Banning Frame for Fire Safety

103 Years Ago
The December 8, 1921 Colorado Transcript announced that Council was preparing an ordinance to remove the ban on frame buildings. This made me wonder when the ban had gone into effect, since Golden had many frame buildings that were constructed before 1921. I didn’t find the exact answer, but Golden was trying to ban wooden buildings at least as early as 1878.

*Wooden house beside the Astor House and a wooden barn behind it –* *enlarge*

The Fire Department always preferred brick or stone construction. The City tried to mandate this, but often, for a variety of reasons, they relaxed their standards.

The bad fix Golden finds herself in to accommodate new-comers who want houses is causing many new ones to be erected. They are mostly frame dwellings, as the procurement of brick is out of the question this winter.... It is not a judicious plan, but dwellings are very much needed, and it is the best that can be done until brick can be obtained.
Colorado Transcript – December 12, 1878

The request made by J. M. Johnson Jr. & Co. for permission to erect a wood coal-shed within the fire limits was…granted.
Colorado Transcript – January 25, 1893

*Even where the houses were built of brick, backyards were often full of wood barns, sheds, chicken coops, and outhouses – Dan Abbott Collection –* *enlarge*

In 1921, Council decided to remove the city-wide (and often ignored) ban. In its place, they enacted a new ordinance that said wooden buildings would be banned downtown but allowed in residential or sparsely-populated areas, with permission from the Mayor or council, .

*Frame buildings in the 1100 block of Washington Avenue – Dan Abbott Collection –* *enlarge*

The terms “residential” and “sparsely-populated” were a bit vague. “Permission from the mayor or council” could be subject to moods, relationships, and circumstances. Wooden buildings continued to be approved, and some of the old wood buildings downtown stayed in place for several more decades.

*Post-WWII neighborhood near the high school – all frame construction – Denver Public Library Western History Collection –* *enlarge*

Golden continued with this vague, uneasy compromise until after World War II. At that time, the extreme demand for housing inspired several changes to our housing policies. We introduced zoning, to clearly define which areas were “residential” and which were “sparsely settled.” We required a buffer at the edge of a lot, to make it less likely that a fire in one house would spread to houses next door. We also adopted building codes, to ensure greater fire safety in new construction.