Natalie Lord
Last week form+works kicked off a project at the Pulliam Community Building in Loveland, Colorado. Jessica completed the Historic Structure Assessment for the building in 2014, while at SlaterPaull Architects, making the project a continuation of her previous work. However, it turns out the Pulliam has connectivity to my childhood as well!
In June of 1936, the Loveland City Council voted to begin the planning process for a new community building. The auditorium is named after Loveland couple, D.T. and Lillian Pulliam who donated $20,000 as seed money for the project. Pulliam was a philanthropist, banker and rancher.
In September 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized funding for two Works Progress Administration (WPA) grants for Loveland, one to fund a new auditorium and one for a city hall. The City chose to combine the two grants and construct a single building to house both functions. It is estimated that the construction of the building put 180 people to work. Upon completion in 1939, the building housed City offices, provided meeting spaces for a wide variety of groups, and provided auditorium space for movies, plays, lectures, and concerts. With a seating capacity of 835, the auditorium could accommodate well over 10% of the City’s 6,000 residents.
For over 35 years, the building served as home to the Loveland Community Theatre and it was a popular venue for movie screenings.
(Photo from the Fort Collins Archive #Ha20129)
When I turned the corner in Loveland to meet our project team and do a walk-through, I realized instantly that I had been to the Pulliam before. When I was little, my dad was in a guitar competition in the basement where he won a 12-string guitar (Click here to see the video I forced him to record for me!). One of the reasons we love working on historic buildings is that they’ve been part of so many people’s lives. Of course it is not every day that they have been a part of our own lives!
My Dad playing his 12 string
Our project at the Pulliam will resolve code and accessibility issues in order to return the building to a community event space. form+works is excited to be a part of the revival of the Pulliam and continue its legacy for the next generations of Coloradoans.
Jessica on stage doing some field verification
Form+Works Design Group, LLC 