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JEFFERSON COUNTY |
ArvadaARVADA DOWNTOWN Now a major residential suburb of Denver, Arvada began during the 1870s as a supply center for the local farming community. The district includes a collection of buildings that reflect the evolution and development of a small town commercial area from the late 1800s through the post World War II period. While many of the storefronts have been modified to meet changing needs, the collection of primarily brick buildings retains the ambiance typically associated with such commercial areas. Several examples of residential and church buildings are also included within the district’s boundaries. ARVADA FLOUR MILL Constructed by Eugene Emory Benjamin, the large wood frame facility is located adjacent the railroad tracks, at the southern end of Arvada’s historic downtown commercial area. The building includes the main 2½-story gambrel roofed mill portion and a one-story dock area. Exterior walls are clad with metal siding, stamped in a brick pattern. The mill began operating in the early 1920s and ceased production during the 1950s. Listed under Railroads in Colorado, 1858-1948 Multiple Property Submission. CHURCHES RANCH The 48.9 acre property remains as an important rural, historic cultural landscape. Much of the original homestead complex, developed between 1862 and 1910, is intact, and the adjacent fields remain in agricultural production. The circa 1864 gable roof barn, constructed primarily of sandstone, is of particular interest. At one time including more than 400 acres, the property was settled by John C. and Mary Ann Churches, both of whom contributed to the successful development of Jefferson County’s Ralston Valley as an important agricultural region during the late 19th and early 20th century. ENTERPRISE GRANGE NO. 15 The original brick meeting hall was constructed in 1915 by Fremont Grange No. 181, and the concrete block portion at the rear dates from 1952. Both portions were constructed by members of this fraternal organization of farm families. Enterprise Grange No. 25 was granted its charter in 1874. The two chapters merged in 1930 and continue to utilize the building. RALSTON GOLD DISCOVERY SITE (Gold Strike Park) The Lewis Ralston Gold Discovery Site is the location of one of the early Euro-American gold discoveries in Colorado. Although the 1850 strike never yielded large quantities of gold, reports of the discovery led to the return of other prospectors in 1858, specifically the William Russell party, whose subsequent search for gold resulted in several discoveries which began Colorado’s first gold rush. RENO PARK ADDITION This residential district, located just west of the Arvada Downtown historic district, is primarily associated with Arvada’s growth after the development of local transportation systems. Its physical layout consists of an evenly distributed grid of lots and tree lined streets. Homes within the district include a few large frame dwellings built during the late 19th century and a variety of smaller frame and brick houses constructed during the early years of the 20th century. Many of these are Classic Cottages and Bungalows. The 1910 Arvada Water Tank is located within the district. It served as a component of Arvada’s water distribution system until 1975 and remains an important visual landmark. RUSSELL-GRAVES HOUSE The one-story yellow brick residence has raised basement walls of rock faced concrete block. Notable architectural elements include a bell cast hipped roof, multiple dormers, and a prominent wraparound porch with classical columns. The residence was constructed in 1899 by J. Walton Nicholl. Dr. Richard Russell, the first mayor of Arvada, and his wife lived there from 1911 until 1923 when they sold it to members of the Graves family. STOCKE / WALTER ADDITION The Stocke Addition was formally platted in 1904, and the Walter subdivision dates from 1920. Development of the neighborhood was aided by its proximity to the interurban electric railway which ran just to the west. The neighborhood is distinguished by the varied size of its lots, with several substantial tracts reflecting Arvada’s agricultural heritage. Most residences are wood frame. Cottages and Bungalows are common, with several of the large late 19th century homes along Grandview Avenue reflecting Queen Anne detailing. The district is located to the east of the Arvada Downtown historic district. BaileySILVER SPRUCE RANCH The ranch began operation in 1872 as one of the earliest in the Platte Canyon of Jefferson County. It developed into a tourist facility, a summer camp for girls, and eventually an outdoor environmental laboratory for the Jefferson County School District. The ranch contains an important collection of Rustic style buildings. Buffalo CreekBLUE JAY INN The Blue Jay Inn dates from 1880 and originally operated as two separate enterprises, serving local lumbermen. The wood frame buildings were subsequently pushed together, resulting in one large two-story hotel. After the narrow gauge railroad came to Buffalo Creek in 1878, tourism was introduced to the area. Over the years, in additional to overnight guests, the inn has accommodated dances, meetings, and retreats for business people, students, and church workers. GREEN MERCANTILE STORE John W. Green, Sr. arrived in Buffalo Creek in the 1880’s and operated a hotel and general merchandise store until they were destroyed by fire in 1897. In 1898, he constructed a new two-story building with walls of native granite cut into 18" squares. The building has a flat roof and first floor windows that are set in round arches. The local post office operated in the building, and the second floor often served as a community meeting hall. GREEN MOUNTAIN RANCH The land was originally registered as a mining claim. It later was homesteaded and cattle ranched by Edwin Eugene Culver. The surviving one-story ranch house, with a medium pitch gabled roof, rests on a fieldstone foundation. The exterior walls were constructed with hand hewn square logs and half-dovetailed joints. The original circa 1900 portion measured approximately 30 by 40 feet. An expansion several years later, added a first floor living room and increased the space for bedrooms in the attic. LA HACIENDA/JOHN L. JEROME SUMMER ESTATE "La Hacienda" was constructed as a summer home in 1902,
on a high hill overlooking the confluence of the Platte River and
Buffalo Creek. It was designed by noted Denver architect Frederick
J. Sterner for John L. Jerome. The large Shingle style two-story
dwelling includes multiple bay windows and many William Morris designed
interior furnishings and appointments. Jerome arrived in Central
City in 1873 to serve as principal of the high school. He later
moved to Denver, passed the bar, and practiced law from 1878 to
1893. He then joined with a client, John C. Osgood, in the formation
of Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, one of Colorado’s first major
industrial corporations. ConiferMIDWAY HOUSE/MEYER RANCH Built in 1889, the vernacular Queen Anne style Midway House played an important role in transportation history, serving as a stopping point on the stagecoach route from Denver to Fairplay. Located midway between Denver and Bailey, the clapboard sided two-story dwelling was constructed with square nails and rough-sawn lumber milled on the property. A surviving 1870 hay and stock barn has walls of rough-cut board-and-batten, with some of the boards measuring sixteen inches in width. PLEASANT PARK SCHOOL This 1894 school is important to the educational and social history of the Pleasant Park community. It served as the school for 55 years, and since 1907, has been in continuous use by Pleasant Park Grange #156. The building’s architecture epitomizes the rural schoolhouse in its size, plan, roof shape, materials, and placement of doors and windows. EvergreenBERGEN PARK Bergen Park includes the starting point for Squaw Pass Road which provides access to the sub-alpine and alpine lands of Echo Lake, Summit Lake, and Mount Evans. The 25.06-acre site was acquired by Denver in 1915. The stone pavilion, well house, and restroom located within the park were designed by noted Denver architect Jules J.B. Benedict. Listed under Denver Mountain Parks Multiple Property Submission. CORWINA–PENCE–O’FALLON PARKS This park district consists of three contiguous parks, acquired and developed between 1914-1938, which together form one large, diverse recreational facility, encompassing approximately 1,338 acres. The parks encompass some of the most attractive, gently sloping areas along Bear Creek and a long mountain ridge that affords good views to the north, east, and west. The Olmsted Plan for the Denver Mountain Parks delineated the area as top priority in terms of acquisition. The largest, 860-acre O’Fallon Park, is bordered by Pence Park on the south and Corwina Park on the north. Listed under Denver Mountain Parks Multiple Property Submission. DEDISSE PARK This 475-acre park is located in Bear Creek Valley just west of downtown Evergreen. It includes the most diverse range of developed uses and landscapes of the Denver Mountain Parks. Recreational facilities include a lake, an 18-hole golf course and clubhouse, a warming house for ice skaters, a group picnic shelter, volleyball area, and numerous picnic sites. Most of the land was acquired in 1920. Several of the primarily stone, Rustic style buildings and structures within the park were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Listed under Denver Mountain Parks Multiple Property Submission. EVERGREEN CONFERENCE DISTRICT The district is significant for its association with Canon Charles Winfield Douglas, an internationally known expert on the Plain-Song Mass; for its architectural features, which to some extent reflect the original construction and appearance of Evergreen a century ago; and for its association with music, education, religion, and social/humanitarian activity. EVERHARDT RANCH / HERZMAN RANCH The Everhardt Ranch is one of the most significant historic properties in the Evergreen area. The original homesteader, Johnny Everhardt, was the first white settler. Circa 1890, after a crippling accident, the property was sold to the Herzman family who cared for Everhardt until his death. The most prominent buildings remaining on the property are a circa 1885 1½ -story log residence and a circa 1870 log barn. FILLIUS PARK The first parcel of land for Fillius Park came as a donation to Denver from cattle rancher Jules J. Clark in 1918, with additional land later obtained through condemnation. Denver architect Jules J.B. Benedict designed the pump house and the stone shelter house that contains a large stone fireplace. Listed under Denver Mountain Parks Multiple Property Submission. HIWAN HOMESTEAD Essentially completed by 1896, this large Rustic style residence was constructed over a ten year period for Mary Neosha Williams by John Spence, a native of Scotland who was a skilled carpenter and mason. The irregular floor plan reflects the owner’s commitment to build around the many large evergreens on the site. Walls of the one, two, and three-story residence are of log, and the foundation walls and chimneys are of stone. A second story room in one of the distinctive octagonal towers served as an Episcopal chapel and features Gothic arches. Under the name of Camp Neosha, during the late 1800s and early 1900s, the property served as the focus for the Evergreen Conference of the Episcopal Church in Colorado. Since being purchased by the Jefferson County Open Space program in the mid-1970s, it has been operated as a museum by the Jefferson County Historical Society. HUMPHREY HOUSE / KINNIKINNIK RANCH The original log home was constructed in 1883 for John J. Clark, who was elected to the state legislature in 1888. Over the years, there have been several additions. Interesting architectural elements on the facade include a prominent bay window and a gabled dormer in the steeply pitched hipped roof. In 1912, a portion of the original 160 acre homestead became Filius Park, a Denver Mountain Park. The remaining property was purchased by the Humphrey family in 1920. MEDLEN SCHOOL The Medlen School began in 1886 as a log structure. Around 1900, clapboard siding covered the logs and a small frame teacherage rose beside the school. The complex served as the educational and social focal point of the Medlen community until school consolidation forced its closure in 1952. GoldenAMMUNITION IGLOO The Ammunition Igloo was constructed in 1940 as part of a Works Progress Administration project and is also significant for its design. The bunker-like structure consists of a concrete arch with an earth covering. The exposed stone facade, of native basalt, features a stepped parapet with concrete coping. Listed under Historic Resources of Camp George West Multiple Property Submission. ASTOR HOUSE HOTEL / LAKE HOUSE/CASTLE ROCK HOUSE Opened in 1867, and believed to be the oldest stone hotel building in the state, the Astor House became very popular with the state legislators attending meetings in Golden, when it was the capital of Colorado. In 1972, the two-story sandstone building was saved from demolition after local residents voted to have it purchased by the city for use as a museum. OSCAR BARBER HOUSE The residence was the home of the prominent Golden miller who owned and expanded the Rock Flour Mills during the late 1800s. BARNES-PEERY RESIDENCE Associated with the early planning and development of Golden, the 1865 residence survives as one of its earliest dwellings. The Italianate style is reflected in the two-story brick dwelling’s low-pitched roof, wide overhanging eaves supported by elaborate paired brackets, and tall narrow windows with curved window crowns. The original owner, wealthy local merchant David Barnes, introduced this popular residential architectural style to Golden. Despite additions to the rear, it is one of the few Italianate houses in Golden that has not undergone extensive alterations. CALVARY EPISCOPAL CHURCH The 1867 church is one of the earliest examples of Gothic Revival style architecture on the Front Range. It represents an introduction of this architectural style into Colorado by an unknown architect. CAMP GEORGE WEST HISTORIC DISTRICT Established in 1903, Camp George West served as the Colorado Army National Guard’s only permanent training facility. The predominately stone and frame buildings constructed between 1903 and 1945 reflect the use of standard Army plans as well as unique designs by Guard architects for specific projects. The architecturally cohesive collection of buildings and structures within the 98-acre district reflect the development of Camp George West, the expansion of Colorado National Guard functions, the changes in the lifestyle of the Guardsman, and the evolution of military technology during the first half of the 20th century. Listed under Historic Resources of Camp George West Multiple Property Submission. COLORADO AMPHITHEATER Located on the south side of South Table Mountain, the amphitheater was constructed by the WPA during 1933-35. With an estimated 2,500 seats, it is the second largest of only four known historic open-air amphitheaters in Colorado. The fieldstone and concrete seating area was built on the natural slope below the mesa’s edge. It forms an inverted U-shape that is flanked by concrete mortared stone walls, which are buttressed for support. An associated footbridge, crossing a drainage provides access from a parking lot. Listed under Historic Resources of Camp George West Multiple Property Submission. COLORADO MIDLAND RAILWAY OBSERVATION CAR NO. 111 The Colorado Midland purchased the car from the Pullman Car Co. in 1887 for use as a first class coach. It is one of the few surviving passenger cars from the railroad. COLORADO NATIONAL GUARD ARMORY Golden’s Colorado National Guard Armory building was constructed in 1912. The reported 6,600 tons of local cobblestones utilized in its construction required the hauling of some 3,300 wagon loads from nearby Clear Creek. The large, two-story building has a raised basement and is approximately 123 feet long by 52 feet wide. The turret-top tower reaches 65 feet in height and gives the building a castle-like appearance. COLOROW POINT PARK At less than half an acre, the park is the smallest within the Denver Mountain Park system. Large Ponderosa pine trees and distinctive rock outcrops appear on the site, which was acquired in 1913. Named for a Ute Indian chief, Colorow Point, at an elevation of 7,500 feet, it is notable as one of the best overlooks for viewing many of the major peaks along the Continental Divide and within Rocky Mountain National Park. Listed under Denver Mountain Parks Multiple Property Submission. CHARLES DEATON SCULPTURED HOUSE 
The Sculptured House is exceptionally significant for its high quality modernist design. The work of self-taught Colorado architect and engineer Charles Deaton, the 1966 Sculptured House occupies a key place in the history of Colorado architecture as one of the most widely recognized and respected modernist buildings in the state. The house includes many of the defining characteristics of post-war Expressionist design, a stylistic variant of modernism. The Sculptured House has been discussed and illustrated in the national and international architectural, art and design press, both when it was new in the 1960s and ‘70s, and since it was restored and completed in the 1990s. It is extremely rare for a Colorado building of any type to have received the level of serious attention afforded the Sculptured House. Aside from attention within the professional design community, the house also played an important role in mass culture as a widely known example of the mid twentieth-century ‘House of the Future’ building type. HERMAN COORS HOUSE In 1919, master architect, Jules J.B. Benedict incorporated a circa 1912 bungalow into his Tudor Revival inspired design for this mountain lodge-like residence located in an established residential area near the campus of the Colorado School of Mines. DENVER & RIO GRANDE RAILROAD BUSINESS CAR NO. B-8 The car was purchased by the D&RG in 1872 and is considered to be the oldest remaining narrow gauge passenger car in the country. DENVER & RIO GRANDE RAILROAD COACH NO. 60 This 1881 narrow gauge coach, designed and constructed by Delaware car builder Jackson and Sharp, provided eighty-six continuous years of passenger service for the Denver &Rio Grande Railroad. DENVER & RIO GRANDE RAILROAD COACH NO. 307 The 1881 Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Coach No. 307, originally No. 83, operated for 83 years, first as a passenger coach and then as a maintenance-of-way vehicle. It is one of only two remaining cars manufactured by Jackson and Sharp which has not been extensively rebuilt or altered. DENVER & RIO GRANDE RAILWAY CABOOSE NO. 49 Narrow gauge caboose No. 49 was built by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in 1881. The four-wheeled caboose served the railroad for fifty-seven years before being retired in October 1938. It was recently restored to its 1880s appearance. DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD CABOOSE NO. 0578 Built in 1886, Caboose No. 0578 ran in freight service over all of the Rio Grande’s narrow gauge network until its retirement in 1951. It is a rare surviving example of a Class 2 Rio Grande caboose. The railroad constructed all of its Class 2 cabooses in its own shops. Although later cabooses offered improvements on the Class 2 series, the success of the design is demonstrated by the long operating career of No. 0578. DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE NO. 50 Built in 1937, by the Davenport Locomotive Works in Iowa, Locomotive No. 50 served in Oregon until purchased by the D&RGW in 1963 and moved to Durango where it was used as a switcher until 1970. It is the only narrow gauge diesel locomotive ever owned by the D&RGW. DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE NO. 346 Built in 1881, the locomotive served 66 years with the D&RGW before coming to the Colorado Railroad Museum in July 1958. It operated on the D&RGW, the Rio Grande Southern, and the Colorado and Southern at various times during its service. Its last few months of service were between Dolores and McPhee on the Montezuma Lumber Co. Railroad, the last lumber railroad to operate in Colorado. DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE NO. 683 Built in 1890, No. 683 was one of the early locomotives acquired by the D&RGW when converting its mainline to standard gauge. It operated until 1955 and was acquired by the Colorado Railroad Museum in 1963. This is the only extant D&RGW Railroad standard gauge steam locomotive; all others have been scrapped. DENVER & SALT LAKE RAILWAY CABOOSE NO. 10060 Designed by the Denver & Salt Lake Railway, and manufactured with recycled materials in its Denver shops, the caboose illustrates the cost saving efforts employed by the railroad to maintain profitable service during the Great Depression. The caboose ran over the D&SL from 1936 until the line was absorbed into the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1947. It remained in service until the 1980s. DENVER SOUTH PARK & PACIFIC RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE NO. 191 The Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia built Locomotive No. 191 in 1880. It served the DSP&P and its successors for 22 years before being sold to a lumber company in Wisconsin. Acquired by the museum in 1973, it is the oldest, and one of the few surviving steam locomotives of the DSP&P, one of Colorado’s most famous narrow gauge railroads. FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GOLDEN (Foothills Art Center) The three buildings are associated with the development of the Courthouse Hill residential neighborhood. Constructed primarily of red brick, the buildings reflect popular architectural styles of the period. The 1872 Gothic style church was built on land donated by W.A.H. Loveland. A bell tower and two additions were completed in 1898, and the church was expanded again in 1947. The 1892 Queen Anne style manse features a wood shingled second floor and a two-story rounded corner tower with an onion dome roof. In 1899, P.O. Unger purchased the two lots south of the church and arranged for the construction of a two-story Queen Anne style residence, featuring a wraparound porch and a rounded corner tower with a conical roof. Organizers of the Foothills Art Center purchased the church and manse in the late 1960s, and the Unger House was added to the complex in 1984. GENESEE PARK Beginning in 1913, a series of land acquisitions resulted in this approximately 2,400-acre park. Genesee Mountain reaches an altitude of 8,200 feet, and numerous deep canyons, mountainous ridges, valleys, and gorges are among the natural features. Completed in 1914, Genesee Mountain Road winds up to the Genesee Game Preserves located on the mountain’s western side. Other manmade features include a circa 1860, two-story wood frame residence built by the John D. Patrick family, operators of an early toll road. Other, primarily stone, buildings of note are the circa 1917 Rustic style Chief Hosa Lodge and picnic shelter designed by the prominent Denver architect Jules J.B. Benedict. Between 1937 and 1941, the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed the Genesee Shelter House, also designed by Benedict. Listed under Denver Mountain Parks Multiple Property Submission. GOLDEN HIGH SCHOOL The 1924 building, designed by noted architect Eugene G. Groves, is significant as a rare and well-executed local example of the Beaux Arts style. In spite of additions to the school during the 1950s and 1960s the building retains a high degree of integrity. GOLDEN WELCOME ARCH Originally constructed in 1949, the Golden Welcome Arch spans Washington Ave. and reflects the design characteristics typically associated with such promotional structures. The arch is one of the most important and recognized features located in Golden’s historic downtown commercial area. GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY COMBINE NO. 100 The Great Western purchased this rebuilt standard gauge combination baggage and passenger car in 1904, only three years after incorporation. The car hauled passengers for the railway in the early 1900s and was the only coach owned by the GW Railway in the early years of its operation in northern Colorado. LARIAT TRAIL SCENIC MOUNTAIN DRIVE Officially opened in 1913, Lariat Trail was the first of several scenic drives constructed as part of Denver’s mountain park system. Beginning in Golden, where two 35-foot high stone pylons mark the entry, the drive connects with Floyd Hill Road at the top of Mount Vernon Canyon. Early designs were by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., and the survey and final layout was prepared by Saco R. DeBoer, Denver’s noted landscape architect of the period. William Williams, sometimes referred to as Cement Bill, served as construction superintendent. Six overlooks are located along the drive as it switches back and forth up the steep side of Lookout Mountain. Listed under Denver Mountain Parks Multiple Property Submission. LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN PARK The approximately sixty-five acre park includes the nearly level top of Lookout Mountain, offering panoramic views of the Colorado Plains, the Front Range mountains, and the Denver metropolitan area. The famed William Frederick Cody (Buffalo Bill) is buried within the park boundaries. The Pahaska Teepee, a Rustic style building of stripped pine logs dates from 1921 and now houses the gift shop and snack bar for the Buffalo Bill Museum which is located in a newer building on the site. Listed under Denver Mountain Parks Multiple Property Submission. LORRAINE LODGE / CHARLES BOETTCHER SUMMER HOME Situated on a 62-acre site on Lookout Mountain, Lorraine Lodge was built during 1916-18 for Charles Boettcher, one of Colorado’s pioneer capitalists, as a summer residence and seasonal hunting lodge. The two-story residence, incorporating the Rustic and Tudor Revival styles, is an outstanding example of Arts and Crafts design as interpreted by noted Denver architects, William E. and Arthur A. Fisher. The property was donated to Jefferson County in 1968 by Boettcher’s granddaughter, Charline Breeden. In 1974, the lodge, associated buildings, and grounds underwent rehabilitation and began operating as the Jefferson County Conference and Nature Center. LOVELAND BUILDING AND COORS BUILDING The 1863 Loveland Building and the 1906 Coors Building, located in the heart of downtown Golden, are significant for their long-time association with Golden’s commercial history. A 1992-93 renovation project connected the first floors of the buildings through their adjoining sidewalls and restored the storefronts to their 1905-06 appearance. MAGIC MOUNTAIN SITE This archaeological site is important for its ability to yield chronological sequence data about the Archaic through the Woodland periods. Materials weathering from the uppermost stratigraphic level attracted attention as early as 1925. Chronological information gleaned from this eastern Colorado foothills site serves to enable comparisons with the neighboring plains areas to the east and the mountain zones to west. MT. VERNON HOUSE / ROBERT W. STEELE HOUSE With portions believed to date from 1860, the stone and shingled house marks the location of the Town of Mt. Vernon, which was founded in 1859 and promoted as a potential supply center during the early days of Colorado’s gold rush. Built by George Morrison, the house was occupied by Robert W. Steele prior to the establishment of the Territory of Colorado in 1861. During 1959-60, Steele served as Governor of the Territory of Jefferson and apparently conducted much of the government’s business there. QUAINTANCE BLOCK Originally located on a corner lot, the brown glazed brick portion of the one-story commercial building was constructed for Charles F. Quaintance in 1911. The building was moved fifty feet to the west in 1923. In 1924, a blond brick rear addition was construction to serve as a billiard hall. Quaintance was an early promoter of tourism in the Golden area and founded and operated several investment organizations that sought to promote the economic growth of Golden. QUEEN OF HEAVEN ORPHANAGE SUMMER CAMP The property’s association with Denver’s Queen of Heaven Orphanage’s summer camp program began in 1909 and extended into the late 1960s, when the Denver orphanage was phased out and subsequently demolished in 1969. Constructed between 1912 and 1914, a large stone house on the hilltop site houses a chapel and numerous sleeping rooms. It was designed by Mother Cabrini, founder of the orphanage, with the help of local builder Thomas Ekrom. The two stone barns, dating from the 1890s and utilized by the orphanage, are good local examples of late 19th century agricultural buildings. RIO GRANDE SOUTHERN RAILROAD ENGINE NO. 20 Placed in service in 1899 on the Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad (F&CC), Engine No. 20 survives as one of only three F&CC steam locomotives in Colorado. After abandonment of the F&CC in 1912, the Rio Grande Southern Railroad (RGS) purchased the engine for use on its mountain route from Durango to Ridgway, where it remained in service until the end of RGS operations in 1951. A rare surviving example of a ten-wheeler type narrow gauge steam locomotive, these "third generation" narrow gauge locomotives were particularly well suited for hauling passenger trains on the sustained grades typical of mountain railroading in Colorado. No. 20 is one of three known examples of the Ten-wheeler type narrow gauge locomotive in Colorado. RIO GRANDE SOUTHERN RAILROAD MOTOR NO. 2 / GALLOPING GOOSE NO.
2 The Galloping Geese are important for their association with railroad transportation in southwestern Colorado. They represent the Rio Grande Southern’s innovative and cost saving efforts to maintain service in the face of declining traffic during the Great Depression. Goose No. 2 was built in 1931 and retains it original appearance. RIO GRANDE SOUTHERN RAILROAD MOTOR NO. 6 / GALLOPING GOOSE NO.
6 Goose No. 6 was constructed in 1934 to serve as a maintenance-of-way vehicle for the Rio Grande Southern Railroad. RIO GRANDE SOUTHERN RAILROAD MOTOR NO. 7 / GALLOPING GOOSE NO. 7 Goose No. 7 was constructed in 1936 and retains the configuration of a 1950 conversion that enabled it to transport rail-tourists. ROCKY FLATS PLANT The nationally significant Rocky Flats Plant functioned as a major center for the development and production of atomic weapons for the U.S. military. It operated from 1951 until its closure in 1989 as the Cold War ended. Its particular significance stems from its role as the sole producer of triggers for nuclear weapons from 1964 to 1989. ROONEY RANCH The buildings located within this approximately 200-acre agricultural district are especially noteworthy due to the extensive use of native sandstone in their construction. The 1¾-story ranch house was built by Alexander Rooney and his brother-in-law Thomas Littlefield in the early 1860s. The coursed walls are of large, smooth-faced sandstone blocks, and an 1867 spring house is of similar construction. The 1890 barn and most of the numerous buildings constructed through the mid-20th century are of uncoursed rubble. Rooney, a stonemason and farmer, arrived in 1859 and soon realized there was money to be made in provisioning the miners flocking to the area. He started a dairy farm and later raised horses and cattle on his ranch, which at one time encompassed 4,500 acres. TALLMAN RANCH The circa 1880 Tallman Ranch represents part of the exploration and settlement of the area now encompassing western Jefferson and eastern Gilpin Counties. The property is associated with the area’s heavy concentration of Swedish-American settlers who established homesteads and developed a successful ranching community. THIEDE RANCH The ranch is associated with the settlement and agricultural development of Mount Vernon Canyon. It is architecturally significant as the best surviving example of an original Mount Vernon Canyon ranch complex. TWELFTH ST. HISTORIC RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT Located west of the downtown commercial area, the district encompasses the most intact of Golden’s early residential neighborhoods. The campus of the Colorado School of Mines is to the south and west. The residences within the district are primarily of brick or wood frame construction and date from the 1870s to 1920. The neighborhood was home to many of the prominent residents associated with the development of the community. Most of the buildings are vernacular adaptations of popular styles of the period, including several two-story Italianate style examples. One-story classic cottages and bungalows are also represented. IdledaleLITTLE PARK Little Park joined the Denver Mountain Park system in 1917. The unusual eight-sided stone shelter house was designed by Denver architect Jules J.B. Benedict and built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Its Rustic style design utilized native stone and timber to blend into the natural setting. Listed under Denver Mountain Parks Multiple Property Submission. STARBUCK PARK The park was included in the Olmsted acquisition plan. Jules J.B. Benedict designed the circa 1923 native stone and timber well house. Ruins of an early 1920s Denver Motor Club building are a reminder of the park’s popularity with Denver motorists. A trout hatchery, destroyed by flooding in the 1930s, supplied the Denver Mountain Park System. Listed under Denver Mountain Parks Multiple Property Submission. Indian HillsINDIAN HILLS COMMUNITY HALL AND FIREHOUSE The property is associated with the Indian Hills Improvement Association. Circa 1952, this police, fire, and health protection organization converted and expanded the former 1923, one room wood frame Parmalee School to serve as a combination volunteer firehouse and community meeting hall. KEN-CARYL SOUTH VALLEY ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISTRICT 
Multiple sites, including camps and specialized activity sites, indicate an occupation period of about 4,000 years, from around 3000 BC through AD 1000. The district has yielded and can continue to yield important information about the settlement strategies and subsistence patterns of prehistoric groups who inhabited the hogback/foothills of eastern Colorado. The district can also address questions regarding chronology and paleoenvironmental conditions. LakewoodBUILDING 710, DEFENSE CIVIL PREPAREDNESS AGENCY REGION 6 OPERATIONS
CENTER Building 710 was constructed in 1969 and is important for its association with Cold War Era military history. Designed to withstand a nuclear attack, the two-story underground building, of reinforced concrete, served as the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency’s Region 6 Operations Center. Since 1979, it has been utilized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as its Region 8 Operations Center. DAVIES’ CHUCK WAGON DINER Built in 1913 to replace a smaller depot, the Santa Fe Railroad designed the new combination freight and passenger depot in the Mediterranean Revival style. The depot is now the starting point for the Royal Gorge Route tourist railroad. DENVER & INTERMOUNTAIN INTERURBAN NO. 25 The car operated over the interurban rail network which provided passenger service in the first half of the 20th century between Golden and Denver. The car ran on Route 84 from 1911 until the end of service in 1950. From an engineering perspective, car No. 25 is the only known surviving example of an intact, standard gauge, electric interurban railway car of its type built by Denver’s Woeber Car Company. HILL SECTION, GOLDEN HILL CEMETERY The West Side Benevolent Society, an independent Jewish mutual aid society, established the Golden Hill Cemetery in 1908. The Hill Section, along the northern edge of the property, was reserved for indigent Jews buried at community expense, suicides (restricted from the main portion of the cemetery according to Jewish custom), and tuberculosis patients from the Jewish Consumptive Relief Society (JCRS) sanitarium and hospital. Most of those interred in the Hill Section were tuberculosis victims. HOWELL HOUSE The circa 1874 Howell House is associated with the early settlement
and agricultural development of what is now Lakewood. Most of the
other houses from this period in Lakewood have been demolished,
leaving only a few properties like the Howell House to convey this
important aspect of Lakewood’s early development. JEWISH CONSUMPTIVE RELIEF SOCIETY HISTORIC DISTRICT (Rocky Mountain
College of Art and Design) The Jewish Consumptive Relief Society was incorporated in 1904 to serve tubercular patients other institutions considered too ill to benefit from treatment. At the outset, the facility consisted of six frame and canvas tents and a one-story administrative building. The design of the sanitarium resulted in a campus-like atmosphere meant to provide a sense of peace and solitude. The building facades face a landscaped parkway which forms an esplanade more than a block in length. The buildings reflect a panorama of institutional architecture as it developed during the first half of the 20th century. OFFICE OF CIVIL DEFENSE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER The circa 1960, bunker-like building is associated with Cold War Era military history. Designed for temporary use during an emergency, the building is believed to be one of the first of eight first generation nuclear fallout shelters operated by the Office of Civil Defense. In service as the Region 6 Operations Center until 1969, the partially buried Quonset Hut appears as an elongated rectangular earthen mound. PETERSON HOUSE / TICEN OR TYSON HOUSE Originally located in the Bear Creek area, the house was moved to its present location during the mid-1980s as part of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project. Dating from the 1880s, the wood frame farm house is typical of the vernacular Victorian era architecture of the region. The shiplap sided walls of the primarily 1½-story residence are painted. A one-story historic addition completes the L-shaped plan, and the gabled roofs are covered with wood shingles. The property was leased to the Peterson family in 1899. SCHNELL FARM Recognized as a Colorado Centennial Farm, the property includes a collection of residential and agricultural buildings and structures. Established in 1888, it is the last remaining example of an early farm complex in the Bear Creek Valley area of Jefferson County. STONE HOUSE Believed to date from the late 1860s, this small well-crafted dwelling apparently functioned as an early farmhouse. The main portion includes an attic level and has a side gabled roof. A shed roofed portion extends from the rear. The builder used river rocks that were matched and stacked horizontally to create this unusual example of stone construction. Quoins and lintels of rough-dressed cut sandstone provide additional interest. WASHINGTON HEIGHTS SCHOOL This 1898 school expanded twice to accommodate the growing community and closed in 1968 as the oldest continuously operating school in Lakewood. LittletonBRADFORD HOUSE II This small rock shelter was used intensively by prehistoric peoples from approximately 3000 B.C to A.D. 1540-a span of 4,500 years. The site has the potential to provide a greater understanding of the lifeways of the prehistoric people who inhabited the hogback/foothills of the Front Range, specifically addressing questions relating to settlement, subsistence, and the use of geological materials. BRADFORD-PERLEY HOUSE The 1860 Bradford-Perley House originally served as a station house on the Bradford Wagon Road during the years it was occupied by Robert Bradford, a respected Denver merchant and freight hauler. While the house is currently in a state of ruin, the site offers the potential to learn more about the construction and occupation of the house. HILDEBRAND RANCH The approximately five-acre district is located within the boundaries of the Denver Botanic Gardens’ Chatfield Arboretum. Settled by Frank Hildebrand in 1866, the family’s farming and ranching operation reportedly encompassed over 2,500 acres of owned or leased land by 1943. The significant cluster of more than a dozen surviving buildings and structures associated with the development of the ranch are located on the north bank of Deer Creek. Among the most interesting is the clapboard covered farmhouse which consists of an 1860s central core of log construction and circa 1880 wood frame additions on the east and west. MorrisonBEAR CREEK CANYON SCENIC MOUNTAIN DRIVE This linear district runs for two miles along Colorado Highway 74 between the towns of Morrison and Idledale. The route is noted for its enclosing granite cliffs and diverse vegetation. During the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps raised the bed of the original Denver Motor Club Road. The project involved the construction of six large retaining walls, rising up to 20 feet in height along the edge of the roaring creek. Listed under Denver Mountain Parks Multiple Property Submission. BRADFORD HOUSE III This Ken-Caryl Ranch archaeological site consists of a rock shelter situated within a bluff in a sandstone outcropping. The deposits are deeply stratified and appear to retain a high degree of integrity. Five occupations are represented, including three Plains Woodland levels located above a Late/Middle and an Early Archaic level. CRAIG, KATHERINE, PARK Although included by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. in his Mountain Park System Plan of 1914, the land was not acquired until 1935. The park served as a Civilian Conservation Corps camp from 1937 to 1941. Surviving buildings and foundations date from this period. Listed under Denver Mountain Parks Multiple Property Submission. DINOSAUR RIDGE The Dinosaur Ridge hogback is located on the western edge of the Denver Basin, immediately adjacent the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Rich fossil quarries were discovered there in March 1877 by Arthur Lakes. Noted paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh’s subsequent publications about the discovery marked the beginning of what has been viewed by many as the most productive decade experienced by American paleontologists. By 1889, the identification of seven new species of dinosaur at the site led to intensive and extensive explorations for dinosaur fossils in the western United States, resulting in a rapid advancement in the understanding not only of the biology and ecology of the Mesozoic but other geologic eras. THE FORT Built in 1962-63 and inspired in design and layout by the historic Bent’s
Old Fort in Otero County, The Fort was constructed of adobe bricks using
traditional Hispanic methods and materials. As one of few structural core adobe
resources in Colorado outside the San Luis Valley, The Fort is exceptional for its
adaptation of historic design, its association with William Lumpkins, an architect
known internationally for work in adobe and the Pueblo Revival style, and for its
use of traditional practices of construction and embellishment. In the context
of regional adobe traditions and of reconstructed adobe buildings both before
and after 1963, including the National Park Service reconstruction of Bent’s Old
Fort in 1975-76, The Fort played a significant role as a design and construction
example of exceptional quality. The building houses the internationally known Fort
Restaurant established by Sam and Betty Arnold. LODAISKA SITE The LoDaiska site, a large multicomponent rockshelter, contained a substantial and diverse cultural assemblage representing approximately 7,500 years of prehistoric life along the Front Range. The original analysis of the site influenced regional archaeological interpretation for many years and raised numerous questions that inspired the excavation of other important archaeolgocial sites. It is one of the only known shelters in Colorado with deposits representing the PaleoIndian through the Middle Ceramic. MORRISON HISTORIC DISTRICT Conceived and developed by George Morrison, the town was incorporated in 1872 by the Morrison Stone, Lime and Town Company. A natural stopping place for those headed for the mines in South Park, Mt. Morrison, as it was known until 1950, also served tourists to the Red Rocks area and workers involved in quarrying the rich local deposits of building materials. The town developed quickly as a bustling middle class community, and many of the original homes and commercial buildings remain intact. MORRISON SCHOOL HOUSE This 1875 two-classroom limestone school was built by the Morrison Stone, Lime, & Town Company. It is an uncommon Colorado example of a two-story rural schoolhouse. Listed under Rural School Buildings in Colorado Multiple Property Submission. RED ROCKS PARK / MT. MORRISON CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS CAMP During the Great Depression, George Cranmer, Manager of Improvement and Parks in Denver, utilized the Civilian Conservation Corp in the construction of a large outdoor amphitheater that is in harmony with the surrounding natural landscape. The amphitheater was completed in 1941, and the camp that housed the men who built it remains intact within the district. Listed under Denver Mountain Parks Multiple Property Submission. PineBAEHR LODGE / BAEHR DEN OF THE ROCKIES (Pine Valley Lodge) The 1927 log and native stone building is a well-preserved example of the Rustic style as interpreted by noted architect Jules J.B. Benedict. Nestled against a hillside, the lodge exhibits the quality of construction and attention to detail associated with his work. Pine & South PlatteNORTH FORK HISTORIC DISTRICT The district encompasses several communities associated with the development of the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad’s route through Platte Canyon during the 1870s to serve the mining areas to the west. By the 1890s, rail tourism boosted the local economy, and the North Fork area became a popular summer resort noted for its spectacular scenery, excellent stream fishing, and quiet rural setting. Surviving buildings located along the former rail bed reflect a mix of log, wood frame, and masonry construction. In general, the district extends westward from South Platte to Pine. Wheat RidgeCROWN HILL BURIAL PARK (Crown Hill Cemetery) 
A five-block historic portion of Crown Hill contains burial groups
memorializing the shared association of local individuals in major
life-altering or life-ending events. For some interees, earlier
participation in a major military action, such as the Civil War or
the Spanish-American War, ultimately brought them to this common place.
For others, the act of establishing and nourishing new communities at
the base of the Colorado Rockies gave them a shared identity and sense
of accomplishment, which is recognized here. Some shared membership in
fraternal organizations whose benefits included adjacent burial plots.
For a few, a common event marked the end of life, as in the 1918 influenza
pandemic. Taken together, the oldest portion of Crown Hill Cemetery physically
conveys the story of the participants in major events of local and national
importance. It also represents contemporary memorial practices involving
the use of common burial plots for interees with shared life associations.
(2007 photograph) PIONEER SOD HOUSE Located on its original site in what is now the Denver suburb of Wheat Ridge, the three-room sod house is now believed to date from as early as 1864. The walls are 30 inches thick, and the hipped roof is wood shingled. In 1938, a concrete floor was poured over the original wood, and the building remained in continuous use as a residence until 1972. Now falling within the boundaries of Wheat Ridge Historic Park, its significance is enhanced by the fact that sod houses were rarely constructed in the Denver area. RICHARDS MANSION / HART ESTATE In 1859, James W. Richards came to Colorado via the Smoky Hill Trail and tried mining and other endeavors before establishing a successful freight business. In 1869, he homesteaded 152 acres located 2.5 miles west of Denver where he built a large two-story residence that includes a mix of Italianate and Greek Revival style detailing. The walls of soft brick were stuccoed in 1926. Situated on a gently rolling hill, the grounds are landscaped with an assortment of mature trees. The property is now owned and maintained by the city. TOWER OF MEMORIES The Tower of Memories Mausoleum lies at the end of a grand esplanade that begins at the east entry of Crown Hill Cemetery. The seven-story tower was originally designed in 1926 by Kansas City architect Charles A. Smith. When his firm failed in 1928, Denver architects Fisher and Fisher were awarded the commission, and Smith’s Gothic style detailing was superceded by Modernistic elements. In 1950, architect John Monroe was hired to complete the project, and the tower’s gunite surface complements the Modernistic detailing. WHEAT RIDGE POST OFFICE Originally located on W. 38th Ave, the one-story, flat roofed brick building housed Wheat Ridge’s first post office from 1913 until the early 1920s. In 1944, the building served as the first home of the Wheat Ridge branch of the Jefferson County Public Library, and a variety of businesses have operated in the building. When threatened with demolition in 1989, the Wheat Ridge Historical Society spearheaded an effort culminating in the building’s relocation to Wheat Ridge Historic Park in 1992, where it now functions as a museum. |
National Register 10/12/2001, 5JF.711
State Register 5/16/2001, National Register 11/4/2003, 5JF.2491
National Register 2/2/2001, 5JF.51
National Register 7/14/2006, 5JF.4373