DENVER — New interactive signage is helping to tell the history of some of Denver’s oldest neighborhoods.
The RiNo Art District and Historic Denver have teamed up to install 40 new signs to educate and celebrate the four historic neighborhoods within the RiNo Art District boundaries.
“The spirit of the Historic Signage program is to raise awareness of these historic neighborhoods — Elyria Swansea, Globeville, Five Points and Cole,” RiNo Art District Co-Chair Chandler Romeo said in a news release.
The signs are placed near prominent pedestrian zones along Brighton Boulevard, Chestnut Place, Arkins Court, Delgany Street and Walnut Street. The move is an effort to showcase the dynamic past of the once industrial hub of the city.
“It’s so important when a lot of intense growth happens in an area,” RiNo Art District President and Co-Founder Tracy Weil said. “The RiNo Art District has really been an area that’s been historically industrial – with a lot of warehouses and things like that. I think it’s really important that people know that we’re a part of these neighborhoods and we need to respect them.”
The permanently affixed signs include the historic street name, neighborhood or area name, along with a pre-20th century historic map graphic illustrating past streets and grids. Inherent Character helped design the signage in collaboration with the RiNo Art District.
“Some former street names are descriptive of a story or a place from the past that is no longer there while other streets were re-named deliberately to differentiate the area from Lower Downtown,” Kelan Smith with Inherent Character said.
The project was funded in part by Historic Denver as part of its Action Fund.
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