Members of Littleton’s Historic Preservation Board are hoping to add the old International House of Pancakes building to its list of merit.

The distinctive building at 1409 W. Littleton Boulevard was constructed in 1965, according to the Arapahoe County Assessor’s Office. The A-frame style structure is a classic example of mid-century architecture, said preservation board chair Pam Rosendal.

“Everyone recognizes IHOP,” Rosendal said. “It’s designed to catch a driver’s attention as they are going down the freeway.”

The building was most recently a Mexican restaurant before it closed earlier this summer.

Rosendal says the building is worthy of inclusion on the list of merit because it exemplifies the post-WWII commercial development of Littleton Boulevard and the community’s growing emphasis on the automobile.

Historic preservation board member Bill Hopping had his first job as a busboy at the IHOP. Even though the hallmark conspicuous teal roof has been painted brown, the building otherwise remains just how Hopping remembers.

“What’s cool is the interior hasn’t even changed,” Hopping said. “The layout is exactly the same as when I was a high school kid. It was a gathering place for the after-church crowd because there weren’t a whole lot of breakfast joints around.”

Hopping, a consultant for hotels, says playing up the historic significance of buildings is good for business. He added that Littleton Boulevard used to be a major east-west thoroughfare in the south metro area.

“It was just iconic roadside architecture,” Hopping said. “One of the current interests in historic preservation is to identify those old routes. It’s one of the areas we look to preserve.”

Inclusion on the list of merit means that for buildings whose owners want to modify the outside, there is an additional 30-day waiting period. The extra time gives the historic preservation board a chance to talk with the owner about the building’s historic importance.