Community Proposal

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Grand Canyon University *

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450

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History

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Feb 20, 2024

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Uploaded by EarlNeutron13539

In 1,500-2,000 words, present your final proposal as if you were presenting in front of a community that would fund or approve your research. Your proposal presentation should include: Five Points, located on the northeast side of Downtown Denver's central business district, is one of Denver's oldest neighborhoods and is now one of the fastest growing in terms of both redevelopment and population. In the 1960s and 70s, large areas of Five Points were demolished in preparation for urban renewal projects. Additionally, due to the rapid growth of the Denver metropolitan area and increasing gentrification and development of its historic neighborhoods, much of what remains is under development pressures. In addition to attaining oral histories from members of the community, I am proposing the creation of an architectural inventory of the area to document all structures of potential historic significance. This would give the community a definite picture of what structures remain that might merit preservation and allow preservation efforts to proceed in advance of immanent development pressures. Five Points was one of the earliest neighborhoods developed outside the original boundaries of the congressional land grant awarded to Denver in 1864 (DMD, 2023). The land was sold to developers in anticipation of growth resulting from the railroads linking of Denver to the east. Factors that influenced early development of the area included accessibility to water and a nearby terminus of the Stout Street Herdic Coach Line, Denver first streetcar (Denver Metro Data, 2023). The name “Five Points” was originated by the streetcar line which serviced the area as a designation to identify the five-pointed intersection at the end of the route. Residents of the area were not pleased since "Five Points" was the name of a notorious slum in New York and had been used to denote slum areas in several other cities (DMD, 2023).

Beginning in the 1920s, the Five Points area became the commercial and social sector for African American churches, businesses, clubs, and homes, and the heart of Denver's black community (Mauck, 2021) due to the movement of white residents to newly created neighborhoods, discriminatory home sales laws and the migration of African Americans from the rural south. From the 1920s to the 1950s the community became known as “The Harlem of the West” (Hanson 2012) and was home to numerous bars and private clubs which were frequented by artist such as Billie Holliday and Duke Ellington. Beginning in the 1950s, the Five Points community declined as discriminatory housing laws were removed and wealthier residents moved to the suburbs. This urban flight resulted in the growth of drugs and associated crime. As the population declined, many properties were abandoned. In the past decade, an area of the original Five Points neighborhood now known as the River North Arts District (RiNo) has seen dramatic changes as Denver has grown into a major city. RiNo features restaurants and art galleries in revamped industrial buildings whose upper levels have been converted to condominiums. Nevertheless, revitalization has brought its own challenges, and raised questions about the future character of these neighborhoods and making changes sensitive to their histories. One such challenge is the prospect of gentrification, with its potential displacement of long-time residents of limited resources by affluent newcomers (Blair- Caldwell, 2023). As Denver continues to grow, and redevelopment spreads to other areas of Five Points, it is important to preserve the history and architecture of the neighborhood as well as its support its present community and to attain relevant oral histories from community members who may be displaced by redevelopment or gentrification in the future.

Oral historians, as well as their interviewees, should engage in mutual respect in an open and honest conversation, and all interviews will be conducted in accordance with Oral History Association (OHA) standards. According to the OHA Statement of Ethics (No author, 2023), oral historians are ethically obligated to: 1. Prior to beginning the interview, the interviewer obtains the narrator’s informed consent. 2. The interviewer clearly communicates the goals of the project, explain the interview process, and advises the interviewee of any potential risks in that the oral history can be accessed in any number of ways, by any number of potential users. 3. Oral historians should attempt to minimize any potential harm to the narrator, and communicate the narrator’s right to refuse to answer questions, 4. The interviewer provides the narrator, whenever possible, with the opportunity to review and approve the interview prior to making it accessible to the public. This would include the opportunity to review the interview (recording and/or transcript) and approve what was said for public release or other use. 5. Oral historians should conduct preliminary research about the topics they intend to study. 6. Oral historians should establish a clear procedure and timeline for finalizing, archiving, and releasing the interview to the public. The oil historian should communicate to the narrator that the process has been completed. 7. Oral historians should promote equitable access to the final interview (recording and/or transcript) and attempt to make these materials accessible in a timely manner.

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Although there is much history recorded for Five Points, many opportunities have been lost due to urban renewal, redevelopment, and gentrification. Long time residents should be requested to share their memories of life in the area, what had special significance for them, and how the area has changed over time. Respondents should also be asked about any historical artifacts that they might be aware of or have access to. The narrator is the legal owner of an interview, and a written statement (Deed of Gift) is required to transfer ownership (copyright). To obtain Informed Consent the interviewer must inform the narrator the terms of the interview prior to recording which includes explaining and answering questions related to 1) how the interview will be recorded, 2) how the interview will be used, 3) where the interview will be archived, 4) who will have access to the interview, and 5) what the narrator's rights are regarding the recorded interview (Univ. of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 2023). This project will also follow best practice guidelines which is to verbally record the terms of informed consent and the narrator's agreement at the outset of the oral history interview in addition to the signing of the Informed Consent document. At this stage of the project, properties for possible historic preservation are being identified for further research and possible historic preservation. Most legal concerns at this stage would be permission forms to enter a given property and possible non-disclosure forms. However, if a property owner did not want picture of the interior of a property disclosed, I believe that access would be denied rather than the demand for non-disclosure. Specific forms and procedures are required by Denver to initiate the historic designation of a building, and such an action does not require the consent of the owner. However, this is not an aspect of this project.

Once the relevant information is attained, it will be necessary to organize it for further study, possible publication, and/or presentation to the community and the public. This would most likely take the initial form of a paper or written archive in the possession of the research institution which would then be transferred to website in a style more accessable to the general audience. The website will include selections of the interviews as well as historic photographs and modern videos showing the transformation of the area from its origin in the 1890s with an emphasis on the area from the 1920s to the 1950s. If there were a physical exhibit, it would consist mostly of photographs, but the true physical exhibit is the preserved historic buildings. Physical access to five points is not difficult as it is a popular and safe Denver destination. Resources on Denver history are easily accessible as the community tends to appreciate its history and generally attempts to preserve as much of its history as is practical. Relevant Resources include: 1. The Five Points Cultural Historic District. 2.Five Points Plus Neighborhood Memory Project. 3. The Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library (Denver Public Library) . 4. Historic Denver. 5.City and County of Denver. 6.Archives of the Denver Post. 7.DenverMetroData.org (DMD) Research will begin with a review of the Five Points Cultural Historic District and its vision for five points as well as its guiding principles for the reactivation of its historic buildings and the area’s redevelopment. These principles are the protection and rehabilitation of the areas historic infrastructure; Preserving the areas cultural identity and vitality; And doing so in a

sustainable fashion (Denver, 2023). The remainder of the resources will be searched to identify specific structures that might have historical significance. Once identified, further research will be required to determine historical significance, and a site visit made to determine whether the structure is appropriate for preservation and /or historic designation. There is no obvious ethical issue with collecting this data. It is also not controversial within the community and historic preservation tends to have broad community support throughout the Denver Metro area. Perhaps the greatest challenge is that in the 1960s and 70s, large areas of Five Points were demolished in preparation for urban renewal projects. In addition, over the past 20 years Denver has experienced rapid and dramatic growth and increasing gentrification and development of its historic neighborhoods. Those historic neighborhoods that remain are under sever development pressures. In Denver, to initiate the historic designation of a building does not require the consent of the owner. However, when seeking historic designation for a structure, it is important to realize that such a designation can adversely affect the owner of the property in terms of both the property’s value and its development potential. The history of Five Points is a story of a community repeatedly overcoming adversity. In the face of discrimination and segregation in the first half of the twentieth century, the area became the commercial and social sector for African American churches, businesses, clubs, and homes, and the heart of Denver's black community (Mauck, 2021). Beginning in the 1950s with the flight to the suburbs, the Five Points community declined with many of the abandoned properties demolished in preparation for urban renewal projects in the 1960s and 70s. Today, due to population growth, increasing gentrification, and redevelopment, much of what remains is threatened.

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However, the Five Points community has persisted, and the community has remained united in preserving its history, unique character, and architecture. As the area has been redeveloped, it has served as both a local and national example of how a neighborhood can be transformed, while still maintaining its historic character. The growth of the Denver metro area is unlikely to slow significantly, and even more unlikely to stop. Communities like Five Points show this growth can be accommodated while preserving the unique character of our historic neighborhoods. The people of Five Points do not want their community to become indistinguishable from the suburbs, and this project will aid in their quest.

References: Community Facts | Neighborhood Data for the<br />7-County Denver Metro Region (BETA) . (n.d.). Map | Community Facts. Retrieved August 5, 2023, from http://denvermetrodata.org/neighborhood/five-point. Encyclopedia Staff. (2016, August 29). Five Points. Colorado Encyclopedia . Retrieved from https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/five-points. Five Points Historical Cultural District Design Standards & Guidelines . (2016, August 9). Denver Gov. https://www.denvergov.org/content/dam/denvergov/Portals/646/documents/landmark/ design_guidelines/Five_Points_Historic_Cultural_District_DSG.pdf Five Points-Whittier Neighborhood History | Denver Public Library History . (n.d.). Home | Denver Public Library History. Retrieved August 5, 2023, from https://history.denverlibrary.org/neighborhood-history-guide/five-points-whittier- neighborhood-history#Bibliography Hanson, Moya. Pebbles on the Shore: Economic Opportunity in Denver's Five Points Neighborhood, 1920-1950 Colorado History 5 Colorado Historical Society. October 10, 2001. Mauck, Laura. Five Points Neighborhood of Denver. Arcadia Publishing (SC). 2021. ISBN: 0738518700 OHA Statement on Ethics | Oral History Association . (n.d.). Oral History Association. Retrieved August 5, 2023, from https://oralhistory.org/oha-statement-on-ethics/. Oral History Documentation & Forms - Special Collections & University Archives - LibGuides at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley . (2023, August 4). Home - LibGuides at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. https://utrgv.libguides.com/SCA/OHdocumentation#:~:text=Two%20forms%20are%20re %09quired%20for,by%20the%20interviewer%20and%20narrator

Community Proposal

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