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Did You Know?
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 The local Denver landmark The Molkery, located in Montclair Park, was a tuberculosis health spa, built by Baron Walter von Richthofen. He thought it would be beneficial to have the patients live close to the cows that provided them with milk. The first floor was a cattle barn, and the tuberculosis patients resided on the second floor. Needless to say, the health spa was not open very long.
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| City Hosts Open House on Design Guidelines |
 Landmark preservation planners hosted an open house on December 9 in northwest Denver to solicit input on a planned update to the design guidelines used to evaluate building projects for local landmarks and properties in historic districts.
The design guidelines help ensure that proposed projects preserve key historic features and are compatible with the character of historic buildings, sites and districts. But the current guidelines, adopted in 1995, are difficult to navigate, have few illustrations and do not reflect recent advances in building and construction -- including energy-efficient technology.
New guidelines will outline a "how-to" approach and will provide easy-to-follow charts and graphs so that homeowners and design professionals can more easily navigate through the design review and permitting process. The second of two public workshops is slated for the spring. For additional information on the project and more opportunities for public input, visit DenverGov.org/Landmark.
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Curtis Park Home and Capitol Hill Landmark Win Mayor's Design Awards
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 Mayor Michael B. Hancock recently honored two of Denver's historic buildings with the Mayor's Design Award.
A few years ago, Graham and Ashlee Tharp decided to transform a severely run-down 1880s house in the Curtis Park Historic District into their forever home. Despite the fact that the house had been unoccupied for years, with crumbling parts and pigeons in the attic, Ashlee -- an interior designer -- made it her full-time mission to complete this epic remodel. Together with their architecture team, they gave it "a heck of a lot of love," restoring many of the original architectural details by hand, and turned it into a house worthy of a magazine spread.
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 Across town in Capitol Hill, the Patterson Inn was being beautifully restored. Originally built in 1891, the Patterson Inn was a single-family house until 2008. It sat vacant for three years until new owner Brian Higgins of Raw Architecture came along. As a local, state and national landmark, the Patterson Inn required careful and deliberate restoration of original millwork, stained glass, and degraded sandstone. Brian and his team made sure it was done right. Today the Patterson Inn is an inviting bed and breakfast, and has livened up its corner of Capitol Hill. View a slide show of award winners at DenverGov.org/MDA.
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| New Permit Counter Services |
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Homeowners and design professionals seeking landmark design reviews and permits may now take advantage of landmark preservation services at the city's permit counter. Landmark design and permitting staff are now available from 9 - 11 a.m., Monday - Friday, at the Development Services permit counter on the 2nd floor of the Wellington Webb Municipal Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave. Sign in at the kiosk for landmark preservation services. Meetings are also available by appointment -- call 720-865-2709.
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| Custom Design Guidelines in the Works for Welton Street |
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With an eye on the past and the future, the City and County of Denver is creating design guidelines for the Welton Street Commercial Corridor Cultural District, an approximately six-block area in North Denver that has long been a focal point of the city's African-American cultural history.
The Denver City Council designated the Welton Street Commercial Corridor Cultural District a historic district in 2002, which means that the Landmark Preservation Commission reviews designs for all exterior alterations, additions and new construction in the district. The custom guidelines will establish design review guidelines that address Welton Street's unique needs and serve as a how-to resource for property owners and developers, with the goal of highlighting and preserving Welton Street's special place in Denver's history and stimulating redevelopment.
City staff will be soliciting input from property owners, community members and other stakeholders on not only on the design guidelines, but also to identify specific properties in the district that contribute to Welton Street's cultural history. Properties determined to contribute to the district's cultural and historical identity may qualify for economic incentives for rehabilitation projects. For additional information on the project, visit DenverGov.org/Landmark. |
Discover Denver to Survey Parts of Park Hill, Berkeley
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 Discover Denver, a survey to identify historic and architecturally significant structures citywide, has announced its second pilot: parts of the Park Hill and Berkeley neighborhoods. Survey work in Park Hill is expected to begin in December 2013, and will continue through spring 2014. Survey work in Berkeley is expected to begin in late February 2014.
Discover Denver is gathering information about buildings using public records, neighborhood canvassing, academic research, and tips from the public. Findings from the survey will later be accessible online so that everyone can learn about Denver's past - building by building. The City and County of Denver and Historic Denver, Inc. launched the survey in September with a Harvey Park pilot.
If you would like to share your stories about buildings in Harvey Park, Park Hill, Berkeley or elsewhere in Denver, please visit www.DiscoverDenver.CO. You can also find Discover Denver on Facebook. |
Following a December 5 hearing, a hearing officer determined that the Bosler House at 3209 W. Fairview in West Highland is in violation of the city's neglected and derelict building ordinance. Based on that ruling, the city will fine the property owner $999 for each day the property has been in violation, up to 110 percent of the home's value.
The Bosler House, a two-story Italianate brick home, is a designated landmark. It was built in 1875 by Ambrose Bosler, one of the founders of the town of Highlands. Several key figures in Denver's history have owned and lived in it over the years.
The building's roof has been open to the elements since 2009 when the current owner attempted to make unpermitted alterations.
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| South Lincoln Street Historic District Application Withdrawn |
| In October, a group of homeowners on South Lincoln Street applied to designate the 200 block of South Lincoln Street a historic district. The applicants later withdrew their application, citing mixed sentiments from the block's homeowners. The proposed district would have encompassed 19 Queen Anne and Denver Square style houses, all built between 1886 and 1906. |
Landmark Preservation is an important function of the Department of Community Planning and Development. Denver City Council enacted the Denver Landmark Ordinance in 1967 to foster the protection, enhancement, perpetuation and use of structures and districts of historical, architectural and/or geographic significance.
Landmark Preservation staff and two landmark boards carry out that mission through design review, historic surveys and landmark designations. Staff also assists owners of historic properties by providing guidance and resources for preserving, maintaining and rehabilitating historic buildings and properties. You can learn more about Denver's Landmark Preservation efforts on our website.
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