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DENVER CITY & COUNTY (D-E) |
DDANIELS & FISHER TOWER Designed by Frederick J. Sterner and George H. Williamson as part of the 1911 Daniels and Fisher dry goods store building, the 21-story Renaissance Revival style tower is all that remains of the popular five-story retail establishment. The building was demolished during the Skyline Urban Renewal Project of the 1970s. This Denver icon, modeled after the Campanile of St. Mark’s in Venice, has a steel skeleton faced with blond brick and extensive terracotta trim. The upper portion of the tower features an arcaded observation deck, a 16-foot diameter Seth-Thomas clock, and a bell weighing more than two tons. A rehabilitation of the 32-foot-square tower resulted in sixteen floors being made available for office tenants. The property is associated with the Historic Resources of Downtown Denver Multiple Property Submission. DELANEY CARRIAGE COMPANY BUILDING The 1901-02 Delaney Carriage Company Building is a rare surviving example of a former carriage fabrication and repair facility which later housed an automotive-related manufacturing firm. The building, with its truncated corner and reoriented facade, is a visual reminder of the extension of Broadway north from 20th Avenue which was completed in the early 1920s. DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD BAGGAGE-EXPRESS CAR NO.
732 The 1910 Baggage-Express Car provided baggage and express freight service as part of scheduled passenger train service. It is the only known surviving car of the 700-series and the only baggage-express car built specifically for the Rio Grande still in existence. DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD BAGGAGE-RAILWAY POST OFFICE
CAR The sole survivor of its type, the 1930 Baggage-Railway Post Office Car is one of the last of three to operate on the D&RGW until the end of rail mail service in 1967. DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD BOOM CAR RGX-3337 The car functioned with D&RGW Derrick No. 027 from circa 1957 until 1997. The D&RGW’s Salt Lake City car shops created the car by refitting an elegant business car to perform maintenance-of-way functions. The reuse of retired rolling stock, modified to meet non-revenue needs, typifies a pattern of business operation found on the D&RGW and other railroads across the state. DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD BULKHEAD FLATCAR NO. 22488 
The 1960 rail car is a rare surviving example of a standard gauge, 50-ton bulkhead flatcar. Used to carry pipe, lumber, dry wall, and other long dimension loads, No. 22488 is of a freight car type important to the operation of the Rio Grande Railroad during the later part of the 20th century. The car’s nearly forty-year record of continuous service demonstrates the success of its design and manufacture. (Photograph 2006) DENVER AND RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD COVERED HOPPER NO. 18387 Designed to transport dry powdered materials, such as grain and cement, the 1949 car dates from a period when railroads and freight car manufacturers experimented with the relatively new car type in an effort to create an efficient and effective design. The car played an important role in transporting cement from the manufacturing plant in Portland, Colorado to various locations throughout the state. DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD DERRICK BLOCKING AND TRUCK
CAR 
D&RGW Railroad Derrick Blocking and Truck Car No. X-3317 is important as a representative type of railroad maintenance-of-way rolling stock. The 1951 car, modified from a circa 1930 boxcar, carried replacement wheel sets, or trucks, to the site of train derailments and wrecks. It operated in conjunction with other maintenance-of-way cars as part of a derrick work train. DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD DERRICK NO. 027 Built in 1923, the derrick operated for over 70 years as the centerpiece of work trains throughout the Rio Grande rail system. A rare surviving example of special purpose railroad car, the derrick was designed to meet the D&RGW’s need for heavy lifting capability deliverable by rail. DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD DINER-KITCHEN-SLEEPER
RGX-3274 Starting its life as a diner, the D&RGW’s Burham Shops refitted the retired car to perform maintenance-of-way functions. In service from 1952 until 1997, it operated with D&RGW Derrick No. 027 when the derrick was stationed in Denver. DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD DINING CAR MT. MASSIVE The 1910 car, extensively rebuilt in 1936, provided dining and lounge car service throughout the Rio Grande system from 1910 until its retirement in 1961. The success of the redesign and operation of the car is borne out by its nearly three decades of revenue service after 1936. DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD HOPPER NO. 14718 
The 1966 rail car is a rare surviving example of a standard gauge, open top, triple-bay, 70-ton hopper car. Used to carry coal, limestone, dolomite and other bulk materials not requiring weather protection, the 70-ton hopper is a freight car type important to the operation of the Rio Grande Railroad during the later part of the 20th century. The car’s forty-years of continuous service demonstrate the success of its design and manufacture. (Photograph 2006) DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE NO. 3006 Locomotive No. 3006 is a rare surviving example of a second-generation diesel road switcher that remains in near original operating condition. General Motors Corporation constructed the locomotive in 1962 as part of its GP-30 series. The D&RGW used No. 3006, along with its other GP-30s, throughout Colorado for all types of rail service, including both passenger and freight operations. While not the last GP-30 to be retired in the late 1990s, No. 3006 was the last GP-30 to be sold by the D&RGW’s successor company, the Union Pacific Railroad. DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD MAINTENANCE-OF WAY CAR
RGAX-60283 The D&RGW’s Burnham Shops in Denver converted a retired 1939 automobile boxcar for maintenance-of-way functions. As RGAX-60283, it served from circa 1975 until 1997. The car retains its 1939 exterior appearance and is a rare surviving example of a special purpose work train car designed to transport tools and equipment. DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD TOOL CAR RGX-3327 Operating as a tool car from 1952 until 1997, RGX-3327 was dispatched with D&RGW’s Diner-Kitchen-Sleeper RGX-3274 to serve with Derrick No. 027 when it was stationed in Denver. The car was refitted from a 1914 combination baggage and mail car by the D&RGW’s Burnham Shops. DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD TRACK PANEL CAR NO. AX-3214 
D&RGW Railroad Track Panel Car No. AX-3214 is important as a representative type of railroad maintenance-of-way rolling stock. The 1967 car, modified from a 1944 flat car, carried prefabricated railroad track panels to the site of train derailments and wrecks. The car operated in conjunction with other maintenance-of-way cars as part of a derrick work train. DENVER & SALT LAKE RAILWAY DERRICK NO. 10300 
Originally operated as the centerpiece of work trains involved in cleaning up derailments and wrecks throughout the Denver & Salt Lake Railway’s system, the 1913 derrick played a key role in maintaining the Continental Divide crossing at Corona (Rollins) Pass. In service for nearly 75 years, it survives as an important example of a special purpose car designed to meet the need for heavy lifting capability deliverable by rail. Examples of intact steam-powered derricks are extremely rare, and No. 10300’s significance is enhanced by its being in near "as-built" condition. DENVER ATHLETIC CLUB Constructed in 1889, the original six-story building, of rough-faced pink sandstone and red brick, was designed by Varian and Sterner. A 1924 addition, facing Glenarm appears as an integral part of the original building, and a modern athletic facility toward the south dates from 1972. Organized in 1884, the still active club played an important local role in the development of organized athletics and as a prominent early social organization in the Denver area. DENVER CITY CABLE RAILWAY BUILDING/TRAMWAY CABLE BUILDING (Spaghetti
Factory) The two-story red brick building was constructed in 1889 to house the operations of the Denver City Cable Railway Company. Incorporated in 1888, by the early 1890s the company had thirty miles of cable railway running through Denver business and residential areas. Soon displaced by electric street cars, the last Denver cable car ran in 1900. The Romanesque Revival style building features intricate brickwork and numerous semicircular arches. A tall polygonal chimney rises above the flat roof. The property is associated with the Historic Resources of Downtown Denver Multiple Property Submission. DENVER CITY RAILWAY COMPANY BUILDING (Sheridan Heritage) The four-story red brick commercial building was constructed as a car barn and horse stable for the Denver City Railway Company. Located across the street from Union Station, the 1883 building served as the main terminus for Denver’s first public mass transit system until 1892, by which time cable and electric car systems had emerged. The 17th Street facade was subsequently redesigned by Baerresen Brothers. From 1902 to 1972 the building housed the Hendrie and Bolthoff Manufacturing and Supply Company, suppliers of heavy mining equipment throughout the United States. DENVER DRY GOODS COMPANY BUILDING Frank E. Edbrooke is credited with the design of the numerous components making up this massive red brick commercial building, which extends along California Street between 16th and 15th streets. Between 1888-1924, the original three-story building grew along with one of Denver’s most successful retail operations. Founded as the McNamara Dry Goods Company in 1886, the business reorganized as the Denver Dry Goods Company in 1894 and continued to serve its customers well into the 1980s. The downtown store was noted for its wide range of merchandise and large tea room, which served as a popular gathering place. Rehabilitation projects during the 1990s converted the building to accommodate a variety of retail, office, and residential uses. The property is associated with the Historic Resources of Downtown Denver Multiple Property Submission. DENVER MEDICAL DEPOT (Inner-city Business Park) The 1942 Denver Medical Depot began operations as a U.S. Army storage and distribution center for medical equipment and supplies necessary for the war effort. Architecturally, the depot is an example of World War II era military installation construction, the design for which came from the office of Denver architect Temple Buell. The facility is now a small business development center. DENVER MINT The Denver Mint was officially established in 1895, and the original two-story Second Renaissance Revival style granite building was completed in 1904. Construction began in 1897 under the supervision of James Knox Taylor, and coinage operations commenced in 1906. Ranking as one of Denver’s most popular tourist attractions, over the years, the Treasury Department constructed numerous additions to accommodate increases in production and visitation. DENVER MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM (Quigg Newton Denver Municipal Auditorium) Completed in 1908, this Renaissance Revival style arena/theater was designed by Denver architect Robert Willison. Constructed of buff brick, the three-story terracotta trimmed building featured prominent corner towers that were topped with cupolas. The massive 246 by 145 foot building was second only to New York’s Madison Square Garden in size. Associated with Denver’s City Beautiful movement, the completion of the building marked the high point of Mayor Robert W. Speer’s first term in office. A 1940 annex was expanded in 1950, and the building remains in use as a component of the Denver Performing Arts Complex. DENVER ORPHANS’ HOME Constructed in 1902, the two and one half story, red brick, Second Renaissance Revival style building was designed by Denver architects Willis Marean and Albert Norton. The Denver Children’s Home Association celebrated a century of serving children in 1981. The association traces its roots to the earliest Denver organization providing care for orphans, the Denver Ladies’ Relief Society founded in 1873. In cooperation with the city, the building is still in use and continues to reflect changes in philosophies toward the care and treatment of homeless, abused, and neglected children during the 20th century. DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY The original portion of the 1955 Denver Public Library, a five-story, flat-roofed, reinforced concrete frame building, with its random ashlar Indiana limestone veneer, is a significant International Style building designed by Burnham Hoyt. The library is the only major work by Hoyt completed in Denver in the post-World War II period and is the only one of two major Hoyt projects in the International Style that survives. Princeton, New Jersey, architect Michael Graves, with the Denver architectural firm of Klipp Colussy Jenks DuBois, designed the seven-story 1995 addition. The library is an integral component of the National Register Civic Center historic district. DENVER TRAMWAY POWERHOUSE (REI - Recreational Equipment, Inc.) 
This prominent red brick building located at the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River is associated with the expansion and operation of Denver’s electric streetcar system. The construction of the powerhouse during 1901-04 coincided with the transformation of Denver’s early streetcar network to an all electric system. Following the completion of an addition in 1911, the powerhouse operated as the primary source of electricity for Denver’s streetcars until the end of the Denver Tramway Company’s streetcar service in 1950. The brick pilaster construction and extensive sash infill of the original portion typifies early 20th century industrial architecture, while the 1911 addition reflects continued advances in structural design. Its high interior spaces with steel roof trusses, the accommodation of traveling cranes in long narrow production bays, and the use of built-up steel framing all represent advances in industrial design and materials. DENVER TURNVEREIN Constructed in 1921 for the Coronado Club, the building is the last in a series used by the Turnverein, a community service and fraternal organization of German immigrants. The group stressed physical fitness through gymnastics. The building also is important for its Mediterranean architectural style as designed by George L. Bettcher. DICKINSON PUBLIC LIBRARY 
The one-story Italian Renaissance style building, of stuccoed brick with a red tile hipped roof, is associated with the nationwide public library movement sponsored and funded by grants from Andrew Carnegie’s philanthropic foundation. Designed by Denver architect Maurice Biscoe, the 1914 building was the smallest of eight branch libraries established by the City of Denver in the early 20th century. Named for Charles E. Dickinson, a prominent investment banker who served as one of the initial members of the Denver Library Commission, it continued to serve the surrounding community until 1954. JOHN AND ELIVERA DOUD HOUSE 
The 1905 John and Elivera Doud House is associated with the lives
of two persons of local and national significance - Dwight David
Eisenhower and Mamie Doud Eisenhower. Mamie grew to adulthood in
the house as part of the Doud family. The family moved into the
house in 1906, when Mamie was nine. In 1916 she married army lieutenant
Dwight Eisenhower in the first-floor music room. Over the following
decades through the beginning of World War II, the couple visited
the family home in Denver at every opportunity. After the war, the
couple returned for extended visits during the Eisenhowers’
final years as a military family and their eight years as president
and first lady of the United States. The couple spent long winter
and summer vacations at the residence and Dwight often used the
house as the starting point for fishing trips into the Colorado
Rockies. DOW-ROSENZWEIG HOUSE The two-story painted brick house was constructed in 1882 by its first owner, carpenter Charles L. Dow. The eclectic mix of Victorian architectural detailing includes double hung windows with hood moldings and an elaborate cornice. The facade features a prominent two-story bay and a small entry porch with Eastlake detailing. A circa 1890 carriage house is also on the property. Members of the Leopold Rosenweig family occupied the dwelling from 1888 until 1970. DOWNING STREET PARKWAY The .4-mile parkway was planned by the Olmsted Brothers in 1913, and the plant material palette and design style is reminiscent of their work on Denver’s East 17th Avenue Parkway. The layout screens a fashionable adjoining neighborhood from street traffic and enhances the transit way. The property is associated with the Denver Park and Parkway System Thematic Resource. DOWNTOWN DENVER CENTRAL YMCA & ANNEX 
The 1906 YMCA building with its 1958 annex served as the main facility
and headquarters building of the Denver Young Men’s Christian
Association. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, the Denver
YMCA provided the young city with cultural, scientific, technical,
and religious programs. By the 1880s, the Denver YMCA was involved
with social work and outreach to the poor and working classes, and
began to provide facilities for athletics of various sorts. In the
early twentieth century, in association with the construction of
the Central YMCA, the Denver YMCA extended its activities to include
athletic facilities and a transient hotel. The Central YMCA is also
a good example of early twentieth-century Neo-Classical Revival
style architecture in downtown Denver. The building is an important
design in the body of work of the architectural firm of Marean and
Norton. Willis Marean and Albert Norton are generally acknowledged
as masters of early twentieth-century Denver architecture. The Central
YMCA is the earliest of the firm’s four major Neo-Classical
Revival style commissions. DOYLE-BENTON HOUSE 
The 1896 house is associated with James Doyle, an important mining
figure in early twentieth-century Colorado. Doyle was a prospector
and an original partner in the Portland Mining Company in Cripple
Creek, Colorado’s most prolific and longest producing gold
mine. Doyle purchased the house in 1898 and lived there with his
family until 1904. The house is also associated with Frank Benton,
founder of the 60,000 acre Frank Benton Land and Livestock firm
nears Burns, Colorado, which remained in business until the 1990s.
He was active in the rancher movement opposed to fencing and he
favored the leasing of public domain lands to cattle ranchers. The
house is an early example of the American Foursquare residential
form whose interior exhibits elements of the Art Nouveau style. DUNNING-BENEDICT HOUSE The house was constructed by well-known Denver architect William Lang, who designed over 150 homes for families of Colorado’s growing upper-middle-class between 1888 and 1893. Built in 1889, this gray stone Romanesque Revival structure was originally inhabited by Walter Dunning. In 1898, Mitchell Benedict and his family purchased the home. Benedict served as city attorney, was involved in the construction of the Capitol building, and also contributed to the development of the Riverside Cemetery. After the Benedicts sold the property in 1930, the house was divided into apartments. DUNWOODY, WILLIAM J., HOUSE (LaLoma Restaurant) Built in 1889, the William J. Dunwoody house is significant for its high-quality craftsmanship and for its namesake, who was a successful Denver businessman. Originally from Poughkeepsie, New York, William Dunwoody first traveled to Colorado to recover from tuberculosis. Eventually he and his brother founded the Dunwoody Soap Company in Denver. The house was built by Dunwoody in 1889 and remained in his family until 1960. After 1974 it became the location of a well-known Denver restaurant. EAST HIGH SCHOOL 
East High School opened in 1925 as an important part of a city-wide campaign to modernize, beautify, and promote aesthetic planning and design in schools and other public buildings in keeping with the City Beautiful movement. In its revivalist design and careful siting, East High School epitomizes the City Beautiful ethic. The building is a finely executed example of English Jacobean Revival or Jacobethan Revival style architecture as designed by the important Denver architect, George Williamson. He chose the accessible and open Jacobean style in part due to its ability to accommodate large scale window treatments considered essential to state-of-the-art educational buildings. The library interior retains a mural painted in 1934 by Hugh Weller as part of the Depression-era Public Works Art Project program.
EEAST 4TH AVENUE PARKWAY This short, one-block parkway forms part of the important linkage between the park and parkway systems in south and east Denver. It features an unusual planting of a formal row of deciduous trees offset by a parallel informal planting of pines. The Olmsted Brothers designed the parkway in 1913. The property is associated with the Denver Park and Parkway System Thematic Resource. EAST 6TH AVENUE PARKWAY Extending nearly two miles, this is the longest east/west parkway in the Denver park and parkway system and provides the setting for many fine residences. The mature plantings are evidence of the sure hand of Saco R. DeBoer, but they were clearly influenced by Olmsteds’ palette for the East 17th Avenue Parkway. Construction took place between 1909 and 1912. The property is associated with the Denver Park and Parkway System Thematic Resource. EAST 7TH AVENUE PARKWAY The 1.4-mile parkway evidences the styles of Olmsted and DeBoer, with the Olmsted portion from Williams St. to Milwaukee St. being formal and characterized by symmetrical plantings of specimen trees and formal gardens in the intervening sun spots. The DeBoer portion, from Milwaukee St. to Colorado Blvd., is informal and characterized by forest plantings of evergreens beautifully varied in color, shape, size and texture. The Olmsted portion was constructed in 1912 and the DeBoer portion between 1914 and 1927. The property is associated with the Denver Park and Parkway System Thematic Resource. EAST 17TH AVENUE PARKWAY The 1.5-mile East 17th Avenue Parkway is Denver’s finest early 20th century parkway. The parkway is extraordinarily well preserved and contains a wide variety of plant materials initially specified in the planting plan by the nationally renowned Olmsted Brothers. The portion from Colorado Blvd. to Dahlia St. was designed by the Olmsted Brothers and was executed in 1913. Dahlia St. to Monaco St. Pkwy. was designed by the brilliant and influential Saco R. DeBoer who served as Denver’s city landscape architect from 1910 to 1931. The property is associated with the Denver Park and Parkway System Thematic Resource. EDGECOMB-WIDERGREN HOUSE The 1890 Queen Anne style house is an excellent example of local craftsmanship as exhibited in its carved stone work and unusual circular window. ELITCH THEATER Built in 1890 by John and Mary Elitch, this theater is a representative example of 19th-century Resort style architecture. John died while on tour in 1891, leaving Mary to manage the theater and the surrounding gardens and amusement park. The theater was the longest continuously operated summer theater in Denver, and until its closure in 1987 was the site of countless theater, vaudeville, light opera, and classical music programs. Elitch Theater hosted the first screen-projected motion picture shown in Denver in 1896. Over the years, countless notable performers, including Sarah Bernhardt, Douglas Fairbanks, and Gloria Swanson, graced its stage. JOHN ELSNER HOUSE The John Elsner House is significant both historically and architecturally. Denver physician John Elsner, who commissioned the construction of the house in 1872, was appointed the first county physician in 1870, organized the Denver Medical Society in 1871, and contributed to the establishment of National Jewish Hospital. Built in the Italianate style, the house is a reminder of the city’s first residential neighborhoods. EMERSON SCHOOL The 1885 Emerson School is the oldest surviving school designed by one of Colorado’s most important architects, Robert S. Roeschlaub. Roeschlaub began his architectural career in Denver in 1873 and continued to design buildings until 1912. While his work spans the full spectrum of commercial, civic, and residential architecture, he achieved particular prominence for his school buildings. EMMANUEL SHEARITH ISRAEL CHAPEL Know as Denver’s oldest standing church, the Emmanuel Shearith Israel Chapel is a stone structure that features a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. Built in 1876 by Bishop John F. Spaulding as an Episcopalian chapel, the church was originally known as Emmanuel Episcopal. After the religious interests of the surrounding neighborhood changed in 1903, the church was purchased by the congregation of Shearith Israel and converted into a synagogue. In 1963, the building was sold to a private owner, who transformed it into an artist’s studio. Presently, it is part of Denver’s Auraria Campus. ENTERPRISE HILL/CENTENNIAL HILL/CLEMENTS HISTORIC DISTRICT Significant for its fine examples of Victorian architecture and
its association with prominent early Denverites, the district consists
of eighteen structures, many of which display features of Queen
Anne and Italianate architecture. Many early residents of these
homes were significant to the development of commerce and education
in Colorado. For instance, Chester Morey was president of Morey
Mercantile, helped found the Great Western Sugar Company, and was
influential in establishing Manual Training High School. Another
early resident, John H. Drinkwater, was an important real estate
broker and member of Denver’s Chamber of Commerce. Several notable
Denver architects, including William Quayle and Nichols & Canman
were responsible for the design of two of the structures. The district
is representative of the housing styles and neighborhoods of late
19th century Denver. EPPICH APARTMENTS Designed by leading Denver architect Walter L. Rice, the Eppich Apartments are an excellent example of Craftsman style architecture. Built by prominent businessman Louis F. Eppich in 1909, the apartment building reflects the simplicity of design associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement, which rebelled against the excess of the Victorian era. Although it has suffered disrepair and neglect in recent years, the building remains a significant representative of a social movement that paved the way for multi-family housing. EQUITABLE BUILDING Completed in 1892, the Equitable Building is significant for its role in the commercial and political history of Colorado. At the time of its completion, it was attributed with the development of 17th Street as a center of finance and business and has since served as the location for many distinguished businesses and law offices. In addition, the building is an excellent example of Italian Renaissance Revival architecture as reflected in a 19th century office building. The property is associated with the Historic Resources of Downtown Denver Multiple Property Submission. EVANS MEMORIAL CHAPEL The Evans Memorial Chapel is significant for its association with John Evans, who was the first territorial governor of Colorado and founder of the Colorado Seminary (now the University of Denver). Evans built the chapel as a memorial to his daughter Josephine Evans Elbert in 1878. An example of early Gothic Revival architecture, the chapel served as part of the Grace Community Methodist Church from 1889 to 1953. In 1959, it was moved from its original location at 13th and Bannock to its present location on the University of Denver campus. EVANS SCHOOL Denver architect David Dryden designed the 1904 Evans School, utilizing Classical Revival and Colonial Revival style elements. The red brick, three-story building features a formal facade portico and a large copper-clad cupola. Dryden held the position of supervising architect for School District No. 1 from 1901 until 1912. Evans School served as an elementary school for 69 years, briefly containing junior high classes in 1917. For many years the school was the only one in the area that served deaf, blind, or physically handicapped students. The school was retired and closed in the early 1970s and has sat empty ever since. For additional Denver listings please see: |
State Register 8/8/2001, 5DV.8110
East High is important for its role in the education of Denver’s youth during the period of
1925 to 1975, a period when East High School evolved from serving primarily well-to-do Anglo
students to a school at the vanguard of race relations and school integration, prior to the
landmark U.S. Supreme Court desegregation case involving Denver Public Schools. The school
stood as a leader and model among Denver schools in establishing formal and informal avenues
for exploring and furthering the understanding of issues related to racial and ethnic diversity.