Hangar 61 – Ready for Flight Again

E s t. 1 9 7 0
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Vol um e 3 6
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Number 4
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Summer 2011
Hangar 61 – Ready for Flight Again
John Olson
director of preservation and programs
H
angar 61 is one of the
most unique structures
you will ever see. If you
haven’t had a chance to
view this piece of aviation history, it is wonderfully available for
viewing on the former grounds of Stapleton
International Airport at East 21st Avenue
and Central Park Boulevard, just north of
Montview Boulevard. The rehabilitation
of this landmark is all thanks to the efforts
of organizations and of individuals recently honored by Colorado Preservation, Inc.
at their Annual Dana Crawford and State
Honor Awards Dinner.
The individuals in particular are Larry
Nelson and Ruth Falkenberg. This husband and wife development team is no
stranger to discovery and vision when it
comes to historic buildings. They have
made a habit, through their company, 620
Corp, Inc., of buying buildings that have
seen better days and making them feel
new again. This building was admittedly a
challenge, even for them. It had sat empty
since 1995 when Stapleton closed its doors
and airport services moved to DIA. No
longer able to fulfill its duties as a house
of flight, it languished in anticipation
of a new use or destruction. Forest City
Developers were busy redeveloping the
surrounding airport grounds into neighborhoods full of housing, commercial
nodes, and office space, but they couldn’t
determine what to do with Hangar 61.
Enter one of the organizations, Colorado
Preservation, Inc. (CPI), who agreed to
purchase the property in 2004, designate it
on the State Register and apply for grants
from the State Historical Fund (SHF) in
order to stabilize its condition. Taking the
next step by finding the right buyer and
caretaker with the expertise to move the
process forward was complicated, but CPI
hit the mark when they entrusted Hangar
61 to Larry and Ruth in 2005.
I should back up by describing Hangar
61. Its grand doors dominate the southern
approach as if they have yawned open to
gather in the Fairchild F-27 Turboprop
Airliner it was meant to house. Built for
the Ideal Cement Company in 1959, this
building was supposed to showcase the
modernity of concrete applications while
housing the company’s private plane. It succeeded on all levels. Now those doors are
standing partially open, abutting a cleverly
designed glass wall that permanently leaves
two of the story-and-a-half high doors on
each end closed, while the remaining doors
are visible from the interior still residing on
their guiding tracks and seemingly in the
perpetual process of opening.
The ability
ward towards
of those doors to
the
anchors
be so large withrather than bogout any apparent
ging down in
structure holdthe middle. This
ing up the roof
shape allows for
above is due to
grand amounts
the support that
of glass to be
gives Hangar 61
hung below the
its shape. The
roof line which
renowned archihas become a
tecture firm of
great asset for its
Fisher,
Fisher,
current use. The
and Davis (parbalance of the
ent firm of Davis
exterior material
“Hangar 61 is one of the
Partnership) were
is made up of
most unique structures
the designers and
concrete masonyou will ever see.”
the engineer was
ry units (CMUs)
Milo Ketchum, a
to brace against
pioneer in thinthe north wind,
shell concrete construction. In fact, he was
provide secondary support for the roof, and
such a pioneer that Hangar 61 is believed
allow at least some opaque wall surface for
to be the only diamond-shaped cylindrical
storage or other uses.
arch thin-shell structure ever constructed.
Historic Denver, Inc. entered the
I know that was a mouthful, but when
Hangar 61 picture when we became the
you build something this special it takes
easement holder for the property in 2007.
a great deal of words to describe. And it
(A fitting task since we also happen to
is probably why the name was shortened
hold the easement on the historic Ideal
to, “Hangar 61”. The thin-shell roof soars
Cement Building on 17th Avenue downover the doors’ expanse thanks to two
town.) The easement was a requirement
giant concrete anchors at opposite points
made by the SHF, however, it was also
of the diamond, allowing the stresses of
something that all parties felt made permaterial, rain, and snow to flow outfect sense for the situation. Larry Nelson
continued on page 7
Denver, CO
Permit No. 756
Historic Denver, Inc.
P.O. Box 480491
Denver, CO 80248-9900
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Historic Denver News
from the
director
In This Issue:
Page 1
Hangar 61 ~ Takes Flight Again
Page 2
From the Director
Page 3
Guest Author
Page 4-5
Preservation Briefs
Page 6
Preservation Briefs
Page 7
Hangar 61
Page 7 - 8
Molly Brown House Museum
Page 10
HD Happenings
Page 11
New and Renewing Members
Page 12
Calendar of Events
Notable Homes for Sale
$5/ea.
The 22 pocket-sized titles of our
award-winning guidebook series
will take you on a historical journey
across a century and a half of Denver’s
incredible architectural past. Popular
neighborhood walking tours include:
Washington Park, Capitol Hill and
Lower Downtown.
This special price is offered only at
www.historicdenver.org.
2
Historic Denver Inc.
L
Photo: Havey Productions
ast month 5280 Magazine
published its annual “Best
Neighborhoods” issue. The issue
highlighted the most popular
places to live citywide, and these neighborhoods shared many things in common.
But, what immediately stood out to the
Historic Denver staff was the most common thread among the neighborhoods
- their historic character. Beyond being
enclaves of older homes, more than half
of the neighborhoods contain either local
or national register historic districts, and
all the neighborhoods are certainly eligible for designation.
The selected neighborhoods include
areas of East Washington Park, City Park
South, Hilltop, Curtis Park/Five Points,
Lower Highlands (LoHi), Alamo Placita,
East Cheesman (Morgan’s Subdivision)
and one area just outside the city limits,
Arapahoe Acres.
So what are the common elements
5280’s editors consider so desirable about
these areas? First on the list: walkability.
A trait derived from their historic roots,
these neighborhoods are not simply close
to transit options or centers of business
(primarily downtown), they are home to
small business districts that have either
stood the test of time, like south Gaylord
in Washington Park, or are experiencing a
renaissance, like 15th and Boudler in LoHi
and east Colfax on the edge of City Park.
These are not “new urbanist” characteristics, they are “old urbanist,” designed this
way because the automobile was either not
an option or less prolific. Perhaps what we
are learning is that our great-grandparents
got a thing or two right when it came to
building communities.
Next on the list of desirable characteristics: urban. A fairly broad term,
urban can mean a lot of things, but in the
5280 article it’s a positive attribute, and
one that invokes values like community,
character and in my thinking, that worn
feel of having been lived in by a lot of
people for a long time. Urban is less of
a geographic characteristic and instead a
“vibe” given by places that are well lived
in and loved by a diverse group of people.
Places with a little patina and a lot of
personality.
Third on the list: “simply cool.”
Perhaps even harder to quantify than
urban, “simply cool” is an elusive trait.
Coolness has to do with the way a neighborhood looks and feels, and the way
these neighborhoods look and feel is
historic - and unique. The architecture,
streetscape, relationship of homes to one
another, even that nature of the sidewalks, all contribute to giving a neighborhood that certain “je ne sais quois” 5280
refers to - that “it” factor. So what about
these neighborhoods creates this elusive
quality? It might be something different
for everyone – a mix of the characteristics
mentioned in items one and two, or the
manageable size of the homes and lots.
It could be the varied and often eclectic
nature of the architecture, or that feeling
of brushing up against the past by inheriting the places that existed before we came
along and will hopefully exist long after
we’re gone.
So what does all this mean for the
preservation movement? Have we become
“simply cool” too!?! It seems possible,
since the wider culture is embracing the
places we’ve long loved and protected.
And for those unimpressed with coolness?
It’s also important to note that more than
half of the neighborhoods included in the
5280 article have seen increased property
values in the last year, according to a 2010
Appreciation/Depreciation summary. On
top of this, the selected neighborhoods
that saw decreases fared far better than
many of their counter-parts. So not only
are these neighborhoods “cool,” they also
demonstrate what preservationists have
known for a long time, that historic character, especially when coupled with local
landmark designation, creates stable and
strong neighborhoods.
This point was driven home on a larger level by Donovan Rypkema, consultant
with Place Economics in Washington D.C.,
when he spoke at Colorado Preservation,
Inc.’s conference in February 2011. As
part of his discussion on the economic
impact of preservation he summarized
several studies on property values in
historic neighborhoods. He noted that
“homes in both local and national historic districts appreciated in value at a
higher rate than houses outside historic
districts.” Studies even indicate that there
is an immediate 2% increase in values
when a district is created and the properties in districts appreciate at a rate of
1% greater than average. This is not only
good news for property owners, its also
good news for cash-strapped cities desperate to keep tax revenues for local services
and schools.
In this issue a local realtor, Dee
Ciancio, will provide her personal and
professional assessment of the premium
value of historic districts and neighborhoods. Her expertise, along with 5280’s
assessment, come at a time when we
should not merely pat ourselves on the
back for our foresight in promoting preservation, but when we should remind our
friends, neighbors and newly elected local
leaders that preservation is an essential
tool in building the kind of neighborhoods and city that work.
Historic Denver, Inc.
1628 16th Street, Suite 200
Denver, CO 80202
303.534.5288 tel.
303.534.5296 fax
www.historicdenver.org
Officers
Chair
First Vice Chair Treasurer
Robert E. Musgraves
Sarah S. Krause
Michael (Mike) Coughlin
Board of Trustees
Margy Anderson
Katrina Benes
Anne Wainstein Bond
Bar Chadwick
Michael P. Coughlin
Mark Davidson
Holly Bunch Dencker
Steve Ekman
Mira Finé
Fabby Hillyard
Sarah Holtze
Dennis Humphries
Karen J. Jonas
Sarah S. Krause
James Kroll
Holly Kylberg
Thomas A. Lorz
Carla McConnell
Christie G. Murata
Robert Musgraves
David Pfeifer, AIA
Jonathon Pray
Mark Sheldon
Rosemary Stoffel
Cynthia M. Stovall
Margaret Toal
Elizabeth “Liz” Walker
HD Central Office
Executive Director Annie Levinsky x1
Outreach Coordinator
Sophie Bieluczyk x5
Director of Preservation Programs
John Olson x4
Director of Preservation Advocacy Alice Gilbertson x3
Preservation Programs Assistant
Phillip Barlow x 7
Preservation Advice and
Referrals
A Program of Historic Denver
303.534.5288 x 4
Molly Brown
House Museum
1340 Pennsylvania St.
Denver, CO 80203
303.832.4092
www.mollybrown.org
Director of Operations Andrea Malcomb x15
Curator
Kelly Rasmussen x12
Volunteer and Program Coordinator
Emily Parrington x10
Museum Educator
Darcie Martin x17
Historic Denver News
Managing Editor
Sophie Bieluczyk
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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,
1628 16th St., Suite 200, Denver CO 80202.
Summer 2011
guest
author
“houses are not merely
a collection of bricks and boards,
they are the vessels
that hold our lives.”
Dee Ciancio
Which House Would you Choose?
1906 Denver House-Park Hill: Photo: Spotlight Home Tours
Stapleton exterior photo: Steve Ciancio
Editor’s Note: Dee Ciancio is a Realtor with Fuller Sotheby’s International Realty in
Cherry Creek. She and her husband live in an Art Deco-style home built in 1935 in the
Park Hill neighborhood. She is a frequent speaker/presenter at the Landmark Realtor
program, instructor, community event organizer, and volunteer for preservation initiatives
including Historic Denver and East High School’s Project Angel Pride grounds improvement projects.
Vintage Home Ownership Pays
by Dee Ciancio
In February of 2011 I was invited by Historic Denver, Inc. and Colorado Preservation,
Inc. (CPI) to speak at the annual CPI “Saving Places” conference regarding the value of
owning vintage or “historic” properties, especially those located in designated historic districts. Having represented property sellers and buyers in legacy neighborhoods surrounding Downtown Denver for a number of years, I had a pretty good sense of how values of
vintage properties compared to those of their contemporary suburban counterparts, but
research for my presentation put a finer point on the distinction.
Even in the wake of a steadily declining real estate market since 2006, home ownership continues to matter. Data from a 2007 Federal Reserve Board report on household
finances found that median net worth of home owning families was $234,200 compared
with $5,100 for renting families. Before you dismiss that as a product of the housing “bubble” of the early 2000s, consider that in 1998 – prior to the national market overheating
– home owning families median net worth was $168,200, while net worth for renters was
just $5,400 (figures for both years were calculated in 2007 dollars).
In Denver, the distinction between newer home ownership, and vintage home ownership is just as profound. To illustrate the difference in dollars, I compared average price
per square foot of seven Denver neighborhoods including the legacy neighborhoods of
Bonnie Brae, Cheesman Park, Congress Park / 7th Avenue Historic District, Country
Club, North Country Club, Potter Highlands, and the new-construction community of
Stapleton. In order to paint the clearest picture, I used price per square foot averages only
for sold properties in these neighborhoods whose price range, $300,000 to $500,000,
was similar to those found in the recently constructed Stapleton neighborhoods (1). The
criteria served to eliminate luxury properties whose one-of-a-kind features and amenities
could have skewed the findings.
The difference was significant. Even the lowest average price per square foot for vintage (i.e. “historic”) properties was $34 per square foot (sf), more than that of recently
constructed houses in Stapleton. In 2010, properties sold in Stapleton averaged $196 per
square foot, which is quite good by national standards. But legacy neighborhoods fared
much better. Cheesman Park sales averaged $230/sf, Potter Highlands $251/sf, Congress
Park/7th Avenue $277/sf, Bonnie Brae $307/sf, North Country Club $316/sf and, not surprisingly, Country Club topped the comparison by selling at an average $418 per square
foot.
Of course you’ve all heard the real estate adage “location, location, location.” Many
legacy neighborhoods have great locations, whether its proximity to work or recreation,
schools, parks, or even a quiet street. While location matters for a number or reasons,
homes in Denver’s vintage neighborhoods have another key advantage, they sell faster.
Let’s look at two neighborhoods head-to-head in 2010: The Congress Park/7th
Avenue Historic District and Stapleton. Congress Park/7th Avenue had a total of 20
houses that sold between $300,000 and $500,000 over a 12-month period for an average
“absorption” of 1.7 houses sold per month. In February 2011 two houses for sale in that
price range equaled a 1.1 month supply of available properties. That means that, assuming
a property is in good condition and presented and priced well in Congress Park, it should
find a buyer in a month or two.
Stapleton, on the other hand, had 141 houses in the $300,000 and $500,000 price
range sell during 2010 for an average absorption of 11.8 houses per month. That sounds
good, right? It does until you consider that as of the February 2011 analysis, there were
48 properties in that price range offered for sale in Stapleton, compared with Congress
Park’s inventory of two houses. That equals an absorption rate that averages four times
longer to sell a property than that of the Congress Park/7th Avenue Historic District, and
24 times more competition for any one buyer!
It is interesting to note that while communities like Stapleton have sought to recreate
the look and feel of Congress Park or Park Hill, homebuyers seem to be able to easily differentiate between vintage properties and neighborhoods and newer communities. While
imitation may be the highest form of flattery, historic designation is an advantage that
cannot be imitated.
According to a 2007 analysis by Jonathan Mabry, Historic Preservation Officer for
Tucson, Arizona, home values rose 5% to 35% more per decade in over 20 historic districts nationwide compared with home values in undesignated neighborhoods in the same
communities. A 2002 Auburn University Study of Property Appreciation for Historic
Districts concluded that, in all cases, historic designation has a positive and substantial
impact on the value of properties located in a historic neighborhood.
I have a favorite saying that “houses are not merely a collection of bricks and boards,
they are the vessels that hold our lives.” As an 18-year vintage house owner (my husband
and I are on our third whole-house restoration!), I believe that historic properties provide
us with a wonderful connection to the past and a more meaningful path to the future.
Have you ever found yourself walking or driving down a favorite street and wondering
how it looked 100 years ago, or how it might look 100 years from now? If you have, you
know what I mean.
*Price per square foot comparison includes new builder sales, when available, and all
previously-owned houses that were offered for sale on Metrolist. Data does not include
private sales and transactions that were not listed on Metrolist.
Historic Denver Inc.
3
Historic Denver News
Preservation
Briefs
Denver Union Station – Progress of a
Transportation Hub
What’s Happening to the Capitol Dome?
You’ve probably been reading the local papers about the serious preservation challenges related to the iconic gold dome of our state capitol. In recent months extensive
analysis conducted has revealed the full extent of the work needed and the price tag has
moved from the original $12 million estimate to more than $17 million.
There is no more potent symbol of the past, present and future aspirations of
Coloradans than our venerable State Capitol Building and its magnificent gold-plated
dome. Through vision and philanthropy the citizens and business leaders that preceded
pleaseofcontact
us played an essential role in the creation
our Statehouse. In 1908, miners donated
200 ounces of 24-karet gold to gild the cast-iron, copper-clad Dome designed by Elijah E.
Myers in 1885. In fact, the ten acres of ground on which our Statehouse was erected was
a gift to the people of Colorado from Henry C. Brown (creator of Denver’s iconic Brown
Palace Hotel) in 1868.
Regrettably, the dome of our Capitol has fallen into serious disrepair. Constructed
entirely of cast iron painted gray to match granite used elsewhere in the structure, the
dome, the drum on which it rests, and all of the architectural details that decorate its
surface are deteriorating due to water infiltration and the intense freeze-thaw cycle of the
Colorado climate. The observation deck, the unforgettable field trip destination for generations of Colorado school children, has been closed to all visitors since 2007 due to the
danger of falling cast iron. The experts have concluded that, “the entire dome will require
extensive work to repair current damage and preserve the feature for future generations.”
To compound the already significant challenges of repairing the unique structure,
current economic conditions have seriously hampered the ability of the State to fund the
much-needed repairs. In response to the urgency, the Legislature diverted $4 million from
the State Historical Fund (SHF) in May of 2010 to initiate the restoration effort. This difficult but necessary decision has resulted in cutting the grant-making capacity of the Fund
by fifty percent in FY 2011 (the Fund was established in 1991 to be used for heritage preservation efforts throughout Colorado). Regrettably, should the remaining money needed
to complete the job be appropriated from the Fund, other essential preservation projects
throughout the State, including the dozens managed by Historic Denver for important
metro-area properties, will have to be postponed or cancelled. Because each dollar granted
from the Fund creates an additional $6 of economic activity, Colorado communities are
making a substantial sacrifice, at the expense of their own fiscal health and the protection
of their heritage
So what can the preservation community to do support the restoration of our most
iconic structure and ensure that the State Historical Fund remains a robust and vital
resource for important historic properties in communities around the state? We can support the efforts of our partner organization, Colorado Preservation, Inc. (CPI). In 2009,
CPI began working with the Legislature to craft solutions to this dilemma; how to protect
heritage funding throughout Colorado while restoring the Capitol dome. Colorado’s
elected leaders passed legislation tasking CPI with the responsibility to lead Share in the
Care Colorado, a public/private initiative to fund the majority of the work required to
restore the dome.
Share in the Care Colorado is a statewide campaign to educate and invigorate the
public, from school children to senior citizens, about our shared heritage as Coloradans
through the collective restoration of the dome. You can learn more about the campaign,
including how both individuals, schools and corporations can become involved, at:
www.ShareInTheCareColorado.com.
Historic Denver is doing its part to help with the campaign by sponsoring a documentary about “the People’s House” which tells the history of a building that represents
the heritage and legacy of Colorado. Produced and directed by Jim Havey, “Centennial
Statehouse: Colorado’s Timeless Treasure,” will premier at Colorado Preservation, Inc.’s
2012 conference. To learn more about the film, including information on sponsorships,
please contact John Olson at jolson@historicdenver.org or 303-534-5288 ext. 4.
For sponsorship information or to reserve your ticket
Michael Schlut at 303.534.5288 x 6 or
mschlut@historicdenver.org
Source material in this article was generously provided by Colorado Preservation, Inc.
4
Historic Denver Inc.
Denver’s great icon of transportation, the historic Denver Union Station, will be a
part of one of the largest redevelopment project in Denver’s history. The project is well
under way, as you might have already seen while walking in Lower Downtown towards
the Central Platte Valley on the 16th Street Mall, or by using the recently built 18th Street
pedestrian bridge. The project has also been in the news touting the many forms of transportation (including heavy rail, light rail, bus, and shuttle) that will now converge in the
area surrounding the 1881 station.
What has been missing as of late is an explanation of what will definitively occur
inside the existing station. What we know is that the station will evolve, as it had done
many times prior to World War II. The original central bay and roof structure atop the
wings of the 1881 station burned in 1894, necessitating a rebuilding effort that transformed the style and materiality of the original station. In 1914, the central bay was forcibly demolished and rebuilt to its current configuration and style in order to accommodate
the great influx of traffic the station needed to accommodate. Later, lower wing extensions
were both added and removed from the existing wings on the north and south. A gardenlike drive was removed from the Wynkoop Street side of the station to accommodate cars.
The Mizpah/Welcome arch was constructed in 1906 and removed to accommodate those
same cars in 1931. Various shed enclosures were added and removed on the Wewatta
Street side of the station and tunnels were formed and filled in over the life of the building.
After World War II, the station’s use declined, as did the use of rail throughout the
United States. Denver Union Station has continued its more relaxed use, however, as office
space, a hub for Amtrak services through the Rocky Mountain West, and as a gateway
for RTD bus services and more recently, light rail. Denver Union Station now has the
opportunity to transform once again into a much grander gateway for transportation and
expand its reach and interior uses into other arenas.
Historic Denver, Inc. has been a part of the process to help determine what those uses
might be. We recently finished managing a State Historical Fund grant that garnered the
services of SlaterPaull Architects to complete a Historic Structure Assessment (HSA). With
financial assistance from Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA), the HSA was
completed in November of last year and can be viewed on our website at http://www.
historicdenver.org/programs/Union-Station/. The HSA provides a road map for anyone
who wants to redevelop the station in a manner that will honor the historic integrity of
the building while providing space and services for new uses.
Historic Denver also participated in the recent Stakeholders Group meetings convened
by RTD to help construct recommendations to the RTD Board on the future of the historic station. After months of meetings with representatives from the residents and businesses of the LoDo neighborhood, the City of Denver, DUSPA, Union Station Advocates,
Downtown Denver Partnership (DDP), and RTD we feel the recommendations will help
guide the preservation of this icon, activate its interior and plaza spaces, and connect the
station more efficiently with the neighborhood, city, and region.
Recent news clippings may have also informed many readers that a recommendation
was made to the RTD Board to follow a Request for Proposals (RFP) model to select the
developer of the historic station. At press time, it is not completely clear how long this
process may take or how many qualified developers will enter the fold on the future of
Denver Union Station. We have seen some interesting ideas already and we are excited to
see what else may lay in the future for our iconic transportation hub.
If you would like to keep more informed about the redevelopment of Denver Union
Station and its surroundings, feel free to check our website at www.historicdenver.org for
updates or we highly recommend the job that the Denver Infill blog has been doing at
www.denverinfill.org.
Summer 2011
JCRS and Golden Hill Cemetery –
A Part of the History of Tuberculosis
Care in Colorado
In 1900 tuberculosis was the leading
cause of death in the United States. As a
result, it played a significant role in the
development of Colorado, since as many
as 60% of Colorado’s population was
attracted to the area during the turn of the
century in a quest for better health. These
newcomers were largely immigrants who
had originally settled in the United States’
urban centers along the East Coast. They
came to Colorado seeking the cleaner,
drier air and higher altitude thought beneficial for tuberculosis sufferers.
No public facilities were available for
the thousands of patients who arrived in
Colorado, despite the state having one
of the highest number of tuberculosis
patients of any state in the country. In
addition to the migrants’ large numbers,
many were impoverished and had spent
what little they had in fare for travel west.
In response, several religious and ethnic
groups in Denver established sanatoria
to provide treatment and housing for the
indigent afflicted.
One of these sanatoria, the Jewish
Consumptive Relief Society (JCRS),
accepted patients in advanced stages of
the disease when a complete cure was
unlikely. The JCRS grew from a small
group of working class consumptives to
become a national project dedicated to
the eradication of tuberculosis. Though
non-sectarian, JCRS for the most part
attracted Jewish patients. In 1903 at
their first fundraiser, the founders raised
$1.10. The new organization was not
undaunted and the following year they
had raised enough to purchase 20 acres
of land at what is now West Colfax and
Pierce Street. The new facility opened
with six ‘tents’ to care for patients. As a
result of their policy of acceptance for all
categories of tuberculosis sufferers, many
JCRS patients died, far from their families
and without resources to cover the cost
of burial.
In 1906 the West Side Benevolent
Society (WSBS), an independent Jewish
mutual aid society, formed to provide
cemeteries and funeral arrangements for
its members. The Society purchased land
along West Colfax Avenue in 1908 and
named it Golden Hill Cemetery. The
parcel was bisected by a former road
to Golden, and the two sections of the
cemetery were developed for two different uses. The lower section to the
south was the larger of the two and
landscaped. The northern, smaller section
was hilly and rocky and reserved for the
indigent, buried at community expense,
suicides (restricted from the cemetery’s
main portion according to Jewish custom) and patients from JCRS, who were
also restricted from the main section due
to a common belief that visitors could
contract the disease from the victims
interred there. Located in unincorporated
Jefferson County near the intersection of
Union Street and West Colfax Avenue,
the Hill Section of Golden Hill Cemetery
is situated on a steep hillside with a commanding view.
Historic Denver, Inc. is ensuring
this story and its sites are preserved by
working at both the National Register
listed site of Golden Hill Cemetery on
a Preservation Plan and at the JCRS
campus on the preservation and stabilization of the National Register listed
Isaac Solomon Synagogue. Both properties have suffered neglect due to a lack of
use and a lack of resources.
The Fisher and Fisher designed,
Moorish inspired synagogue on the JCRS
campus opened in 1926 after the previous synagogue was destroyed in a fire
in 1920. The synagogue has serviced
patients and staff of all faiths and was a
place of quiet refuge, but has been vacant
for decades since the campus has transformed from a medical to an educational
institution. The JCRS campus is now the
home of Rocky Mountain College of Art
and Design. Historic Denver received a
grant from the State Historical Fund to
assist the JCRS Isaac Solomon Historic
Synagogue Foundation in their efforts
to preserve and stabilize the building so
that events and interpretation can be conducted at the site once again. Masonry,
windows, flooring, and stucco repair are
a part of the current scope to ‘dry in’ the
building and facilitate its revived use.
At Golden Hill Cemetery, Historic
Denver is working with the West Side
Benevolent Society on a grant from the
State Historical Fund and has hired
Mundus Bishop Design (landscape architects) to develop a Preservation Plan. As a
part of the process we have conducted three
successful volunteer assessment events at
the site. We will update you all with our
progress at both sites, as well as discuss
other sites of interest in Colorado’s connection with tuberculosis in future issues
of HD News as well as on our website,
www.historicdenver.org.
At Golden Hill Cemetery,
Historic Denver is working with the West Side
Benevolent Society on a grant from the State
Historical Fund which has hired Mundus Bishop
Design (landscape architects) to develop a
Preservation Plan.
Main entrance to Golden Hill Cemetery. Photo: Historic Denver
continued on next page
The hill section of Golden Hill Cemetery, reserved for indigent victims of tuberculos. Photo: Historic Denver
The JCRS Synagogue in Lakewood. Photo: Historic Denver
Historic Denver Inc.
5
Historic Denver News
Preservation Briefs
Cont.
Historic Denver
Secures Grant for
Hose Company No. 1
In April Historic Denver was awarded
a $5,000 grant from the National Trust
for Historic Preservation to aid in the
effort to save Hose Company, No. 1. As
you may recall, the Hose Company first
came to our attention last winter when
the building’s owners applied for a demolition permit. This action was a response
to concerns by the City of Denver and
the Fire Department about the structure’s
condition, as it has been vacant and deteriorating for many years.
The Landmark Commission denied
the request for a demolition permit and
since then the owners of the structure,
who purchased it in 2005 intending to
conduct a full restoration, have been
working closely with Historic Denver to
identify a solution that ensures that the
oldest fire station in the city does not
disappear.
The hose company is located at 1963
Chestnut just west of Coors Field and
Union Station. Constructed in 1883 for
Denver’s Volunteer Fire Department it
served the neighborhood known as the
“Bottoms,” which today is part of the
Central Platte Valley. By 1922 it was no
longer used by the fire department and
was instead converted into a print shop
and later a welding shop, a purpose it
continued to serve until at least the 1980s.
In 1985 the owner elected to designate the property a local landmark,
describing its unique history and asserting
that the structure is the oldest standing
fire station in the city. The building’s
architecture, which is representative of
19th century industrial construction, has
only been slightly modified and most of
the significant exterior features are intact.
Hose Company No. 1 is one of only
a handful of historic structures remaining in the area west of Union Station. It
was identified in the Platte Valley Plan
as contributing to the character of the
area, which will continue to experience
on-going change and reinvestment as the
Union Station complex expands. The
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Historic Denver Inc.
Hose Company should not be left out
of the plans for this area but used as a
vibrant asset that complements new residential and commercial structures.
Historic Denver will continue to provide any assistance we can to the structure’s owners to safeguard a future for
the building. The $5,000 grant will be
used to prepare engineering drawings and
begin a stabilization process. However,
this important structure is not free from
the threat of demolition. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact John
Olson, Director of Preservation Programs,
at 303-534-5288, ext. 4. ;
2011 Historic Denver Annual Dinner & Awards
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 Brown Palace Hotel
5:00 p.m.
Cocktails
Main Lobby
7:00 p.m.
Dinner and Awards Presentation
Grand Ballroom
Sponsorship
Invitations will be sent
out in September.
If you are interested in
becoming a sponsor please
visit www.historicdenver.
org/programs/annualawards-dinner
or contact
Annie Levinsky
303-534-5288 ext. 1
to learn about
sponsorship
opportunities.
Summer 2011
Above: Hangar 61 during construction in 1959
Right: The aviation theme abounds at Stapleton Fellowship Church, for example, this café area is referred to as the
Terminal. Other places in the church are referred to as Arrivals, Concourse, Sky Lounge, and the Flight Deck.
Below: Hangar 61 in 2007
Hangar 61 – Born Again
and Ruth Falkenberg worked extremely
well with CPI and Historic Denver in
their efforts to rehabilitate the building
and they were eventually successful in getting Hangar 61 an additional protection
by adding it as a designated individual
landmark property in the City of Denver.
They artfully navigated the design review
process with the Landmark Preservation
Commission and with Historic Denver’s
easement review process on issues such
as the glass wall addition to the south
doors. They were also instrumental in the
environmental cleanup of the site and in
further cleaning and structural restoration.
However, throughout this process the end
use for the building remained a mystery. It
could no longer be a hangar, so what was
to be its future?
At about this time, a new group came
on the scene. In 2007 Stapleton Fellowship
Church began its ministry work in the
Stapleton neighborhood. They were repurposing buildings for their own ministry from the beginning, entering a longterm agreement with the Denver School
of Science and Technology to use their
space for church purposes when school
wasn’t in session. As their popularity
grew and space became a premium, they
began looking for a home of their own
in 2009. Hangar 61 was visible from the
school, but it didn’t appear to be a viable
option because of its condition, though
it had improved significantly. Stapleton
Fellowship Church had an early conversation with Forest City about land in the
area that was zoned to support a church
use and one possibility was the seven acres
around the hangar, but the hangar itself
was considered an obstacle more than an
asset. The church eventually settled on a
former Linens-n-Things store location in
a local strip mall. Their attempt to re-purpose an existing building that had enough
square footage for their church was well
on its way while Larry and Ruth and CPI
were still looking for a suitable buyer and
use for Hangar 61.
As fate would have it, the Linensn-Things location was exhibiting roadblock after roadblock and six months of
negotiations were deteriorating. Stapleton
Fellowship Church had already partnered
with their architecture firm Visioneering
Studios and with their development liaisons, Development Advisors of Denver, to
go ahead with the strip mall location when
eyes began to fall on the nearby Hangar
61 as a viable option. Things finally began
to click and Stapleton Fellowship Church
took posession of the hangar in 2010.
In addition to their architect and development consultants, they brought into
their team Martin/Martin as consulting
engineers and Fransen Pittman as their
contractors. The lead pastor of Stapleton
Fellowship Church, Dean Hill, stated that
he began to realize, “We were supposed
to be here.”
Larry Nelson, Ruth Falkenberg, and
CPI had now been provided a solution in
their search for a viable use for Hangar 61
and the progress was rapid. Visioneering
Studios came on site in January/February
2010 to do some research and conduct a
three day charrette to determine how the
church could function in the space of an
old hangar. Their initial ideas correlated
the former use of the hangar as a shelter
for technology necessary to achieve flight
with the church’s mission to achieve great
spiritual heights. It was a perfect thematic
moment that carried forward throughout
design and construction and has manifested itself flawlessly throughout the building. Physical work began to transform the
interior of the hangar in August of 2010
and the finishing touches were applied just
a week before Doors Open Denver and the
church’s grand opening on the weekend of
April 16-17, 2011.
The church basically built a building
within a building. There was discussion
about hanging structure a off the existing
concrete frame, but it was decided that
the concrete was already doing yeoman’s
work by holding up its own weight and
the possibility of snow load. Instead, a
mezzanine was added to half of the interior space to take advantage of the height
originally designed to accommodate a
plane’s tail. The mezzanine houses offices
and services above child care areas and
even a coffee shop, all accessible by a new
elevator. The other half of the building is
dedicated to the sanctuary, which is oriented towards the west and is a dramatic
double story height with a youth lounge
located in the balcony. Dean Hill mentioned that his original thought was to orient the congregation south, but he admits
after talking with designers the southern
option would have been too large, illproportioned, and taken away service and
office space availability. Nonetheless, even
with superb planning, Hangar 61 does
not contain a single room with square or
rectangular dimensions. However, this is
not a criticism, but has become a source
of great pride.
In the end, the church is thrilled with
its decision to take a chance on an oddly
shaped hangar. There were certainly challenges and obstacles throughout construction, often confronting seasoned professionals with scenarios never before seen.
But the team of designers, contractors,
and consultants pulled through impressively. Dean indicated there was a small
window of time prior to finding Hangar
61 where a new build was considered and
the costs were estimated as easily double
what was eventually invested in Hangar
61. Stapleton Fellowship Church now
occupies over 14,000 square feet of pure
unique experience in Hangar 61. Thanks
to their efforts, the efforts of CPI, Larry
Nelson and Ruth Falkenberg, and a small
nod to Historic Denver, you may now
experience Hangar 61 for yourself. Go
ahead and take flight at the hangar this
Sunday or look into what other times you
may visit by going to www.stapletonfellowshipchurch.org. ;
Historic Denver Inc.
7
Molly Brown
House museum
period had lattice fences so the committee
inserted lattice fences into the back portion of the grounds. T lattice fence was
painted dark green because a small piece
of old fencing was found in the basement
painted dark green.
The committee that started the
grounds restoration in 1972 was successful in creating an authentic historic
garden to be enjoyed by the Molly Brown
House Museum’s visitors for many years
to come. Through the rehabilitation of the
grounds the committee was able to display the fact that in 1910 gardening was
considered a fine art for ladies. Women
of fashion desired to showcase unusual
plants amongst the staples in their garden
and show that landscape was an integral
part of the architectural plan.
In 1988, another group decided to
enhance the gardens based on the original committee’s research and goals. Trees
were trimmed, fencing was fixed and more
planting was done. Some of the contributions that are still seen today are the herb
garden in the courtyard and the enlarged
rose garden which contains the yellow
Harrison rosebush that has survived since
the Brown’s time at the house. The gardens
continue to be maintained today using the
guidelines that were set by the original
committee. ;
The Brown residence circa 1910. Photo courtesy Denver Public Library.
Summer Gardens at the Molly Brown
House Museum
In 1972 the Molly Brown House
Museum formed a Grounds Restoration
Committee to design and recreate the
grounds and gardens that would have
appeared at the Browns’ house in 1910.
Firm guidelines of authenticity were given
to the Grounds Restoration Committee at
its first meeting. The objective of the committee was to authentically reconstruct the
gardens within the limits of their resources. When the project began the grounds
were in a healthy condition and the flower
bed borders still intact.
The considerations during the project
included: Who would visit the museum?
How would the gardens affect visitors?
How can pleasant vistas from within the
house be created? How can cool shade and
inviting visitor walk-ups be created? The
committee decided to use the architectural
plans to decide what parts of the house
needed to be highlighted and which parts
needed to be minimized. The first step was
planting major trees and shrubs and donations came from the community to begin
this process.
After the trees were planted out front
the tough part of deciding what should
be included in the garden began. Unlike
the exterior and interior of the house,
the grounds were not photographed during the Brown’s era. The committee read
historical newspaper accounts along with
oral interviews, but only gained a slight
idea what the gardens would have looked
like during the Brown’s time at the house.
The committee took into consideration
Margaret’s unique personality and gardens
of the time period and decided to create an
exuberant late Victorian Era garden.
The committee began working with
the Denver Botanic Gardens and discovered a cooperative lending program available through Massachusetts Horticultural
Society. Through this program the committee was able to obtain The Victorian
Flower Garden by Geoffrey Taylor, published in 1952. The book’s explanation of
8
Historic Denver Inc.
garden history and detailed descriptions
of plant material helped the committee
decide what plants to use and where to
place certain plants in the garden. The
garden would have a mix of old fashioned
standards and exotic plants of the time
period, such as pampas grass and cannalilies. Some of the old favorites included
hen and chickens, phlox, shasta, daises,
pennyroyal, garden glow and hollyhocks.
Another helpful tool in deciding what
plants to incorporate in the gardens was
the Denver Botanic Gardens’ library. The
library contained seed and flower catalogs,
the 1888 Breck and 1906 Burpee, which
would have been available to Denverites
in the 19th century.
Just a couple of blocks away from
the Brown’s home, at 1225 Logan Street,
still stands the home and florist shop built
by Edward and Rosalie Mauff in 1884.
Rosalie started her floral business with a
single hothouse where she grew geraniums, the ever-popular Victorian flower. By
1910, Mauff’s was the largest greenhouse
in the west , with the hothouses extending
north almost to the corner of 13th Ave.
Mrs. Brown and other notable Capitol
Hill residents were no doubt regular customers of Mrs. Mauff.
With research completed, the committee was ready to begin planting. Some of
the shrubby and trees included: snowball,
lilac, cottonwood, spirea, pussy willows
and for a lacy texture, tamarish. While
planting, drainage, soil preparation, climate, plant materials, height, color harmony, and drift planting techniques were
kept in mind. One photo of the front
porch of the house in 1910 showed hanging baskets that the committee was able to
duplicate. Prior to planting an asphalt pad
needed to be removed to create a more
historic feel to the path. Once the pad was
removed bleeding hearts, lily of the valley,
columbines, violets, and periwinkles were
able to planted and create an authentic
feel. Many gardens during the 1910 time
The Grounds circa 1972. The fountain in the background was later relocated to the 9th Street
Historic Park on the Auraria Campus.
Proud Sponsor of
Historic Denver
Holland & Hart is proud
to continue founding
partner Stephen H. Hart’s
commitment to historic
preservation.
-
Mark Davidson
Partner, Board Member
303-295-8572
madavidson@hollandhart.com
555 17th Street
Suite 3200
Denver, CO 80202
www.hollandhart.com
Photo Courtesy of the Colorado Historical Society
Summer 2011
Did you know?
Two archeological digs were done on
the grounds of the Molly Brown House
Museum. The first dig was done in 1973
by the Department of Anthropology at the
University of Colorado, Boulder. A pit was
discovered while digging 14” below the
present ground surface on the northeast
corner of the property. It is thought to
have been a grease pit based on its location near the house, sand fill at the bottom
which acted as a filter, the general size
and compatible grease trap configuration.
Such pits were required at the turn of the
century in Denver. The trap was connected
by pipes to the kitchen sink and another
pipe lead from the trap to the waste water
lines. The trap acted as a deposit for
grease and other wastes that might clog
municipal wastewater lines.
The second dig was done in 1974-75
by Metropolitan State College students
on the north side of the Carriage House
where there is now a parking spot. During
the two-day dig a foundation for an incinerator was found along with evidence that
a gate was present at some point. Smaller
objects found include nails, nuts, bolts,
pieces of china, a theatre ticket, a small
ring, and several broken bottles. ;
Calling
all
green
thumbs!
The Molly Brown
House Museum needs the services of
volunteer gardeners. We are looking for
a person or group willing to donate a few
hours a month towards the planting and
upkeep of our flower beds. Our garden is
small enough to tackle for one person or,
it would be a great garden club or corporate volunteer project.
We will happily recognize your efforts
on-site with signage, in our quarterly
newsletter and in our Annual Report. You
will also receive the same benefits available to all of our docents including free
tours of the Museum, discounted or free
admission to our events and discounts in
our Museum Store.
To volunteer or for more information
please call Emily Parrington at 303-8324092 x10. ;
The planting plan created by the Gardening Committee.
What’s the Story?
We want to hear your story.
Call Denver Story Trek at
303.562.2407
Historic Denver Inc.
9
Historic Denver News
around town
Congress Park
Historic Speakers Series 2011
Notable Homes For Sale
The tenth season of Congress Park Neighbors (CPN) Historic Speakers series is
presented by the CPN Historic Preservation and Education Committee. Lectures run
May through September, with a lecture given the last Wednesday of each month. The
lectures are held at Heitler Hall, National Jewish Hospital, at 7 p.m., unless otherwise
stated. Lectures are free and open to the public. Parking is available in the lot on
Jackson Street. This schedule is also posted on the Congress Park web site at www.
congressparkneighbors.org.
Lecture topics are chosen to help the owners of old houses in the area learn how to
better care for their fine “antique” homes and appreciate the history and architectural
style of these homes. If you have questions or would like to help, please contact
Carolyn Van Sciver at 303-377-4913 or cvansciver@earthlink.net. We always need
people to help flyer their block before a talk.
The 2011 schedule includes:
1625 East 3rd Avenue, Denver
June 29, 2011
August 31, 2011
Options for Old Windows
Design Guidelines for
Porches
For over a century, the Cowperthwaite family has owned this beautiful Tudor home.
Designed by Fisher and Fisher architects and constructed in 1909, it was the first home
built on Gilpin Street in the Historic Country Club neighborhood. Six bedrooms, eight
bathrooms, a main floor apartment, gracious formal rooms and private outdoor spaces
make this home special. It is located on a sunny and social corner of the neighborhood.
It is now more than double the size of its original footprint, but charming features like
original hardwood floors, iron windows and coffered ceiling remain. It was honored to
be chosen as the 2011 Denver Designer Show House to benefit The Children’s Hospital.
For more information, please visit www.livedenver.com
List price: $3,275,000
Contact Trish Bragg or Maggie Armstrong, Fuller Sotheby’s International Realty
303-241-9244 or trishandmaggie@fullerproperties.com
The original windows in your old
house are an important part of the design
elements of your house. They were
built to last the life of the house, with
periodic maintenance. David Reusch, of
Reusch Historic Window, has thirty years
experience working on old houses and
historic windows. Learn how to maintain
and improve these important parts of
your home.
The front porch is one of the main
architectural features for most older
houses in Denver. The porch is one of
the first things to need serious repair or
rebuilding. John Van Sciver will walk you
through the design process to rebuild a
sturdy porch that maintains the original
style of your home.
September 28, 2011
July 27, 2011
Care of Mature Trees
Mature trees can add significant
dollars to the value of your home. In
addition to their beauty, they also save on
your energy costs year round and add to
the ambiance of our neighborhoods. Jim
Myer, Senior Arboreal Inspector for the
City and County of Denver, will give tips
on the care of our urban forest, as well as
species selection for different locations.
Healthy Homes.
Does your house need a physical
exam? Bill Lucas-Brown, of GB3 Energy,
is a “house doctor” who can help you
locate energy, heating, or ventilation
problems in your old house. Changes,
from simple to complex, can make
your home perform better, be more
comfortable, and more energy efficient.
Underwritten by: Susan Bradley,
Broker Associate, The Bradley Group
Real Estate Services
VIP Supporter Benefit
On Monday, April 11 about 65 VIP
Supporters of Historic Denver, along with
select members of History Colorado,
enjoyed a private viewing of the 2011
Denver Designer Show House. This year
the historic Cowperthwaite residence in
Country Club was transformed by 28
top designers to benefit the Children’s
Hospital. Guests were treated to cocktails,
hors d’oeuvres, and a speech by Tom “Dr.
Colorado” Noel. Everyone had a great
time and a good amount of money was
raised for the Children’s Hospital.
Donate $100 a year or more to become
a VIP Supporter of Historic Denver and
receive invites to special VIP-only events.
10
Historic Denver Inc.
1257 Saint Paul Street
A shining example of the Beaux-Arts Foursquare architecture, with Craftsman elements, this house was designed in 1908 by renowned architect George Bettcher. Quarter
sawn oak details abound – a built-in mirror coat rack trimmed with oak, a perfect
original bookcase, and beamed ceiling. The breathtaking dining room boasts vintage
detailing throughout, such as egg and dart trim, plate rail, and an unbelievable built-in
china cabinet with beveled glass. Solid oak doors are found throughout the home, as
well as fireplaces with original surround tile, beautiful hardwood floors and period lighting fixtures. This kitchen boasts one very unique feature – an original voice tube, which
allows you to communicate with the second floor and basement! Five bedrooms, two
full bathrooms, one half bathroom, grand entry, flagstone patio, and a spacious front
porch add to the charm of this Congress Park property. For more information please visit
www.1257saintpaul.com
List price: $625,000
Contact Lisa Santos, Realtor/Owner, ReMax Cherry Creek
303-331-4664 or lisasantos@comcast.net
To submit a historic property for consideration in this section please contact us at
info@historicdenver.org or 303-534-5288 ext. 5.
Thank You
To Historic Denver’s New and
Renewing Supporters
December 2010 ~ March 2011
Tom and Isabel Abbott
John D. and Flodie Anderson
Margy Anderson
Mary Armstrong
Progressive Urban Management
Assoc.
Thomas Gougeon and Donna
Middlebrooks
Marla and Leon Graber
Dave Grady
Robert S. Graham
Gertrude Grant
Stephen Bain
Hugh Grant and Merle Chambers
Dennis and Barbara Baldwin
Friday Green
Louis and Pamela Bansbach
William Haan
Gordon and Gerri Baron
Karen Hagler
Robert Baron
Joseph W. Halpern
Thais Bastron
Linda and Charles Hamlin
Emmy Baum
Linda Hargrave
Diane and Paul Behm
Duke and Pam Hartman
Katrina Benes
Jim and Marty Hartmann
C.F. Benoit
Iris A. Hawkins
Kay Berenbaum
Randal and Norma Heinz
Arthur and Marilyn Berlinger
John W. Hickenlooper and
Helen Thorpe
George and Ann Bermant
Bridget D. Black
Joan Blaik
John Blekicki
Tim and Leanna Boers
Yvonne Hickey
Bev Hiller
Ray Hilliard and Carol
Burt Hilliard
Carol S. Prescott
Susan and John Probeck
John and Ann Prosser
Virginia Putnam
Robert Quillin
Heather Quiroga
Doris Reed
Elaine Reese
Richard Replin
Rhoda and Ronald Resnick
Daniel Richardson
John Richardson
Michael Ritchie
Jeanne Robb
Mark Rodman
Jean Rueschhoff
Robert Rust and Pam McLary
Dave Ruterbories
Joshua Santillanes
Rosalee Sarell
Lindsay Essex Sauvage
Stacy Schurman
Marguerite and John Holden
Jeanne Seydel
Gary Holt
David and Barbara Sheldon
Sarah Holtze
Moras L. and Erne H. Shubert
Darrell Houghton
LInda Singer
Elizabeth Hubbell
Joseph S. Sinisi
Janet Hughes
Stanley G. and Sandra L. Sprinkle
Dennis Humphries
Andrea Stanton
Sherrill Ice
Harry and Ruth Starkey
Lane and Ellen Ittelson
Rosemary Stoffel
Will and Marcia Johnson
John and Kristina Stowell
Robin Johnston
Marcia Strickland
Ann Jones
Denyse Sullivan
Alice and Terry Kelly
Frances Taylor
KEW Realty
Ruth Telea
Anne Klenk
Josephine Teodosijeva
Diane Klopfenstein
Shelley Thompson
Walker Knight
Nancy Tipton
Donna C. Kornfeld
Margaret Toal
Sarah S. Krause
Ronald Treants
James X. and Joan M. Kroll
Richard Tyre
Holly Kylberg
Ernst and Elizabeth Uhrlaub
Bruce Leigh
John Van Camp
Phyllis Lerud
George and JoAnn VanTrump
Elaine Levengood
Marcia Vaughey
Linda Levin
George Ann and Buzz Victor
Julian J. Lineham
Michael Villano
Thomas Lorz
Jane Wainwright
Stephanne MacCarter
Daniel Wake
Lois Mackay
Liz & Frank Walker
Pamela Mahonchak
Grace Wanner
Marshall Meyer
Zachary Warzel
Carla McConnell
Mile High United Way
James McCotter
Michael and Etta West
Lynn McCracken
Ann Westerberg
Gregory Fasing
Verna Melorango
Sandra White
Mona and John Ferrugia
Scott Miller
Larry and Katie Wiberg
Ellen and Fred Fisher
Edward and Linda Moery
Judy P. Wiese
JoVonne and Jerry Fitzgerald
David Wayne Morris
Joseph and Barbara Wilcox
Barbara Ford
Kathie Mulkin
Dorothy Wilson
Ford and Ann Frick
Christie Murata
David Wise
Richard Fromm and
Deb Armbruster
Harold and Sarah Nelson
Lester and Marianne Woodward
Robert and Judi Newman
Nancy Woodward
Margaret Newton
Emily Wylde
Alice Norris
Bruce Yaple
Elaine Osborn
Pamela Zeldin
Barbara and Robert Pahl
Donald Zeller
Edward and Jean Bolle
Brooks and Anne Bond
Peter and Devon Bowes
Bill and Cynthia Braden
I.T. Briggs
Karen Brody and Michael Hughes
Kathleen Brooker
Hugh and Lynne Brown
James Cameron
Susan E. Card
Frances Carswell
Bar Chadwick and Steve Cassin
Andrea Clifford
Michael Coughlin
Lois Court and Patrick Reynolds
Thomas L. and Suzanne Coxhead
Jill Crow
Bill and Mary DeGroot
James and Gail Delaney
Holly and Joe Dencker
Spencer T. Denison and Kara
Horner
Tyson Dines
Joanne Ditmer
H. Merle and Audrey V. Dorsett
Lisa Duke
Elizabeth Caswell Dyer
Steve Ekman
Sharon Elfenbein
Ginny and Chuck Ennis
Christopher Erskine
Lee C. Everding
Ruth Falkenberg and Larry
Nelson
Robert and Virginia Fuller
Tish Gance
Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado
Bradley and Angela Gaylord
James Gehres
Alice and Jon Gilbertson
Matt Goebel
Kajsa Gotlin
Summer 2011
An Announcement
to Our Supporters
For 40 years our members and donors have
made it possible for us to continue our 40-year
legacy of protecting the historic places that make
our city a great place to live.
In the beginning of this year we announced
some changes that will help us widen our support,
strengthen our advocacy efforts and provide you
with the benefits that are most meaningful to you.
We now use a new term to describe all our, members and donors alike. Supporters.
The name change reflects a wonderful reality of giving - that the ways in which our
Supporters further our mission are as unique as our supporters themselves. From now
on, all individuals that provide us with financial support via annual support renewal,
holiday appeals and ticketed event attendance will be considered Supporters of Historic
Denver. As a Supporter you’ll receive all the same great benefits you’ve enjoyed as a member, including:
n Our informative monthly e-newsletter and electronic Preservation Alerts
n The Historic Denver News in print or electronic form
n Invitations to events, tours and programs and select discount opportunities
n A 10% discount in the Molly Brown House Museum Store
Supporters of Historic Denver with annual gifts of $100 or more will also receive
additional VIP benefits, including invitations to exclusive events and private tours – granting you access to historic places you’ve always wanted to explore.
Additionally, to save both money and paper, those of you who have provided us with
an e-mail address will receive your first renewal notice electronically so you can update
your support quickly and easily on-line. Should you miss that e-mail, or prefer not to use
e-mail, you will receive a letter in the mail during the same quarter you supported the
organization in the previous year. We hope you will continue to support our efforts at the
same level or perhaps a higher level when possible. We will of course continue to send you
our annual year-end appeal as well.
As we make this administrative transition, please do not hesitate to contact our offices
with questions or concerns. We are committed to providing all our Supporters with up-todate information on preservation issues, resources and activities and hope that this new
model will only increase our capacity to achieve our mission.
On behalf of everyone at Historic Denver and the Molly Brown House Museum,
thank you for your continued support!
Become a Supporter of
Historic Denver!
S U P P O T E R I N F O R M AT I O N
New Supporter
Renewal
Business Supporter
Name/Business ____________________________________________________________
Address __________________________________________________________________
City_________________________________ State ___________ Zip Code ___________
Phone ______________________________ Alternate Phone _ _____________________
Email ____________________________________________________________________
$25
$50
$100
$250
$500
Other $____________________
Please mail this form with payment to:
Historic Denver, Inc.
1628 16th Street, Suite 200
Denver, CO 80202
or
Call 303-534-5288 ext. 5 with your credit card information.
Historic Denver, Inc. is a 501 c3 and your contribution is tax-deductible.
We’re going green!
In our ongoing effort to be paperless, we’re doing a lot more communicating by email. Do we have your email address? In order to receive our monthly preservation and event e-newsletter and renewal
notices, please send your email address to: info@historicdenver.org or by telephone at
303.534.5288 x 5.
Note: Historic Denver does not trade or sell email addresses
Pat Pascoe
Nancy Persons
Robert Peterson
Deborah Pool
Historic Denver Inc.
11
Spring 2011
calendar of
EVENTS
Exhibit Open
May 18 - Sept. 25, 2011
The City and the
Children: Denver’s
Juvenile Justice System
Molly Brown House Museum
1340 Pennsylvania Street
Explore the beginnings of Denver’s juvenile justice system and the man that
fought for the rights of children, Judge
Benjamin Barr Lindsey, also known as
‘the kids’ judge. Lindsey, memorialized by Denver’s new Lindsey-Flanigan
Courthouse opened in 2010, was known
for championing a juvenile court system,
advocating for social reform, great showmanship and the important company
with which he exchanged his ideas. One
of his greatest supporters was none other
than Denver’s Margaret “Molly” Brown.
Mrs. Brown’s fundraising efforts and
the work of Judge Ben Lindsey helped
to change the way Denver and America
treated their youth and addressed social
injustices.
Molly’s Birthday
Jubilee
Sunday, July 17, 11–2
Molly Brown House Museum
1340 Pennsylvania Street
Help the Museum celebrate Molly’s
144th birthday! Enjoy traditional lawn
games, birthday cake and other delectable treats. Bring the kids for a laid-back
Victorian afternoon with special youth
activities and meet Molly and her friends
who will be sharing in the festivities.
New for 2011, explore our Titanic Expo
and have your photo taken in a Titanic
Lifeboat!
Molly’s Birthday
Jubilee Details:
Sunday July, 17
11:00 – 2:00 pm
Tickets:
www.mollybrown.org or call
303.832.4092 x16.
Family Ticket Pack:
2 adults and 2 children for
$34, a $6 savings!
Mom & the Kids Pack:
1 adult and 2 children for
$24, a $4 savings!
Individual Tickets:
$8 for members, children
& seniors, $12 for nonmembers
12
Historic Denver Inc.
August 13
Lifeboat #6 Titanic
Dinner
Molly Brown House Museum
1340 Pennsylvania Street
In case you missed the dinner in April,
and in honor of the 99th Anniversary,
experience the excitement and opulence of
1st Class Titanic dining with a delicious
seven course meal, wine pairings, costumed
stewards, and a candlelit tour of Denver’s
own Unsinkable Mrs. Brown’s home. This
event includes a Supporter benefits with
Historic Denver, our parent organization.
Saturday, August 13, 6:00 pm. Tickets are
$100 / person, visit www.mollybrown.org
or call 303.832.4092 x16.
September 17
Hats Galore Hat
Workshop
Molly Brown House Museum
1340 Pennsylvania Street
Create a true Victorian millinery masterpiece with the help of our historic
fashions experts. We’ll provide the hat,
materials, and refreshments. This workshop will feature material to make a fall
or winter hat. A tour of the museum is
not included. Saturday, September 17,
10:00 am – 1:00 pm. Tickets are $55 /
person, visit www.mollybrown.org or
call 303.832.4092 x16.
September 27
The Judge and Mrs.
Brown Full Tea
Molly Brown House Museum
1340 Pennsylvania Street
Discuss juvenile justice reform and other
topics with Mrs. Brown and Judge Ben
Lindsey over a nice cup of tea. The tea
includes a tour of our exhibit examining the work of Judge Lindsey and Mrs.
Margaret “Molly” Brown. Saturday,
September 27, 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.
Tickets are $20 / person, visit www.mollybrown.org or call 303.832.4092 x16.
Historic Denver Inc. has partnered with the National Trust
for Historic Preservation, State Historical Fund, cities in the
Denver metro area, and graduate students in architecture from
the University of Colorado to create a series of homeowner
education workshops. The free workshops will focus on the
topics of Historic Preservation Basics and Tax Credits, Window
Restoration and Weatherization, Mortar and Wood Trim
Restoration and Energy Efficiency for the Older Home. Dates
for upcoming workshops in Arvada and Littleton are below.
June 30, 2011
Energy Efficiency for the Older Home
Littleton Community Room
7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Historic Denver, Inc. has teamed with Strawhat Pictures and SolarCity to create a video documenting the energy audit process in three historic Denver area
homes. This video shows how an energy audit can be beneficial for a building of
any age and addresses many of the common areas of inefficiency. Attendees at this
workshop will view the video, and then have the opportunity for Q&A with energy
specialists.
July 14, 2011
Window Restoration and Weatherization
Workshop
Littleton Community Room
7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Old windows are much maligned in our energy conscious world as leaky,
ugly, and inefficient. This workshop will feature both a lecture portion, where the
attendee will discover the truth about window efficiency, and a workshop portion
to demonstrate DIY skills that can help make a historic window perform better and
last for many more years to come.
September 15, 2011
Masonry and Wood Trim Workshop
Arvada City Hall
6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Masonry exteriors are well regarded for their long life and resistance to many
of the factors that turn other materials to dust. They do require maintenance however, and this workshop will demonstrate, on-site, how to evaluate your conditions
and repoint with traditional mortar that will interact properly with your masonry.
This workshop covers exterior wood trim restoration as well, including determining the best method for repair and the use of epoxy.