Year after year, one of Durango’s oldest neighborhoods is at risk of businesses moving in and pushing homeowners out. But for almost three decades, a small group of concerned residents has worked to preserve the historic strip.

East Third Avenue is known for its tree-lined boulevard, landmark structures and proximity to downtown. What it is not known for is the bustle of commercial activity and office buildings.

That planning was intentional from the very first days of Durango.

The boulevard was conceived in 1880 by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Co., which, at the time, sought to extend the railroad from Durango to the mining industry in Silverton.

The railroad brought a boom of miners, bankers, loggers and other industry men, the most affluent of whom lived on “The Boulevard.”

The 11-block historic section extends from Second Street to 15th Street, with the exception of two blocks, where schools are located. Most of the buildings, including several churches, date from the 1880s to 1910, and stand as shining examples of architecture popular at the time.

But in recent years, developers have sought to commercialize the particularly prime location. Businesses extend from Main Avenue to East Second Avenue, but a fine line has been drawn on East Third.

“Durango has changed a lot in 30 years, but our mission has not,” said Karen Anesi, a member of the Boulevard Neighborhood Association, who has lived on East Third Avenue for 37 years.

“As long as we are located as close as we are to downtown, and as along as we have this boulevard, we are always going to be vulnerable (to commercial development). It’s not going to be different.”

To protect their neighborhood, homeowners banded together in the early 1980s with one mission: to preserve the historic character of East Third Avenue for its originally intended residential use.

Maxine Peterson, who has lived in her East Third Avenue home since 1971, said the neighborhood was able to get the district listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, but that designation didn’t do much to stop commercial interests from trying to infiltrate the street.

“We didn’t have teeth, so to speak, it was recognition only,” Peterson said.

“We had to have the local council establish a historic district and regulations to use as protection for residents. Being so close to Main Avenue, and a good expansion for the business district, you can see why (developers would) be looking at Third Avenue. It’s been an ongoing thing to protect it.”

On Sept. 12, several Third Avenue homeowners will take part in the Boulevard Fall Gardens Tour to celebrate the neighborhood association’s formation and the National Register designation.

But more than that, organizers of the garden tour truly hope the public attends the event to understand why the district is worth saving, and the hard work that went on behind the scenes.

“We want people to see what the boulevard is all about, and what we’re preserving,” Anesi said.

“A garden is a very welcoming way of bringing people into the neighborhood. They are symbolic of the variety of people who live here and the variety of homes. It’s the pride of living in a neighborhood that allows us to have these kinds of gardens, and we want people to see that.”

Because the neighborhood association has been on the frontlines of resisting commercial expansion, it has also assisted other neighborhoods over the years facing similar growth issues, which can range from the onslaught of vacation rentals to sewer issues.

East Third Avenue residents are no strangers to city meetings, and know how to navigate the labyrinthine levels of local government and reach the right person to speak to.

But September’s event is a chance to sit back in the quiet of a garden and appreciate what all the work is for.

“We do a lot of complaining about issues that other neighborhoods experience, but we experience them first and earlier because we’re closer to the impact,” Anesi said.

“So you see these Third Avenuers raising hell all the time, and we want to show them why.”

jromeo@durangoherald.com

If you go

The Boulevard Fall Gardens Tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 12. Tickets, which are $20, can be purchased at www.bnadurango.org, at the Durango Welcome Center at 802 Main Ave. or from a Boulevard Neighborhood Association board member. All proceeds will go toward preservation efforts.