I did not know of specific homes in Longmont, but knew that there must be mid-century modern homes up that way, as my wife Shannon Stanbro of 5280mod, never ceases to surprise me when she shows me mod homes in cities like Gunbarrel, Broomfield, Westminster and many of the “L” towns surrounding Boulder.

This first amazing Usonian house was designed in 1968 by Roger Easton for Edward Lehman, the owner of the Longmont Times Call local newspaper. It is 5000 sq ft! Roger Easton also designed this office building in Boulder.

This unique Longmont home from 1964 was built in an enclosed court yard. I love that entranceway.

Across the street is another mod home from 1972 with this cool pass-through car port.

A beautiful Usonian design from 1957.

This is Peter Carey’s own house, built for the esteemed Longmont Dickens family in 1952, one of the first houses on the Sunset Golf Course. Look at those 30″ eves and 14′ wide plate glass windows. This home has a pinwheel floorpan.

And finally, Longmont High School, an outstanding modern design from 1962 with a unique version of the folded plate roof. This last picture reminds me of Sarasota High School.

If you were following along at all during the weekend, I was posting incomplete versions of this drawing as I was working on it, just for fun. This is a Google SketchUp 3D illustration of a ’50s-era Automart Grocery Store, with a hyperbolic curved roof.

I love to illustrate and since it is on target with the same subject matter as the rest of this site, I feel it is appropriate. Click on the illustrations to make them larger.

I “eyeball” all of the dimensions for my drawings, so there are sometimes minor things that are inaccurate. I reserve the right to call this “artistic license”.

Thanks for visiting Modeling Mid-Century Modern!

Scattered around the Denver area are these wonderful examples of ambituous octagonal hyperbolic curve engineering. All were originally Automart Grocery Stores from the 1950s.

Hyperbolic roof designs usually use 3 inch thick poured concrete held in place by the magic engineering of the double-curvature of catenaries and archs. This method allowed engineers to use 3 inch thick concrete over much larger roof expanses for the high-end hyperbolic paraboloid designs of the Zeckendorf Plaza in Denver and the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs.

This former Automart located on S. Broadway and Orchard in Littleton seems to be the one that is most intact. It has the most existing glass and least amount of repainting. You can see faint remnants of black and white checker patterns on the curved edges of the roof.

Other locations are Carneceria Guadalajara at 1st and Sheridan on the Denver/Lakewood border, another on South Federal and Ada Place in Denver, one on 38th and Yates in Wheatridge, and there is an empty one on W. Mississippi and Kendall out in Lakewood. (Update: I just remembered the one in Cherry Creek at 1st and Cook!)

If you know of another, I would love to hear where it is!

These were inviting roadside structures designed to draw in drivers with this welcoming rotunda style. The fact that there are at least five that are still standing shows how much this unique shape is appreciated.

There is a middle school in Lakewood with a hyperbolic paraboloid roof that is just about to come down in June once school is out. I will try to take pictures of this sad occasion.

The A-Frame Lounge on the 76 highway out in Commerce City.

Roadside architecture is designed to catch your attention while driving, so even if you have never stopped here, you have aready noticed this structure while driving, say, toward the Flea Market!

When this was built in the ’50s, this was located in the middle of nowhere, so this was your last chance to get gas, food, coffee (and apparently a martini) before heading east out of town.

I assume originally they rented motel rooms in the A-Frame itself, so that makes this a restaurant, bar, gas station, service station and motel, all-in-one. Quite a feat for such a small structure!

There does not seem to be too much activity going on in this building these days. I thought I’d better take some pictures before something drastic happens to this charming historical building.

Denver’s 1st Summer Jazz Festival in 1959. Some big names: Ahmad Jamal, Dakota Staton and the great Shelly Manne and his Men featuring Richie Kamuca and Joe Gordon.

George Shearing at the Band Box in ‘63. Today it is Annie’s Cafe.

Count Basie and his Orchestra playing Verne Byer’s Academy Ballroom in 1963. Tickets available at the Bowl-ero, among other places!

Dizzy Gillespie at the Rainbow Ballroom at 5th and Broadway, 1959.

Saxman and big band leader Georgie Auld at the Melody Lounge, the Denver jazz hot spot in ‘59.

One of Denver’s greatest contribution’s to jazz, the late, great Phil Urso at the Rainbow Ballroom in 1959. He is featured on some of the best Chet Baker lps!

Another Verne Byer’s place, the Robin’s Nest on Lookout Mountain. Verne co-ran this place with bassist Ray Iverson, where they had famous Sunday jam sessions. This ad is from 1964.

Some more ads for Effie The Blonde Tigress at Vic Hawkin’s Senate Lounge on Colfax, a cocktail jazz act backed by Paul Warburton and Vince Limberg in the late 1950s and early ’60s.

The Four Breezes, featuring local greats Beatty Hobbs, Shelly Rhym, Leon Ragsdale and Ed Wright from 1959. Sugie’s Lounge, I believe became the Satire Lounge?

Here is Shelly Rhym and his pals again, this time backing up Denver jazz great, Ron Washington in 1959! Roxy’s Lounge was out on S. Sante Fe in Englewood.

Rose Murphy at the Melody Lounge in ‘59. What is great about this ad is her backing band featuring Slam Stewart of the famous scat-vocalese jazz duo Slim and Slam.

Vic Hawkin’s took over the Band Box on Colfax and renamed it Hawk’s in 1964. This ad is for music comedienne Peggy Lord, backed by local jazzmen Neil Bridge, Chuck Roberts and Jo-Jo Williams.

The Mel-Dawn Duo at Sammy Sugarman’s place, The Gaslite in the Alameda Inn in 1964. I am sure this place was toast after the famous Platt River flood a year later.

Jazz out on West Colfax, Lakewood Gardens became the Lemon Tree and is now called Sharks.

At lastly, some ads for the Queen City Jazz Band, a Dixieland outfit who held court at Mon-Vue Village from 1957 to 1967 (at least). They released many locally pressed lps. The Mon-Vue is still there and is currently Paradise Cove.

An outstanding A-frame Usonian home designed 1954, by master architect
William Muchow.

Muchow Associates Architects designed over 800 buildings, mostly in the Denver area. From important large commercial commissions to beautiful Usonian homes such as this.

This home is in Cherry Creek, a similar Muchow A-frame exists in Southern Hills, and I have heard rumors the Muchow himself once lived in this picturesque house.

Notice the incredible skylights, the large expanses of glass and the roof that seems to just hang in mid-air. . .

A perfect example of a beautiful kept Denver Usonian home, the Touff House, designed 1958 by Victor Hornbein. The design was meant to keep a low profile to avoid blocking other homes views of the mountains, a consideration you do not often see these days.

Victor Hornbein designed many of Denver’s greatest examples of the Usonian architectural style pioneered by Frank Lloyd Wright. Two examples of his non-residential commissions are the Ross-Broadway Library and the Denver Botanical Gardens.

Speaking of gardens, not only is this house decorated with beautiful artwork, but is has outstanding landscaping.

Here are some other examples of Usonian architecture from the same Denver neighborhood.