Historic Auraria

Now home to the tri-institutional campus of Metropolitan State University of Denver, University of Colorado–Denver, and Community College of Denver, the Auraria neighborhood has a long and rich history predating the founding of Denver itself. Auraria is bordered by the South Platte River to the west, Colfax Avenue to the south, and Speer Boulevard (which flanks Cherry Creek) to the east, forming a rough triangle. The neighborhood’s proximity to the confluence of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek made it an oasis amid Colorado’s dry plains, and Indigenous people used the place as a trading post for many years before whites arrived. In 1858 the town of Auraria was founded by miners who discovered gold in the area, and it continued to grow and flourish until being combined with nearby Denver in 1860.

Auraria, known as West Denver, was a mixed-use neighborhood for much of its history, home to a diverse group of nationalities and cultures. In 1965 a disastrous flood left Auraria severely damaged, and an urban-renewal project demolished the former neighborhood to build the Auraria Higher Education Center (AHEC) that exists today. While the removal of Auraria residents to build an urban college campus remains controversial, AHEC and local historic-preservation groups have attempted to preserve the neighborhood’s cultural past. (coloradoencyclopedia.org)

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