Olde Town Arvada in Jefferson County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Arvada Retail Historic Restoration
| | Historic Olde Town Walking Tour | |
Photographed by Leslie Eudy
1. Arvada Retail Historic Restoration Marker
Arvada Retail Historic Restoration
This re-creation of the 1882 Arvada primary school* was designed to pay tribute to Arvadas rich history and its early beginnings as a town. The original schoolhouse, funded by B.F. Wadsworth, held 125 students in its one room structure. Forty-five years later, buildings were added to the north ** and south of the schoolhouse walls, creating the cluster of buildings known today as the Olde Town Square Retail Center.
*The recreation of the old schoolhouse is not a completely accurate historic replication per the standards set by the Colorado Historical Society.
**Due to modern-day code requirements, the roof above the north building is not in the historic character of the building originally built in the 1920s per the standards set by the Colorado Historical Society.
Arvada Urban Renewal Authority Board of Commissioners 2000
Bud Smead, Chairman
Phillip Shell, Vice-Chairman
David M. Rhyne, Treasurer
John A. Boettiger
Timothy Geisler
Peter Smith
Steve Urban, Council Representative
Timothy Steinhaus, Executive Director
Architect: JG Johnson Architects, PC
General Contractor:
this page online
Erected 2001.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 39° 47.997′ N, 105° 4.882′ W. Marker is in Arvada, Colorado, in Jefferson County. It is in Olde Town Arvada. It is on Olde Wadsworth Boulevard, on the right when traveling north. Marker is on the right wall as you face the building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5660 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada CO 80002, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Colorado’s Front Range. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Discovering Historic Olde Town: A Step Back in Time (within shouting distance of this marker); Building Community (within shouting distance of this marker);
Photographed by Leslie Eudy, November 21, 2025
2. Arvada Retail Historic Restoration Marker Wide View
Regarding Arvada Retail Historic Restoration. From the Historic Olde Town Walking Tour Map/Brochure: "This land was deeded to School District No. 2 in 1876 by Benjamin Wadsworth when the first Arvada School, a frame one-room schoolhouse was built. It had a seating capacity of about 50. It was replaced by this brick schoolhouse, which seated 125 in 1882, and was used as a school until 1920 when A. L. Davis then bought it for $5000 and enveloped it in an expansion of his building. A movie theater opened here on January 25, 1921 and operated off and on as a theater up until the mid 1950s. This building, which was no longer recognizable as a school underwent an extensive restoration in 2001 as a part of the Arvada
Photographed by Leslie Eudy, November 21, 2025
3. The Arvada School House Front
Also see . . . School House Kitchen and Libations - About Us. The building currently houses a restaurant- School House Kitchen and Libations- with school-themed decorations. (Submitted on January 28, 2026, by Leslie Eudy of Golden, Colorado.)
Photographed by Leslie Eudy, November 21, 2025
4. Photo of the Original Schoolhouse
Found inside the restaurant.
Photographed by Deanna Bowe, November 21, 2025
5. Arvada School House Interior
One of the School-Themed tables inside the restaurant.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 29, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 28, 2026, by Leslie Eudy of Golden, Colorado. This page has been viewed 28 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on January 28, 2026, by Leslie Eudy of Golden, Colorado. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
