Old Main Renovation
Restoration for CU’s First Building
In the mid-1920s, Old Main — CU Boulder’s three-story, red brick building designed by architect Erastus H. Dimick — was in poor shape after only a half-century of use. Some even called for its destruction, including then-campus architect Charles Klauder, who designed several university buildings in the Tuscan Vernacular style. But high construction costs in the 1920s and a lack of funds to follow Klauder’s original campus design plan saved Old Main. The building went through a major structural renovation instead, solidifying its status as a campus classic. In early 2024, pending Board of Regents approval, work will begin on a new structural restoration project to benefit the building. Old Main’s legacy will live on.
1876
Old main completed; classes began in the building the following year
40,000
Artifacts will be moved to a temporary East Campus location during the restoration
$13M
Approximate cost of the project
CU's first president, Joseph A. Sewall, and family members — his wife and their five children — lived in Old Main when it first opened
The second floor of the building contained a room in 1878 that housed the university’s first library, which held 1,500 books
The third floor of the building is where the CU Medical School began. There were two students, and CU's first president taught classes.
Old Main History
1920s
Major structural rennovation
1984
Old Main building refurbishment completed with improvements to windows and the Old Main Chapel
2020
Structural evaluation begins
2024
New structural restoration project begins
During the renovation of the 1980s, the Old Main Chapel was rotated 90 degrees.
2024 Restoration's Major Components:
Replacing about 10% of the building’s outer brick
Replacing windows
Repairing cracks in bricks and sandstone
Repairing the sandstone foundation
Drainage and landscaping improvements
Roof repair
Photos courtesy Heritage Center (Sewall, chapel, sketch); Denver Public Library Special Collections, X-11813 (library); Richard Ebert/Encircle Photos (middle photo); AbobeStock/arybickii (bricks)