Time Capsule
When the University opened in 1864, its campus was smack dab in the middle of the city. Looking to move students away from the noise, pollution and disruptive environment of downtown Denver, DU moved south and laid the cornerstone of University Hall in April 1890. More than a century on, the University and the Mile High City have changed considerably.
Photo by Wayne Armstrong | Captions by Connor Mokrzycki | Historic photos courtesy of DU Special Collections and Archives
Citywide Boom
1957 - 1961
When DU moved to its current location just a few miles from its original setting downtown, the surrounding landscape was mostly bare. By the 1950s, campus additions included the alumni-funded Hilltop Stadium that hosted crowds of up to 25,000 and a new co-ed dorm, and homes and businesses had sprouted up in the surrounding area. Since then, the population of metro Denver has more than quadrupled and the city’s once-sparse skyline is far more prominent, but DU’s campus—the oldest in Colorado—remains.
The Oldest
1960s
Constructed in 1878, the Evans Memorial Chapel is the University’s oldest building—but it didn’t arrive on campus until 1959. When the historic chapel was threatened with demolition, the decision was made to painstakingly move brick by brick from downtown Denver. The surrounding waterways and flora are part of Harper Humanities Garden, completed in 1965 and updated in 2005 with help from Denver Botanic Gardens.
School Spirit
1950s
While campus has evolved over the years, some things never change. From students decking out their 1930s coupe to fans traveling across the country to watch DU’s championship-winning lacrosse, hockey and ski teams, school spirit has been a constant for more than a century.
A Dorm for the Modern Era
1959
Students are fiercely proud of their residence hall, but for decades, residents of Johnson-McFarlane Hall have been the proudest of them all. Built in 1957 and one of the earliest co-ed dorms in the country, J-Mac, as it is affectionately known, earned its name from Granville “Granny” Johnson (BA ’23, MA ’25) and Ida McFarlane, two longtime faculty members.
Libraries Come and Go
1960s
When it was built in 1932, the Mary Reed Building (formerly Mary Reed Hall) was a spectacular hall of knowledge—a much-needed replacement for the smaller Carnegie Library, built in 1909. It was DU’s main library for four decades and now houses numerous administrative offices and a used bookstore. The legacy of the building’s bookstacks remains, with the Renaissance Room providing a striking study spot.
All That Remains
1983
Buchtel Tower is the only remains of Buchtel Chapel, a mission-style chapel constructed in the early 1900s. The cornerstone was laid in 1910, but budget constraints slowed construction to a crawl. The building was first dedicated in 1917 as Memorial Chapel, honoring alumni who had fought and died during World War I, and in 1949, it was renamed in honor of Chancellor and former Gov. Henry Buchtel, who oversaw the construction of numerous buildings on campus, including the chapel. In 1983, a fire destroyed much of the building.
A Century Worth Celebrating
1964
When seniors from the class of 1951 buried a time capsule outside of Mary Reed, the University looked dramatically different than it does today. Following World War II, campus saw little construction. By the time Chancellor Chester Alter and Russell Porter, head of the University Theater, dug it up on the University’s 100th birthday, DU had grown from 75 to 125 acres, students were living in three new dorms, and a variety of architectural projects were underway. The Chester M. Alter Arboretum, which winds through Carnegie Green and the Harper Humanities Garden, was created in 1999 to honor Alter’s lasting impact on campus.
Citywide Boom
1957 - 1961
When DU moved to its current location just a few miles from its original setting downtown, the surrounding landscape was mostly bare. By the 1950s, campus additions included the alumni-funded Hilltop Stadium that hosted crowds of up to 25,000, a new co-ed dorm, and homes and businesses had sprouted up in the surrounding area. Since then, the population of metro Denver has more than quadrupled and the city’s once-sparse skyline is far more prominent, but DU’s campus—the oldest in Colorado—remains.
The Oldest
1960s
Constructed in 1878, the Evans Memorial Chapel is the University’s oldest building—but it didn’t arrive on campus until 1959. When the historic chapel was threatened with demolition, the decision was made to painstakingly move brick by brick from downtown Denver. The surrounding waterways and flora are part of Harper Humanities Garden, completed in 1965 and updated in 2005 with help from Denver Botanic Gardens.
School Spirit
1950s
While campus has evolved over the years, some things never change. From students decking out their 1930s coupe to fans traveling across the country to watch DU’s championship-winning lacrosse, hockey and ski teams, school spirit has been a constant for more than a century.
A Dorm for the Modern Era
1959
Students are fiercely proud of their residence hall, but for decades, residents of Johnson-McFarlane Hall have been the proudest of them all. Built in 1957 and one of the earliest co-ed dorms in the country, JMAC, as it is affectionately known, earned its name from Granville “Granny” Johnson (BA ’23, MA ’25) and Ida McFarlane, two longtime faculty members.
Libraries Come and Go
1960s
When it was built in 1932, the Mary Reed Building (formerly Mary Reed Hall) was a spectacular hall of knowledge—a much-needed replacement for the smaller Carnegie Library, built in 1909. It was DU’s main library for four decades and now houses numerous administrative offices and a used bookstore. The legacy of the building’s bookstacks remains, with the Renaissance Room providing a striking study spot.
All That Remains
1983
Buchtel Tower is the only remains of Buchtel Chapel, a mission-style chapel constructed in the early 1900s. The cornerstone was laid in 1910, but budget constraints slowed construction to a crawl. The building was first dedicated in 1917 as Memorial Chapel, honoring alumni who had fought and died during World War I, and in 1949, it was renamed in honor of Chancellor and former Gov. Henry Buchtel, who oversaw the construction of numerous buildings on campus, including the chapel. In 1983, a fire destroyed much of the building.
A Century Worth Celebrating
1964
When seniors from the class of 1951 buried a time capsule outside of Mary Reed, the University looked dramatically different than it does today. Following World War II, campus saw little construction. By the time Chancellor Chester Alter and Russell Porter, head of the University Theater, dug it up on the University’s 100th birthday, DU grew from 75 to 125 acres, students were living in three new dorms, and a variety of architectural projects were underway. The Chester M. Alter Arboretum, which winds through Carnegie Green and the Harper Humanities Garden, was created in 1999 to honor Alter’s lasting impact on campus.
Built with Shorthand