Historic Denver, Inc.
1420 Ogden Street
Denver, CO 80218
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Denver, CO
Permit No. 756
Est. 1970 + Volume 50 + Number 3 + Summer 2021
By Michael Flowers, Director of Preservation Action
T
he wait is over! The 50 Places have been chosen for our 50 Actions for 50
Places Campaign — part of our 50th anniversary celebration. Launched
in March 2021, community members submitted over 100 nominations of
places and spaces that matter. The intent of the campaign is to reignite
energy and excitement across Denver for historic places, and catalyze
grassroots action to support beloved places, as happened when Historic Denver was
founded fifty years ago.
The campaign is a positive and proactive opportunity to develop partnerships,
strategies, and preservation action. The campaign was intentionally broad in its scope
and definition of historic places, and encouraged submissions of sites that are not already
protected, recognized, or well-known.
As hoped, the submissions collected through a special on-line portal, helped identify
the diversity in Denver history, and numerous sites on the final list tell the stories of
places of those that have been under-represented in historic preservation efforts and
programs in the past. Nearly half the sites on the list tell stories of Black, Indigenous,
Latino/a, Chicano/a, Asian American and LGBTQ+ Denverites and communities. This is
critical because nationally only 8% of sites on the National Register of Historic Places
reflect such stories, and as reported in the Denver Post, initial estimates indicate that
fewer than 5% of Denver’s landmark sites include diverse stories. The campaign marks
an important opportunity to amplify these places and stories, and ensure that the work
of Historic Denver reflects the full depth and breadth of our city’s past.
The final 50 sites are spread across several categories, including Iconic Architecture,
Arts & Entertainment, Remarkable Residences, Civic Assets, Cultural Resources, and
Legacy Businesses, with some sites having cross-over appeal for their significance in
multiple categories. Highlights include the Aztlan Theatre, Stedman Elementary School,
the remarkable residence of African American attorney Irving P. Andrews, Sakura Square,
the area where Denver’s Chinatown once thrived, the AIDS Memorial Grove, the famed
My Brother’s Bar, and a collection of mid-century modern homes designed by Cliff May
in Harvey Park.
Historic Denver’s Executive Director Annie Levinsky noted, “These 50 sites
demonstrate the meaning, value and diversity of historic places in our city — we can’t wait
to launch the partnerships and strategies that will amplify the stories and significance of
each place in support of an inclusive, vibrant, and rooted city.”
The action strategies for each of the 50 places will be customized to suit each site or
place’s unique needs. Actions will range from research, storytelling, technical assistance,
and in some cases, designation at the local, state or national level. Historic Denver is
working with property owners and members of the Denver community to design these
strategies. Historic Denver will implement each action in the coming years to boost
awareness of all 50 sites and encourage proactive preservation in support of our city’s
unique identity and cultural heritage.
YOU CAN ENSURE THAT
RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE
for the actions at specific sites by making a donation at
historicdenver.org/support-us/#donate.
50 ACTIONS FOR 50 PLACES ANNOUNCED
presenting
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Interior of the Aztlan Theatre, 976 Santa Fe
HISTORIC DENVER INC.
2
HISTORIC DENVER NEWS
Chair Stockton Baker
Vice Chair Jesse Kajer
Treasurer John Lucero
Secretary Susan Rutherford
Gil Asakawa
Jonathan Bush
Kathleen Casteel
Lucy Clark
Haroun Cowans
Dan Craine
Nicole Crapenhoft
Tom Hart
Walter Huff
Ellen Ittelson
David Leuthold
Pat Miller
Heather Noyes
Gary Petri
Caitlin Quander
Doris Rigoni
Rebecca Rogers
Ean Tafoya
Molly Urbina
Rich Von Luhrte
Steve Weil
HISTORIC DENVER, INC.
1420 Ogden Street
Denver, CO 80218
303.534.5288
historicdenver.org
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
HD CENTRAL OFFICE
Executive Director Annie Levinsky x21
Director of Research
Beth Glandon x23
and Engagement
Director of Community Programs
Alison Salutz x24
Development Manager Sigri Strand x26
Director of Preservation Action
Michael Flowers x27
Manager of Grants & Shannon Stage x25
Preservation Services
Discover Denver Coordinator Chris Geddes x22
MOLLY BROWN HOUSE MUSEUM
1340 Pennsylvania St.
Denver, CO 80203
303.832.4092
mollybrown.org
Director
Andrea Malcomb x15
Director of
Heather Pressman x17
Learning and Engagement
Curator of Collections
Stephanie McGuire x12
Volunteer and Event Coordinator
Kim Popetz x16
Visitor Experience Coordinator
Taylor Herbst
x11
Museum Education Specialist
Jen Kindick
x2
0
HISTORIC DENVER NEWS
Managing Editor Alison Salutz
Graphic Design Edgellworks
Printing Publication Printers
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Historic Denver News welcomes your letters,
contents of which may be edited for length and
clarity. Please include your name, address and
telephone number in correspondence to:
Editor, Historic Denver News,
1420 Ogden Street, Denver, CO 80218
O
n Monday August 2 Denver City Council
approved the designation of the La Alma Lincoln
Park Historic Cultural District by a unanimous
vote. Nearly thirty community members spoke
in support of the district, telling personal
stories of the neighborhood’s role in fostering
the Chicano movement and the strong cultural
bonds that have existed in one of the city’s oldest
neighborhoods for decades.
Among the many eloquent remarks, Tony
Garcia, Executive Artistic Director of Su Teatro,
stated, “This is a story about community, culture,
and social justice…and also, its about place, who
belongs here…and when those murals went up,
when Teatro performed in the Park, it was a
conversation that said we actually belong. This
is a ratification of that concept.”
Councilwoman Jamie Torres, in her
comments before the final vote, said “Historic
designation is our human attempt to ensure our
roots aren’t forgotten, erased, built over, and
every day in Denver, I see our city disappearing.
This is a deeply emotional designation, and one
that I think we all take really seriously.”
Historic Denver dedicated significant
financial resources, technical assistance and
staff time over the last five years to support
community members in the effort to garner the
designation. The project was an early recipient of
our Action Fund program, which paid for consulting, support for
research, building inventory, outreach, and a context statement
documenting over 150 years of history.
Three current Historic Denver Board members, John Lucero,
Ean Thomas Tafoya, and Molly Urbina, penned an opinion piece
for the Denver Post the week before the vote, writing, “This
designation is a first step in recognizing a glaring blind spot
and the decades-long neglect of the historic places of people
of color…Integrating community development and culture in a
meaningful way fosters a sense of belonging and healing and will
have an impact on generations to come.”
In previous editions of our Historic Denver News, including
the Winter 2021 cover story, “Honoring the Layers of History
in La Alma Lincoln Park,” and the Spring 2021 “La Alma Lincoln
Park Historic Cultural District Application Update” we shared
the history of the neighborhood, which is one of the oldest
neighborhoods in Denver, with homes built as early as the
1880s and has close ties to the Chicano Movement, as these
homes, streets, and park fostered leaders, artists and activists
during Denver’s Civil Rights Movement of
the 1960s and 1970s.
The outcome of the research, oral
histories, inventory, and community
meetings supported by the Action Fund
eventually led to the La Alma Lincoln
Park Historic Cultural District proposal.
The designation makes LALP the second
Historic Cultural District in the City, and
the first to recognize Chicano history. It is
also the first historic cultural district under
the 2019 updated landmark criteria, and
while this district would have been eligible
under the old criteria, the updated criteria
included cultural heritage language, which
was a strong match for this neighborhood,
also offering a path to customized design
guidelines that can support equity and
affordability. With leadership from the City
of Denver’s Landmark Preservation Program,
the flexible guidelines protect the aspects
that make the neighborhood unique and
convey its story, while recognizing the layers
of history and the varied materials and
solutions that have been applied to the homes over time.
As our organization worked on this effort and developed
local partnerships, we also connected with preservationists
across the country working on cultural district efforts or seeking
to recognize neighborhoods with similar histories. From that
research we know how special this designation is, making Denver
a leader once again in preservation innovation and collaborative,
grassroots action.
=
YOU CAN LEARN MORE
about this project at: historicdenver/current-issues.
CURRENT
ISSUES
DENVER’S SECOND HISTORIC CULTURAL
DISTRICT PROPOSAL IS APPROVED
LA ALMA LINCOLN PARK BECOMES FIRST DISTRICT TO RECOGNIZE CHICANO MOVEMENT HISTORY
“ This designation is a
first step in recognizing
a glaring blind spot and
the decades-long neglect
of the historic places
of people of color…
Integrating community
development and culture in
a meaningful way fosters
a sense of belonging and
healing and will have an
impact on generations to
come.”
Cathy Prieto, LALP resident, testifies at City Council
HISTORIC DENVER INC.
3
SUMMER 2021
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
AZTLAN THEATRE, SANTA FE DRIVE
This mission-style theater was constructed in 1927 and originally named the Santa Fe
Theatre. It was built by W.J. Carter and included a full stage for roadshow attractions,
vaudeville entertainment and projection for movies. The theater closed for a time before
it was reopened in 1966 by Abel Gallegos, a musician and Chicano activist. Under
Gallegos’ ownership the theater showed both American and Mexican films. Long-time
and current owner Timeo Correa bought the building in 1972. Correa was also an activist
in the Chicano movement and renamed the theater The Atzlan, in honor of the ancestral
homeland of the Aztecs, a symbol of the community’s heritage and culture. For years
the theater was one of the few in the Denver to show Spanish-language films. As in-
home entertainment advanced, the theater saw declining attendance and Correa shifted
focus to live entertainment. In 1987 the theater hosted the Red Hot Chili Peppers and
became a well-known rock venue hosting other bands including AFI, Run DMC, Slayer,
and Fishbone. The theater remains a symbol of Denver’s Chicano Heritage on Santa Fe.
BOB RAGLAND, HOME OF THE NONSTARVING ARTIST E. TH AVE.
This bungalow was the home of renowned Denver artist Bob Ragland also known as the
“Non-Starving Artist.” Ragland was born in Cleveland, Ohio and spent several years in the
Army. Using the GI Bill, he attended Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. During
an art career that spanned 55 years, Ragland supported the arts in many ways including
teaching, consulting, writing, publishing and more. He painted and sculpted, and pro
-
vided career advice and resources for numerous artists with the philosophy of being a
“non-starving artist”. He encouraged artists to put in the effort and make the necessary
sacrifices to have an art career and also provided marketing and business techniques for
artists to sell their work. A number of his works are featured nationally, including here in
Denver at the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art. Ragland not only created art in
his Denver home, which was also his studio, he sold art from his porch. This home and
studio tells the story of a truly inspiring and influential Denver artist.
OLD ELITCH GARDENS CAROUSEL HOUSE TENNYSON ST.
The stylized pavilion was erected in 1926 and housed the Elitch Gardens’ second car-
ousel until the amusement park moved downtown in 1995 leaving it vacant. It is now
used for events.
LAKESIDE AMUSEMENT PARK SHERIDAN BLVD.
An amusement park located in the small municipality of Lakeside, it opened in 1908 and
has been in operation for over 100 years, with several intact early structures.
BEAR MOUNTAIN AND MONKEY HOUSE DENVER ZOO
Bear Mountain was the first “natural habitat” animal enclosure in the United States and
was a prototype for habitats that would be implemented across the country.
STREET CLOCK BY E. HOWARD & CO. S BROADWAY AVE.
A street clock located on Broadway Street designed by famous clock company E.
Howard & Co. out of Massachusetts.
CIVIC ASSETS
STEDMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DEXTER ST.
Stedman Elementary school was built in 1925 and designed by architect George L.
Bettcher as part of a 10-year plan to address growing school demand after World War I.
However, Stedman’s significant history lies not only in its construction as part of Denver
Public School’s expansion or its neoclassical architecture, but for its role in the Civil Rights
Movement and the landmark Supreme Court case Keyes V. School District Number
One, which struck down de facto segregation in the Denver school system. In the Keyes
case concerned parents sued the school system, arguing that Denver Public Schools had
implemented an unconstitutional policy of racial discrimination by operating a segregated
school system. As one of the schools segregated due to district practices, and located in
the Park Hill neighborhood that was active on this issue, Stedman Elementary was vandal
-
ized in 1970 by a pipe bomb. After the Keyes decision Denver was required to implement
busing for integration, which influenced Denver neighborhoods and schools until the late
1990s, and still today. Stedman represents the important role local schools played in the
fight for social and racial justice in Denver.
NATIONAL HUMANE ALLIANCE WATERING TROUGH, TREMONT PL. AND W COLFAX AVE.
This watering trough was presented by the National Humane Alliance to the city of
Denver in 1907. It was designed to provide a place for horses and other animals to have
access to clean water.
BENEDICT FOUNTAIN E TH AVE.
This fountain was dedicated by JB Benedict as a gift to the children of Denver for the
Christmas of 1932. It was designed to be a pool where children could enjoy wading and
sailing toy boats.
GARDEN PLACE ELEMENTARY LINCOLN ST.
Garden Place is one of Denver’s oldest continuously operating schools, having opened
its doors in old Globeville in 1904.
HALPRIN FOUNTAINS AT SKYLINE PARK TH ST.
Renowned landscape architect Lawrence Halprin designed Skyline Park during Denver’s
Skyline Urban Renewal project. It was redesigned in 2003, but only two fountains from
the original design remain.
WELLSHIRE INN S COLORADO BLVD.
The Tudor style Wellshire Inn was built in the 1920s to serve as the club house for a pri-
vate golf club. The city eventually acquired it, making the course public and the Wellshire
Inn is now an events center.
EISENHOWER PARK PICNIC PAVILION E DARTMOUTH AVE.
A unique park pavilion in the “modern” style, it is adjacent to the 1950s recreation center
in Eisenhower Park.
REMARKABLE RESIDENCES
IRVING P. ANDREWS HOUSE YORK ST.
Irving P. Andrews was a prolific and talented trial attorney in Denver with a career
spanning over four decades. He served as an ensign in the U.S. Navy before becom-
ing the first African American graduate of both Colorado College and the University of
Denver Law School. Andrews served on the legal team that won the landmark Brown
V. Board of Education Supreme Court case, which struck down school segregation. In
1963 he set up a law practice with U.S. District Judge John Kane. Andrews both lived
in and practiced law out of his Denver home from the 1970s until his retirement. Even
though he had an excellent reputation as an attorney, many office buildings would not
rent him space in downtown Denver due to racial discrimination. Andrews was awarded
the Jonathan Olom Award, the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar’s highest honor, and the
Anti-Defamation League’s Civil Rights Award.
JULIA GREELEY BOARDING HOUSE WALNUT ST.
While hard to recognize today,
this commercial building was
once the boarding house
of Julia Greeley, known as
Denver’s Angel of Charity in
the 1870s and 1880s. Greeley
had been enslaved until
Missouri’s Emancipation Act of
1865. Greeley came to Denver
in the 1870s and worked for
white families, giving all she
could to assist poor families in
her neighborhood. If her own
resources were not adequate,
she spent time begging for food,
fuel or clothing for those who needed it. Julia conducted most of her charitable work at
night to avoid embarrassing those she helped. She was also a member of the Catholic
Church and was known for her enthusiastic devotion. She became a member of the
Sacred Heart Parish in Denver in 1880 and joined the Secular Franciscan Order in 1901,
where she was active until her death in 1918. When she died, her body was laid out at
Loyola Chapel, located at 2536 Ogden St., and hundreds came to pay their respects.
BARNEY FORD HOUSE N HIGH ST.
Barney Ford lived in this residence on High Street. Ford had been enslaved, and after
moving west, became an influential and wealthy businessman in Colorado as well as a
figure in civil rights.
GEORGE MORRISON SR. RESIDENCE & WHITTIER HOMES BLOCK OF GILPIN ST.
This block of Gilpin Street contains a number of unique homes, including the residence
of George Morrison Sr., an influential jazz musician, and two houses designed by David
W. Dryden, an influential architect.
Lawrence Halprin Fountain, Skyline Park
HISTORIC DENVER INC.
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JUDGE RAYMOND JONES HOUSE STEELE ST.
The former home of Judge Raymond Jones, a Pueblo native who became the first African
American appellate judge in Colorado. Jones lived in the house for over forty years and
was a community leader, helping to found Cleo Park Robinson Dance, among other
achievements.
ALBERT WHITAKER HOUSE BRYANT ST.
Albert Whitaker was an influential businessman in early Denver. Whitaker and his
businesses associate Marcus “Brick” Pomeroy developed the town of Highland where
Whitaker served as mayor of the town before Highland was annexed into Denver.
ROBINSON HOUSE ALBION ST.
The Robinson House was constructed in 1889 in the John Cook Jr. addition on specula-
tion. It is the oldest extant house in the Park Hill Neighborhood.
FRANK EDBROOKE HOUSE E TH AVE.
The former house of influential architect Frank Edbrooke, who designed the Brown
Palace Hotel in downtown Denver as well as other notable landmarks.
MCDONOUGH RESIDENCE W TH AVE.
Constructed in 1910, this home is the earliest known work by famed architect J.B.
Benedict in Colorado.
FORMER GENDER IDENTITY CENTER W ND AVE.
This Victorian cottage was the Gender Identity Center from 1980-1993. During its
operation over 10,000 transgender people found resources and were welcomed by the
Center’s community.
ROSEDALE HOUSE S BANNOCK ST.
This 1887 Queen Anne home is one of the few remaining homes original to the former
town of Rosedale, in a development built by George Timmerman.
CULTURAL RESOURCES
THE GROVE, COLORADO AIDS MEMORIAL COMMONS PARK
Dedicated on August 12, 2000, The Grove is a memorial to Colorado victims of AIDS.
The memorial not only remembers those lost in the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and
1990s, but all those lost to the disease. The memorial is located between the Platte River
and Little Raven Street near 15th Street in Commons Park. It was dedicated as part of
the wishes of Doug McNeil, a Denver realtor who died of AIDS in 1993. McNeil wanted
a place in Denver where people could go and meditate on those lost, a quiet place.
McNeil’s idea was inspired by “The Grove” National AIDS memorial in San Franciso. His
wishes were realized seven years after his death due to laborious efforts of a group of
McNeil’s friends and supporters. The memorial was designed to be a space of reflection,
and a quiet spot as McNeil originally envisioned. In an effort to raise awareness of this
space and its meaning, The Grove was rededicated in 2016 but many are still unaware
of its existence or history.
DENVER’S CHINATOWN, LOWER DOWNTOWN
Denver’s once-thriving Chinatown was mostly destroyed in an 1880s Anti-Chinese
Riot, in which one Chinese American was killed. The Denver Asian American and
Pacific Islander Commission is working with community members to re-envision how
Chinatown’s story can be brought forward in today’s LoDo.
RIVERSIDE CEMETERY BRIGHTON BLVD.
Founded in 1876, Riverside is Denver’s oldest operating cemetery. More than 67,000
people are buried at the culturally significant site.
FORMER NAVAJO ART DISTRICT NAVAJO ST. & W TH AVE.
At one point the 3600 block of Navajo St. housed four art galleries along with the Bug
Theater. While many of the galleries and art-based businesses have moved to other
locations in Denver, this block remains significant as a place that cultivated a thriving
and influential art scene.
LITTLE ITALY OF DENVER MULTIPLE PROPERTIES, NORTH DENVER
North Denver was once home to sizeable Italian community and a part of it was once
referred to as “Little Italy”. The area has undergone considerable change, but many
commercial buildings, homes and sites associated with the Italian community remain.
LEGACY BUSINESSES
MY BROTHER’S BAR TH ST.
Heralded as the oldest bar in Denver, My Brother’s Bar has had many names through-
out the years but got its start back in 1873 as the Highland House. The Schlitz Brewing
Company owned it for a stint, and it has also been known as Whitie’s Restaurant and
the Platte Bar before it was renamed Paul’s Place. During this era, Neal Cassaday and
Jack Kerouac were frequent patrons. A letter from Cassady to a friend while he was in
the Colorado State Reformatory references an open tab he hoped his friend would pay.
That letter is framed on the wall inside the bar, accompanied by a picture of Kerouac
and Cassady. For the last forty years, this local watering hole was run by Angelo and Jim
Karagas as “My Brother’s Bar.” Now under new ownership, this iconic spot has no plans
to close and is a special part of Denver history.
LAKE STEAM BATHS W COLFAX AVE.
Founded in 1927 by Russian Jewish immigrants Harry and Ethyl Hyman, this “Turkish
bath” has served the Denver community for almost 100 years.
BAIL BOND CORNER ROUGHLY DELAWARE ST.
This row of houses near the corner of Delaware and 13th has housed a set of bail bond
businesses for decades, keeping the Queen Anne structures safe from demolition as the
area has changed.
EL CHAPULTEPEC MARKET ST.
The former site of El Chapultepec, a famous jazz club that operated in Denver for 87
years. Now under new ownership, the iconic spot looms large in Denver lore.
THE SHOPS AT EAST COLFAX & QUEBEC E. COLFAX AVE.
Home to small and local businesses, this one-story Art Deco commercial building is a
remnant of Denver’s streetcar history. A number of commercial buildings once served
the “Poplar Loop.”
HISTORIC DENVER NEWS
The AIDS Memorial Grove, Commons Park
HISTORIC DENVER INC.
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SUMMER 2021
MERCURY CAFÉ CALIFORNIA ST.
The Mercury Café has been a welcoming community space for people of all walks of life
for nearly 30 years.
BEN’S MARKET E TH AVE.
This neighborhood staple was built on a streetcar line and later operated by the Okubo
family for decades. The Okubos were interned at Camp Amache during World War II
and purchased this building to operate as a store after the war.
LA CASA DE MANUEL LARIMER ST.
La Casa De Manuel was founded in 1958 and is Denver’s oldest surviving Mexican eat-
ery. Though it is not in its original location on Larimer Street, a mural from the original
building was brought to the restaurant’s current location.
WELTON ST. CAFÉ WELTON ST.
The Welton St. Café has been a staple in the Five Points community since the 1970s. It
moved to its current location in 1999 and continues to serve the tasty island-inspired
southern food it is known for.
BASTIEN’S RESTAURANT E COLFAX AVE.
Constructed in 1958 on the former site of the Moon Drive Inn, Bastien’s restaurant is a
significant representation of the Googie style in Denver. The restaurant has been oper-
ated by the Bastien Family at the East Colfax site since 1937.
ICONIC ARCHITECTURE
SAKURA SQUARE TH STREET
Sakura Square was dedicated in 1973 and has been a downtown hub ever since. In 1966
the Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA) developed plans to demolish older parts
of the area now known as LoDo, which included the block where Sakura Square is locat-
ed. The Tri-State Buddhist Temple bought the block so that the Japanese community
could develop the culturally significant area themselves, rather than leaving it up to the
Urban Renewal Authority. They hired architect Bertram Bruton, one of Colorado’s first
licensed African American architects, to design the project. Included on the block with
the Buddhist temple is a residential high rise and commercial space. Bruton designed the
high rise, Tamai Tower, to include Asian-inspired motifs, with elements of the Brutalist
style in keeping with the Modern architecture of the Skyline Renewal project. The site
includes a garden plaza that honors key figures in Colorado’s Japanese American his-
tory. Sakura Square remains a cultural center for the Japanese American community and
helps to tell the story of the Japanese American experience in Denver.
MOORISH REVIVAL HOUSE BY GONZALEZ BROTHERS GLENCOE ST.
The home at 1585 was built in 1938 by Jose
and Ramon Gonzalez, brothers that served as
the designers and contractors for the unusual
home. The Gonzalez brothers studied printing,
photography, industrial art, and architecture at
the City College in Chihuahua, Mexico. They
were members of the same Gonzalez fam-
ily that owned and operated the Casa Mayan
Restaurant at 1020 9th Street in the Auraria
neighborhood, which became an important
artistic and cultural hub in Denver for the
Chicano community in the 1940s through the
early 1970s. Casa Mayan would eventually
close when the family was displaced by the
Auraria Higher Education Campus, but the
legacy of the Gonzalez brothers lives on in their
community impact, artwork and architecture.
This home is a perfect example. Borrowing
from both Moorish and Spanish influences,
they created a one of a kind house that features a parapet, stucco walls, Moorish win-
dows, terra cotta surrounds and elaborate features all around the exterior. This is a rare
example of this style of architecture on a residential structure in Denver.
CLIFF MAY HOMES HARVEY PARK
The Rocky Mountain Cliff May Homes are a development of 170 mid-century mod-
ern prefabricated and modular post-and-beam tract homes built between 1954-56 in
Denver’s Harvey Park Neighborhood. The homes were designed by California designer
Cliff May and architect Chris Choate. Cliff May Homes were built in several states,
Denver having the largest such tract outside of California. Locally, the Cliff May Homes
were built by D.C. Burns Realty & Trust, a home developer founded in 1899 that was
committed to building affordable homes for working families in the Denver area. D.C.
Burns was seen as an innovator in the industry. Burns also developed the adjacent tract
to the east, Burns-Brentwood, in the late 1940s. At the time the Cliff May Homes were
built, the firm was under the leadership of Franklin L. Burns, who was an influential home
builder, locally and nationally. Local realtor Atom Stevens has conducted significant
research on the history and design of the homes, which are gaining popularity as mid-
century modern architecture comes of age.
BIG TOP AUTO MART BUILDINGS VARIOUS LOCATIONS
Big Top Auto Mart was a former chain of auto stores built primarily in Denver in the late
1950s and 1960s. A number of these Googie style buildings have been reused for other
retail ventures, though some have been lost.
WHATLEY CHAPEL PONTIAC ST.
Located on the former Colorado Women’s campus, later Johnson and Wales University,
Whatley Chapel was designed by Stanley E. Morse and constructed in 1962 with stained
glass by French artist Gabriel Loire.
J. SOLF BUILDING BROOKLYN’S W COLFAX AVE.
Located on old West Colfax, the Brooklyn’s building is one of the last remaining buildings
of a long-time Jewish enclave, annexed into Denver in 1897. The building has been home
to the popular Original Brooklyn’s restaurant since 1983.
SHANGRILA S BELLAIRE ST.
This unique streamline modern style home was commissioned by Denver movie theater
magnate Harry E. Huffman and designed by Raymond Harry Ervin to be a replica of the
monastery in the 1937 novel Lost Horizon.
FIREHOUSE S BROADWAY AVE.
This firehouse was originally built in 1890 to serve the town of South Denver, but was
annexed into the City of Denver by 1900. This historic gem no longer serves as a fire-
house and is under private ownership.
ART MODERNE BUILDING CHAMPA ST.
A unique example of the Art Moderne style of building in Denver, located on Champa
Street near Broadway.
FORD MOTOR COMPANY S BROADWAY AVE.
Built in 1913 by the Ford Motor Company, this building was the company’s first plant
west of the Mississippi. The building was later purchased by the Gates Rubber Company
and eventually served as their corporate headquarters after a major renovation in 1980.
DENVER’S ROW OF PAINTED LADIES W TH AVE.
A collection of painted Queen Anne Style homes, often referred to as painted ladies, on
34th and Wyandot.
=
Cliff May homes in Harvey Park
HISTORIC DENVER NEWS
HISTORIC DENVER INC.
6
BLACK AMERICAN WEST MUSEUM WINDOW AND MASONRY
RESTORATION SHF PROJECT UPDATE
by Shannon Stage, Manager of Grants and Preservation Services
The restoration project at the Black American West Museum & Heritage Center
(BAWMHC) wrapped up last month. The BAWMHC is located at 3091 California Street,
in the historic Dr. Justina Ford House in Five Points. The project included the restoration
of the windows and masonry, and removing the paint to reveal the historic (and newly
restored!) brick facades. These restoration projects have breathed new life into the
building and the BAWMHC Board is excited to reopen the museum later this year. The
project is a partnership with the BAWMHC Board, Historic Denver, History Colorado’s
State Historical Fund as well as with the National Trust for Historic Preservation Partners
in Preservation grant.
CDOT BUYS BURNHAM YARD
In May the Colorado Department of Transportation announced its acquisition of the
Burnham Yards. Situated in an industrial corridor, near the S. Platte River and I-25, the
Burnham Yards operated as one of the city’s most significant rail yards for more than 150
years, first as the primary facility for the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, and much later
for Union Pacific, which acquired the D&RG. The use of the yards pre-dates Colorado
statehood, but Union Pacific closed the yards in 2016 and began seeking a buyer. C-DOT
has not announced specific plans for the land, but has indicated it will be used to help
solve a pinch-point on I-25 and for commuter rail, with the balance for development yet
to be determined.
Fortunately, many of the news reports also included details on the history of the yard
and the remaining “shops,” citing as a source Historic Denver’s 2017 report that compiled
much of the history and included an inventory of the buildings and site features. The full
report is available at www.historicdenver.org/current-issues.
As noted in the report, “The six surviving historic buildings and three historic site
features at Burnham Yards, and their associated relationships, create a highly unusual
and significant surviving industrial historic district in Denver.” The six contributing railroad
buildings date from at least 1901 to 1943, with additions through 1965, and were built
foremost as utilitarian industrial facilities to house the bustling activities of the D&RG/
D&RGW’s operations. The size and height of the 1901 Coach Shop, the 1924 Steel Car
Shop, and enormous 1924 Backshop all reflect their uses to construct, repair, and maintain
massive railroad equipment.
Historic Denver has advocated for the adaptive reuse of some of the buildings, and
even creative use of extant site features that tell the story of the place. It is an opportunity
to reconnect with the adjacent neighborhoods, like La Alma Lincoln Park, that once
provided laborers to Burnham Yard, weaving a piece of the city back together. The
historic buildings can help inform and compliment new development and uses, including
passenger rail, and evoke the important history of this place.
CHUN’S TEARSMCFARLANE HOUSE ENTERS NEW ERA
Earlier this summer Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, City Street Investors and
Semple Brown Design announced big plans for the historic Tears-McFarlane Mansion, the
non-profit’s longtime home, Denver Landmark, and Historic Denver easement property.
The project is part of a non-profit/private partnership between CHUN and City Street
Investors.
“The Tears-McFarlane Mansion will be transformed into a space that captures the
spirit of Cheesman Park, the people who live in the surrounding neighborhoods and
visitors who want to enjoy part of Denver’s history,” said Travis Leiker, President and
Executive Director of Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods (CHUN). “CHUN is thrilled
to work with Semple Brown Design and City Street Investors—two firms perfecting
adaptive reuse of historic properties and customized placemaking in many of Denver’s
neighborhoods.”
As the first step in the eventual full renovation of the historic mansion, Semple Brown
has designed a new café in the style of a conservatory that will replace the 1980s “Annex”
that sits adjacent to the historic home. The new building will include a place to enjoy
coffee and pastries, a healthy lunch, or a glass of wine with a casual dinner. The renovation
of the historic Tears-McFarlane Mansion will feature important upgrades with the goal of
providing updated interior spaces that allow others to gather or meet on the main and
lower levels. Historic Denver and the Denver Landmark Commission have reviewed and
approved the plans for the Annex and will remain engaged as the renovation continues.
Work on the mansion is anticipated to begin later this year.
HOME OF RAYMOND D. JONES INCLUDED IN PROPOSED NEW
HISTORIC DISTRICT
Residents of the east side of the 600 and 700 blocks of Steele Street in Congress Park
are pursuing recognition as Denver’s 58th historic district this fall. The proposed new
district is immediately adjacent to the existing boundary of the East 7th Avenue Historic
District, and includes 19 homes, mostly in the Bungalow style. The one exception is also
the blocks’ most notable historic residence as the long-time home of Judge Raymond D.
Jones. Jones was the first African American appointed to the appellate court in Colorado
and had a long and notable career in law. He was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado,
graduating as class president at Pueblo South before attending Colorado College and
PRESERVATION
BRIEFS
Board members of the Black American West Museum & Heritage Center in front of the restored building.
Photo: Shannon Schaefer Stage
Tears McFarlane House, a Historic Denver easement property
The Coach shop, likely the oldest extant building at Burnham Yards.
SUMMER 2021
HISTORIC DENVER INC.
7
CURTIS STREET
HOME, GARDEN
AND
WALKING TOUR
In 1870, the year the railroad arrived in Denver, the population of the city was 4,759.
Twenty years later, its population was 106,713, a growth rate that one historian says was
“faster than that of any other city in the country.” Needless to say, as sure as thunder
follows lightning, there was a building boom following the population explosion needed
to provide the city’s burgeoning population with places to live. Along the streets of the
original townsite that had been pushed out onto the treeless prairie that surrounded the
city — notably California, Stout, Champa, Curtis, and Arapahoe — there arose hundreds
of houses built in the colorful styles of the late Nineteenth Century.
The largest period of growth for Curtis Park was between the arrival of the railroad
in 1870 and the Silver Crash in 1893. For this reason, many of the homes in Curtis Park
were constructed between 1885-1890, making it one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.
Common architectural styles in the neighborhood include Italianate and Queen Anne. Due
to the efforts of early preservation proponents, over 500 houses in the neighborhood are
protected by the Curtis Park Historic District.
To celebrate the history of Curtis Park, the Curtis Park Neighbors and Historic Denver
are partnering to present a house tour on September 18th and 19th from 10am to 3pm.
The 8 houses that will be open for the house tour represent a sampling of Curtis Park’s
riches, and offer a unique opportunity to explore both the interior and exterior of these
historic homes.
=
Harvard Law School, where he was also class
president. Jones returned to Colorado in the
early 1970s and while clerking for a Colorado
Supreme Court Justice he purchased the Denver
Square at 780 Steele. Jones was very intentional
in his choice of home and location, having been
told that Congress Park, and particularly E. 7th
Avenue, was the most desirable spot in the city.
Jones, now retired, recounted the discrimination
he faced as a Black attorney in those years, as
well as the harassment dealt by members of
the Denver Police force when he first moved
into his longtime home. Jones was a fixture
on the block for more than forty years, finally
selling the home in 2017. During those years he
was also influential in civic and philanthropic
endeavors, helping to found the Cleo Parker
Robinson Dance company.
The other homes on the block have notable
histories as well, including the owners of Swenson Motors, an early auto company in
downtown Denver, and the owners of a well-known furniture business. The homes are
also excellent examples of the bungalow style, all built between 1912 and 1924 and
the block retains very high integrity, reflecting the City Beautiful concepts that shaped
its development, with gracious sidewalks, the classic “Denver Hill,” street-trees and
consistent open porches that have long encouraged neighborliness.
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SEPTEMBER OCTOBER
Historic Denver is pleased to collaborate this year with Doors
Open Denver. Enjoy a virtual tour of the Daniels and Fisher
Clock Tower with our guides Robert Ehmann and Diane Travis.
We also collaborated to feature a virtual tour of the newly
landmarked Bitman-Hower House. The event runs from
September 27 - October 17, and offers a combination of virtual
and in-person tours.
Visit denverarchitecture.org to learn more.
HISTORIC DENVER NEWS
HISTORIC DENVER INC.
8
MOLLY BROWN
HOUSE MUSEUM
NEW NATIONAL VOTES FOR WOMEN
TRAIL MARKER AT THE MOLLY BROWN
HOUSE MUSEUM
D
uring her summer 1914 campaign for U.S. Senate, Margaret Brown
remarked to a reporter that, “Our men out in Colorado do not question
our right to vote. They realize our right to have a speaking part in the
affairs of the country in which we, as well as they, must live.” Margaret
Brown’s firm belief in the right to access the ballot was shared by scores
of women involved in state-by-state and national suffrage battles to enfranchise half of
the population. Today we acknowledge that, while the 19th Amendment did finally give
women the right to vote, women of color were still denied access well into the 1960s.
And today we still see restrictive voting bills continuing to be passed and access to the
polls difficult at best for segments of the population.
This National Votes for Women Trail Marker, made possible by the National
Collaborative for Women’s History Sites and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, not
only honors Margaret Brown’s contribution to equality and representation, it puts Denver
on the map as a state pivotal to achieving the
passage of the 19th amendment. This marker
can also remind each and every visitor and
passerby that there is still work to be done and
we cannot take our American democracy for
granted. Margaret Brown can inspire us all to
participate in civic life when she says, “I believe
that to be happy one must serve humanity.”
Sponsored by the National Collaborative
for Women’s History Sites, the National Votes
for Women Trail, as stated on their website,
seeks to recognize and celebrate the enormous
diversity of people and groups active in the
struggle for women’s suffrage. The Trail consists
of a database with digital map and a program
of historical markers for about 250 women’s
suffrage sites across the country, funded by
the William G. Pomeroy Foundation and
the federal Women’s Suffrage Centennial
Commission.
Since 2006, when Bill Pomeroy established
the Foundation’s first marker program, they
have awarded more than 1,400 grants for
roadside markers and plaques nationwide to
help educate the public, encourage pride of
place, and promote historic tourism. Deryn
Pomeroy, Trustee at The William G. Pomeroy
Foundation shared that:
“Denver joins a select group from across the
United States with Pomeroy Foundation funded
markers. These markers are well-researched
with primary sources reviewed by professional
historians. That is what sets your marker apart
and makes it the gold standard of historic
markers. The Pomeroy Foundation is proud
to help you preserve the legacy of women’s
suffrage in Colorado. We know this marker will ensure the contributions and legacy of
Molly Brown will be celebrated for generations to come.”
Through crowd-sourcing, the database and digital map collects sites from all over
our country to tell the story of suffrage for all women, of all ethnicities, classes, and
geographic areas, from the colonial period to the present. The National Votes for Women
Trail currently has over 2,100 sites on its database. In partnership with The William
G. Pomeroy Foundation and the federal Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission,
the National Votes for Women Trail also promotes a program of historical markers to
commemorate the people, places, and events important to passage of the Nineteenth
amendment in 1920. These markers are based on extensive research in primary sources
and represent the diversity of places, events, and people of the suffrage struggle.
During the summer of 1914, suffrage leaders, including Brown, gathered from across
the U.S. for a “Conference of Great Women,” held at the Newport, RI home of Alva
Belmont. Notable leaders in social reform attended, including Senator Helen Robinson
from Colorado, who stayed with Brown, and the Duchess of Marlborough, Belmont’s
daughter. Brown hosted several events and speeches by friend Judge Ben Lindsey.
Competing approaches split suffragists between the National American Women’s
Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and the Congressional Union (CU). Alice Paul and Lucy
Burns’ CU followed the British approach to “punish the party in power” by ousting all
Democrats in the forthcoming election for not supporting suffrage. Coupled with CU
meetings, the “Marble House” conference solidified the decision to agitate for a
constitutional amendment by flipping congressional seats. Despite Colorado Senator
Charles Thomas being pro-suffrage, he served as chairman of the Committee on Woman
Suffrage, this “punish the party in power” tactic meant that as a Democrat his seat too
was being eyed by the CU.
One appealing candidate came to many minds, Mrs. James J. Brown of Denver.
Brown had been in the news all spring of 1914 for her offer to lead a regiment of fighting
women in the impending war with Mexico, then for responding to the miner’s strike that
had turned deadly in southern Colorado. CU leaders and friends Judge Lindsey, Senator
Robinson, and Belmont, as well as many in Colorado, New York, and Rhode Island
supported her run for Senate.
Brown campaigned on the mine labor issues and a need for improved conditions and
better pay. When asked if she could win as a woman candidate, Brown stated, “If I go into
this fight I am going to win. There will be no mincing matters- no pink tea policies. It will
be a regular man’s kind of campaign, stump speaking, spread-eagle and all.”
Ultimately, Brown dropped her bid in the
fall of 1914. With the Bristow-Mondell and
Shafroth-Palmer bills up for vote, she decided
to not upset the applecart back in Colorado.
And, with the onset of World War I, her desire
to aid the Red Cross became undeniable, so she
volunteered for the Ambulance Corps in France.
Brown’s Senate run and direct involvement in
Marble House and the Congressional Union
meetings demonstrate the role western women
played in the passage of the 19th Amendment.
For the Votes for Women Trail, each state
has a coordinator who works with local people
to research sites significant to the story of
women’s suffrage at the national or statewide
level. Markers represent the geographic, ethnic,
class, religious, and gender diversity of the
suffrage movement in each state. All marker
nominations must be approved by coordinators
for each state, by the National Votes for Women
Trail’s scholarly advisory committee, and by the
Pomeroy Foundation. Here in Colorado, that
post is being filled by Jillian Allison, Director
of the Center for Colorado Women’s History
who also served on the Colorado Centennial
Vote Commission, created by outgoing
Governor John Hickenlooper and Lieutenant
Governor Donna Lynne in advance of 2020
commemorations.
Anchoring the story of women’s suffrage in
specific historic sites brings to life the enormous
grassroots commitment all across this country
to voting rights for women as citizens of the
United States. Women’s suffrage was indeed a
national struggle, part of the ongoing struggle
for voting rights for all U.S. citizens, including
African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos/as, indigenous people, people from farms
as well as cities, rich as well as middle class and working class, people of all religions,
men as well as women. By honoring the work of hundreds of thousands of participants
in the movement for women’s suffrage, this project shows how social change happens
through citizen action and inspires future generations to treasure their right to vote.
=
LEARN MORE
Information about the National Votes for Women Trail was pulled
from the National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites website
which you can explore here: ncwhs.org/votes-for-women-trail-2/
Learn more about the William G. Pomeroy Foundation’s national
historic marker program here: wgpfoundation.org/
Museum Director Andrea Malcomb, Historic Denver Board Chair Stockton Baker, Long-serving
volunteer Pamela Mahonchak, and Executive Director Annie Levinsky.
SUMMER 2021
HISTORIC DENVER INC.
9
VAGABOND HOUSE
5120 Quitman Street // Regis Neighborhood
This brick Tudor-style
home at 5120 Quitman Street
was built in the mid-1930s for
real-life Indiana Jones-style
adventurers Roy and Verona
“Brownie” Adams. Brownie’s
parents founded the Pure Foods
Manufacturing Company,
based in Denver, which sold
jams and jellies to retail stores
including the Morey Mercantile
Company and Safeway. Roy
Adams served as secretary
and treasurer of Pure Foods
beginning in the mid-1930s,
around the time this house was
constructed.
The Adams named their
home Vagabond House. The couple loved to travel, and after Roy’s retirement spent the
following decades traveling the world, making films, and photographing sacred sites. They
periodically returned to the U.S. where they gave lectures on their experiences. In 1964,
a book was written about them by acclaimed author Dawn Langley Simmons. The book
was called “Dear Vagabonds: The Story of Roy and Brownie Adams.”
THE STUDEBAKER BUILDING
1156 Broadway Avenue // West Capitol Hill Neighborhood
Frank C. Cullen
built the three-
story commercial
building at 1156
Broadway in 1921
as
the Automobile
Sales Corporation,
a Studebaker
dealership. This
temple to the
automobile was
designed by
architect J.B. Hyder
and included a
concrete viaduct
that connected the
rear of the building’s second floor to an entrance on Lincoln Street. At its opening,
reporters marveled at the engineering of the roof, which was constructed so that it
required no interior supports. Four years later, Cullen built the Cullen-Thompson Chrysler
dealership at 1000 Broadway. The Cullen-Thompson Building later became known as the
“Sports Castle.” 1156 Broadway was home to a number of auto dealerships through the
years, including Marcus Motors, Capital Chevrolet, and Russ Vento Chevrolet. In 1978
a furniture dealer, Howard Lorton Galleries, purchased the building. Howard Lorton
president Bill Cook, a trained architect, worked with California-based architect Jim
Bischoff to design a modern addition to the old dealership, insisting that the addition
meld into the existing one. Howard Lorton Galleries are still the owners and occupants
of these buildings.
SPIVAK INSTITUTE
1456 Lowell Boulevard // West Colfax Neighborhood
The one-story red brick
building at 1456 Lowell
Boulevard was constructed in
1935 by the local branch of
the Arbeiter Ring (Workmen’s
Circle), a fraternal organization
for socialist secular Jews.
The building was dedicated
as the Dr. Charles D. Spivak
Educational Institute in honor
of the nationally-renowned
physician, humanitarian,
author, and the prominent
leader in Denver’s Jewish
community who passed away
in 1927. Spivak was one of
the founders of the Jewish
Consumptive Relief Society (JCRS) in 1904. The Spivak Institute celebrated Jewish
culture by hosting lectures, classes, plays and art and science events, meant to inspire
a
sense of pride in the community. The building included a library comprised of books that
had once belonged to Dr. Spivak himself. The institute closed its doors in 1961, and after
brief ownership by the Beth Israel Hospital & Home Society, was sold to the International
Church of the Foursquare Gospel. Today, it continues to be home to a church.
=
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
DISCOVER DENVER AND HOW TO
GET INVOLVED?
Check out the project website at discoverdenver.co.
Historic preservation and sustainability are
natural partners. The preservation and reuse
of existing buildings and retrofitting them to be
“green” reaches for new heights of fiscal and
environmental responsibility.
Daria Castiglione
Castle Lion Development, LLC
Historic Preservationist • General Contractor • Certified Passive House Tradesperson
Daria Castiglione
CASTLE LION DEVELOPMENT, LLC
303.587.5471
Daria@CastleLionDevelopment.com
1251 Pennsylvania St, #2
Denver, CO 80203
Celebrating
50 Years
of the nest quality stonework, hand crafted
by Haddonstone
Call 866 733 8225 Visit haddonstone.com
DISCOVER DENVER
Discover Denver is a citywide building survey focused on identifying the buildings that help tell Denver’s story. While
the histories of some of the city’s buildings are well known, most have stories still waiting to be discovered. The
following are a few of the interesting buildings documented by Discover Denver in its recent survey areas.
10
HISTORIC PROPERTIES deserve an EXPERT
Casey Miller 720.201.2755
casey.miller@sothebysrealty.com
CaseyMillerProperties.com
CASEY MILLER
DENVER’S HISTORIC HOME EXPERT
Successfully Selling Denver’s Historic Homes
Pictured Above: The Richthofen Castle in Montclair, Sold by Casey in 2012.
HISTORIC DENVER INC.
HISTORIC DENVER NEWS
O
ur volunteer spotlight this edition is focused on Steph MacCarter. Steph
began volunteering at the Molly Brown House Museum in 2003. During
her 18 years with our organization, she has served in almost every role
imaginable. She has guided tours of the house, worked with school groups,
assisted at events like our Titanic Dinners and Victorian Horrors, greeted
guests, and worked on our archives.
Her most recent work is a major accomplishment. This July, after eight years of effort
on the project, Steph completed digitizing the Molly Brown House Museum archives.
Since volunteering to help she has digitized over 14 file boxes, each with approximately 60
folders, which now live in a digital format on our server and can be made more accessible
to staff and researchers.
The boxes contained house history and restoration archives such as work plans for
the second floor bedroom restoration and invoices for carpeting and drapery. They also
included events and exhibits archives such as old museum brochures and photographs of
past events like Victorian Horrors and teas. There were also documents and photographs
from other institutions’ archives, such as copies of Brown family archives from Denver
Public Library and History Colorado Center. This is the kind of work that can often seem
mundane; can definitely feel tedious; but is absolutely invaluable for the museum and
future researchers.
You can also view Steph’s handiwork as a part of our current exhibit, Looking Forward/
Looking Back, on display through September 19, 2021. Due to her longevity with the
museum and her intimate knowledge of the archives, Steph was the perfect person to pull
together the massive volunteer collage that can be viewed in the 3rd floor exhibit space at
the museum. The collage features volunteers going back to the very founding of Historic
Denver 50 years ago. Steph’s reflections on being a part of Historic Denver’s Molly Brown
House Museum can be seen nearby.
Historic Denver has always depended on our volunteers. Without them it would have
been impossible to imagine the Molly Brown House Museum thriving as it does today,
or that Historic Denver would have grown into the trusted resource for local historic
preservation concerns. Steph is a prime example of the dedication and time our volunteers
give to the organization. It would be impossible to overstate their importance to our past
and continued success.
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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT:
STEPH MACCARTER
Proud supporters of Historic Denver.
2490 Welton St
•
720.457.2012
•
CRAINEARCH.COM
1850 S. Platte, Denver, CO 80202 • 303.474.5000 kirkpatrickbank.com
CONGRATULATIONS
HISTORIC DENVER
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS
OF MAKING HISTORY
11
HISTORIC DENVER INC.
SUPPORT HISTORIC DENVER
MOLLY BROWN HOUSE MUSEUM
THROUGH THE FOLLOWING MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS:
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YEARLY MEMBERSHIP
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■
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■
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Please make all checks payable to Historic Denver, Inc.
Historic Denver is a 501c3 organization and a portion of your contribution is tax deductible.
Please visit historicdenver.org/support to learn about the benefits at each membership level.
Thank You
ank you to these generous donors for giving in the last quarter of the year.
We appreciate everyone who supported our 50th Anniversary, who gave at the end of the year,
and more. We can’t do this work without you!
Donations from April 15 to August 6, 2021
SUMMER 2021
rmdesignconst.com 303.646.3461
Paul Aaker
Amy Alleman
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Paul Books
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Greg Caruthers and Allen Metzger
Mary Chandler
Leah Charney
Jachouri Chirdon
Nathan Church
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Stacy Coleman
Mae Cosgrove
Michael Coughlin
Nate Cougill
CJ Cullinan
Michael Dabney
Gayle Deane
Janet DeBell
Ray and Pat Defa
Karen Desserich
Thomas DeVita
Jeanne Dillon
Angela Dire
James Dosen
Anne Duncan
Jenni Dyman
Karen Easterling
Carolyn Elliott
Lynn Emery
Linda Erickson
David Erickson
Christopher Erskine
Kenneth and Phyllis Eveleigh
Josephine Fairbanks
Ruth Falkenberg
John and Joan Feek
Bonnie Fegan
George Fegan
Mona and John Ferrugia
Mira Fine
Stacy Fischer
JoVonne and Jerry Fitzgerald
Jennifer Frenkel
Amanda Gansfield
Ginny Gelbach
Elizabeth Eaton
Tracy Gibbs
Casandra Gibbs
Matt Goebel
Jordan Gortmaker
Patricia Goward
Nancy Graham
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Diane and George Gustafson
Tim and Samantha Hagan
Mary Halpin
Dennis Hamann and
Thomas Hawkey
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Helen and Timothy Harding
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Hon. Adam Espinosa and Ashley
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Robert E. Musgraves and Joan H.
Prusse
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Dave Ruterbories
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Robinson Saks
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P.B. Schechter and
Naomi Reshotko
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James Schoettler
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Betsy Shepardson
Carl Shushan and Sandi Hill
Rhonda Skallan
Jill Smyth
Beate C. Speer
Joanne Spitz and John Dee
Peggy Stafford
Marilyn Starrett
Phil Sterritt
Michelle Stice
Peg Clover Stipek
Jim and Barbara Steely
Rosemary Stoffel
Pamela Story-Staker and
Lonnie Staker
John and Kristina Stowell
Shane Sutherland
Ean Tafoya
Mary Ann Tavery
Mike Theriot
Carolyn Thomson
Ron Thorne
John Coniff and Wayne Thrash
Judy and Larry Trompeter
Judy Trompeter
Christina and Victoria Trujillo
and John Oemig
Mark Upshaw
Warren Volz
Jennifer and Ryne Wahlers
Laura Waligorski
William Wall
Bill and Marlene Wenk
Susan Wessels
Bruce Wessels
William West
Bill Westheimer and
Lisa Gowlewski
Bill & Lisa Westheimer
Lyn W. Wickelgren
Joseph and Barbara Wilcox
Diane Wolfert
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Max Young
Carl Youngblood
Kim Grant and Mira Zevin
HISTORIC DENVER NEWS FEBRUARY - MARCH 2016
HISTORIC DENVER INC.
12
HISTORIC DENVER NEWS
CALENDAR OF
EVENTS
To purchase tickets to upcoming events visit:
historicdenver.org
Empowered by Place: Five
Points Historic Cultural District
September 2 ✢ 7pm to 8:30pm ✢
Free
Join us as we explore the history and
evolution of the Five Points Historic Cultural
District with Terry Nelson, Senior Special
Collection and Community Resource
Manager Blair-Caldwell African American
Research Library. We’ll discuss what such a
designation means as well as the impact it
has had on the neighborhood.
Homeschool Day: J.J.’s Story
September 14 ✢ 9:30-11:30; 11:30-
1:30; 2:30-4:30 ✢ $12 per child ✢
$5 per adult (one adult is free)
We all know about Margaret “Molly”
Brown, but what about her husband JJ?
Learn about JJ’s life in the mine industry,
the history of mining in Colorado, and how
mineral wealth changed the Brown’s future
forever.
1340 Penn/After Hours:
TheScrapbookin’ Lawman
September 16 ✢ 7pm
$17/non-member ✢ $15/member
He was the fastest scrapbookin’ lawman
in the West! Well, at least the first. Sam
Howe made order out of criminal chaos
and mayhem, tracking crimes and their
perpetrators through notes, photos,
and newspaper articles, all compiled in
scrapbooks, an early predecessor to rap
sheets. Meet the man himself, and one or
two of the criminals he was able to stop.
Girl Scout Cream Tea
September 18 ✢ 1pm and 3pm
Join us for a Girl Scout Cream Tea! Enjoy
a guided tour of the house followed by tea.
Scouts will also take home a goody bag
with a special Molly Brown House Museum
patch! $20 for scouts and adults. Email
education@mollybrown.org to register
Curtis Park Home Tour
September 18 and 19 ✢ 10am to 3pm
$25/non-member ✢ $20/member
Many of the homes in Curtis Park were
built between 1885 to 1890, and it is
considered Denver’s first streetcar suburb.
The Curtis Park Neighborhood group has
organized so that we will enjoy the interiors
and exteriors of several historic homes on
either Saturday September 18th from 10am
to 3pm or Sunday September 19th from
10am to 3pm
Landscape of Market Street
Madam,Denver’s Red-Light
DistrictWalking Tour
September 25 ✢ 6-7pm
$21/non-member ✢ $17/member
Join us for a walk through Denver’s
former Red Light District with the
author of Market Street Madam, Randi
Samuelson-Brown. She will talk about the
industry’s past in Denver and explore the
buildings that were part of this story.
Doors Open Denver
September 27 - October 17
Enjoy a virtual tour of the Daniels and
Fisher Clock Tower with our guides
Robert Ehmann and Diane Travis. We also
collaborated to feature a virtual tour of the
newly landmarked Bitman-Hower House.
More info at www.denverarchitecture.org
Community Book Club
October 3 ✢ 12:30-2
Join the Center for Colorado Women’s
History and the Molly Brown House
Museum online for a collaborative book
club hosted by two treasured Denver
house museums. For our fifth meeting in
2021, we will read and discuss The Girl
Who Dared to Defy: Jane Street and the Rebel
Maids of Denver by Jane Little Botkin. We
hope you can join us online. Please register
for our free book club here: https://bit.ly/
housemuseumbookclub
Architecture of a Haunted
House
October 7 ✢ 7-8pm
$10/non-member ✢ Free for members
When you imagine a haunted house, what
do you see? A Mansard roof? A widow’s
walk? Join us as we investigate architecture
types, styles, and features common in
depictions of haunted houses. We’ll also
explore how and why haunted houses began
to look a certain way in popular culture. This
virtual evening will be paired with a driving
map, so that you can motor about on a
moonlit night and find these classic styles
among Denver’s historic homes.
Victorian Horrors
October 14, 15, 16, 21*, 22*, 23, 28, 29,
and 30 ✢ Entry times from 6-9 pm
✢ $20/non-member ✢ $18/member
“ I have love in me the likes of which you
can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of
which you would not believe. If I cannot
satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.”
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
The ghosts of Victorian Horrors past
are rising as we return to an evening of
“in-person” visits from both the spirit and
mortal worlds. Join us in creeping from
room to room hearing tales directly from
gothic greats. We’ll be limiting group
size for each entry allowing for a more
meaningful communion with the departed.
*Special accessible shows at 6pm on these nights.
Historic Denver Annual Dinner
& Awards Program
October 28 ✢ 5:30-9:00pm
$195/individual ticket
$250 Patron Ticket
Sponsorships Starting at $3,000
Back at the Brown Palace for the 51st
time, Historic Denver will celebrate the
individuals and preservation projects that
make historic places succeed in the 21st
century. The evening includes a popular
cocktail hour, followed by a three-course
dinner, award presentation, and live auction.
Tickets and sponsorships now on sale.
Transforming Urban Places
Hotel Teatro: Best Project of the 1990’s
Historic Denver Awards 50
th
Anniversary Retrospective
