Titanic Gala Dinner

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2012 marks a milestone in world history as 100 years ago the Titanic, the ship
originally purported to be unsinkable,
sank to the depths of the North Atlantic
Ocean on the morning of April 15th,
1912. It was a cold moonless night when
the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank,
taking with it hundreds of lives, as well
as the hopes and dreams of many of her
passengers.
This also marks a tremendous year
for the Molly Brown House Museum
as the home of Titanic’s most famous
survivor, Margaret “Molly” Brown. A
new exhibition, “The Unsinkable Molly
Brown: Denver’s Heroine of the Titanic,”
along with special Titanic themed tours,
will be offered through the duration of
2012. Margaret Brown played an extraordinary role in the story of the Titanic and
the Molly Brown House Museum pays
homage to her legacy aboard that fateful
ship during this commemorative year. The
exhibit explores Titanic’s lasting legacy
on maritime history, along with an exploration of why this compelling human
story is still so fascinating to us today.
The story of the Titanic is such a
colossal story to tell that it took some
time to decide what the focus should be
for this particular exhibition. The museum decided to break the story down into
three segments: the technology aboard the
ship, the disaster itself, and the aftermath
and lasting effects of this tragedy. There
were many advanced features aboard
the Titanic that truly made it the “Ship
of Dreams.” Technological hubris was
heavily boasted at the time Titanic was
created in the advances that were made
in its nautical capabilities and the shear
magnitude in the size of the Titanic, truly
made it seem to be unsinkable.
However, Titanic was still subject to
the laws of Mother Nature and tragically
sank. As time progresses, new theories
are brought forth as to exactly why the
Titanic sank. It is well known that the
ship hit an iceberg, but there were so
many other elements that played out at
the same time that influenced the ship’s
eventual sinking. The focus in the exhibit
is not why the ship sank, but what was
happening onboard the ship as it sank
and why so many lives were lost.
In the immediate aftermath of the
sinking, Congressional hearings were held
in both New York and Great Britain. New
laws were passed to ensure the safety of
passengers aboard commercial ships along
with the establishment of the International
Ice Patrol.
The Molly Brown House Museum has
been able to procure some amazing primary artifacts help aid in telling the story
of the Titanic. One artifact, the original
sheet music to “The Titanic’s Disaster,” the
song inspired by the touching tale of Ida
and Isador Strauss, is on loan from Mr. Joe
Halpern. Mr. Halpern has also been kind
enough to loan an original letter signed by
New York Mayor, William Jay Gaynor, of
personal thanks for a monetary donation
to the Titanic Relief Fund.
Additionally, the museum has on loan
an original binnacle from Titanic’s sister
ship, the Olympic. A binnacle is a housing
device for a ship’s compass. The binnacle
was used to counter the magnetic deviation caused by the ship’s iron exterior and
fittings, allwoing the compass to accurately point to magnetic north. This extraordinary artifact is on loan from Mrs. Deedee
Decker. Items were also pulled from the
museum’s own private collection of Titanic
memorabilia, as well as items from the personal collections of museum volunteers.
“The Unsinkable Molly Brown:
Denver’s Heroine of the Titanic” exhibit
offers something for everyone and is very
family-friendly. In addition to amazing artifacts, there are interactive elements allowing guests to try on Victorian clothing and
hats, as well as type out their own Morse
code messages using telegraph keys on
loan from the Telecommunications History
Group. IPods are programmed with a retelling of Margaret’s experiences aboard the
Titanic, along with a mini library filled with
books for all ages to enjoy.
Additionally, the museum is offering
Titanic themed tours available by reservation until the end of the year. These tours
explore how the different classes were
treated and accommodated aboard the
ship, dining experiences, the opulence of
the Titanic, and of course, Margaret’s own
personal experience. =
Spring 2012
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
Titanic Gala Dinner
Commemorates the
100th Anniversary of the Sinking of
the Titanic
Nicole Roush
Curator of Collections
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& FUNDRAISER
Saturday, April 14, 6:30pm
Individual Ticket $175
Patron Ticket $225 / person
Patron level ticket holders will enjoy a special predinner cocktail reception at 5:30pm and meet Mrs.
Brown’s descendant. The evening will set sail from
Denver’s historic Oxford Hotel, just a block from
Union Station and will truly be a Night to Remember!
As a gala fundraising event, all proceeds for the
evening will go towards the continued restoration
and upkeep of the Unsinkable Molly Brown’s
Denver home. This event includes a membership to
Historic Denver.
The Sinking of the Titanic
The JACK Quartet with Payton MacDonald and Young Voices of Colorado
Sunday, April 15, 4:00 pm
Gates Concert Hall, Newman Center for Performing Arts
$30 / person General Admission
A musical event 100 years in the making! Be transformed by the
sounds of that fateful night with The Sinking of the Titanic, composed
by Gavin Bryars, arranged by Payton MacDonald and performed by
the renowned JACK Quartet.
Tickets
303-871-7720 or www.newmancenterpresents.com
Denver, CO
Permit No. 756
Historic Denver, Inc.
1420 Ogden Street
Denver, CO 80218
PAID
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
Historic Denver News
from the
director
In This Issue:
Page 1
Unsinkable Molly Brown: Denver’s Heroine of the Titanic Exhibit
Page 2
From the Director
Page 3
Guest Author
Pages 4 & 5
Preservation Briefs
Page 8
Molly Brown House Museum
Education Corner
Page 9
Creating Your Community
Page 10
Richthofen Castle
Page 11
Fund Supporters
Page 12
Calendar of Events
Photo: Havey Productions
Living and working in a landlocked
city like Denver usually means little interaction with things marine, but in one of
those interesting twists of historical fate
Historic Denver finds itself at the heart
of a major maritime anniversary – the
tragic sinking of the Titanic. A piece of
Denver history became forever linked to
the larger-than-life Titanic story the day
the ship sank – or more accurately – the
day Margaret “Molly” Brown survived:
April 14 one hundred years ago. While
the Molly Brown House certainly would
have been significant to Denver and to
Colorado due to its unique architecture,
the Brown’s ties to gold mining, and Mrs.
Brown’s political endeavors, the association with Titanic launched both Margaret
Brown in her time and the Molly Brown
House Museum in ours, into the international spotlight.
In his book “Down with the Old
Canoe, A Cultural History of the Titanic
Disaster,” author Steven Biel asserts that
for many history buffs, “The pleasure of
history…lies in the collapsing of distance;
the past is meaningful not because of its
pastness alone but because of its simultaneous remoteness and immediacy- its
power to impart lessons, to speak to our
predicaments…” This seems to be one reason the Titanic sinking has remained such
a compelling part of the American story
and so captivating to multiple generations.
And because the Titanic site itself is not
a place one can visit, the Molly Brown
House Museum offers an opportunity for
people to experience the “collapsing of dis-
tance,” to understand the world in which
the Titanic events unfolded and the forces
that shaped that world, and how those
same forces may still be shaping our own.
As preservationists this “collapsing
of distance” inspires our enthusiasm for
historic places and spaces. We not only
appreciate fine architecture, which is often
but not always associated with beloved
historic places, we also find energy and
engagement in thinking about the lives of
the people that shaped historic sites- and
in exploring the twists of fate (like surviving the sinking of a famous ship)- that
become intrinsically tied to such sites. The
Molly Brown House, because of its use as
a museum and because of its preservation,
provides a portal to a story, and an opportunity to viscerally experience aspects of
that story, in a way that a book or a movie
cannot.
Coming to preservation with a degree
in history rather than architecture, it is
these connections and the way time leaves
its mark on a place that motivates me to
preserve other sites so other stories remain
physically present in our community. This
is also one of the reasons that our new
initiative, Discover Denver, is so exciting.
We will be discovering hundreds of stories
about historic places across our city- and
I am sure there are more interesting twists
of fate uncovered. We’ll be sure to provide
updates on Discover Denver in future
issues of the Historic Denver News.
If you have not been to the Molly
Brown House Museum in recent years, or
if Titanic has captured your imagination
as it has for so many, we invite you to join
us as we commemorate the anniversary of
the sinking. A special Titanic Dinner at the
Oxford Hotel on April14 and a one-of-akind concert at the Newman Center on
April 15 are just two of the many Titanicthemed events happening throughout the
year. You can also listen to Steven Biel’s
analysis of Titanic in American Culture
on April 17th at the Scottish Rite Masonic
Center. Details for all events are available
at www.mollybrown.org.
A new exhibit, featured in this issue’s
cover story, includes unique artifacts related to Titanic and incorporates stories
from survivors, including Molly Brown’s.
The exhibit will be open through the end
of 2012. We are grateful to some of our
longtime supporters, DeeDee Decker and
Joe Halpern, for lending items from their
own private collections for the display.
Even though Denver is land-locked, our
Museum is one of the most significant
Titanic-related historic sites in the world,
offering us a unique role in this year’s
anniversary events and a chance to further
explore the twist of fate that became the
defining moment in Margaret “Molly”
Brown’s life- a twist of fate that perhaps
even led to the preservation of her home
and the founding of Historic Denver.
Annie Levinsky
Executive Director
Historic Denver, Inc.
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Historic Denver Inc.
Historic Denver, Inc.
1420 Ogden Street
Denver, CO 80218
303.534.5288 tel.
www.historicdenver.org
Board of Trustees
Robert Musgraves
Michael P. Coughlin
Mira Fine
Chair
Vice-Chair
Treasurer
Margy Anderson
Katrina Benes
Anne Wainstein Bond
Paul Books
Karen Brody
Mark Davidson
Stephen P. Ekman
Fabby Hillyard
Dennis Humphries
Sarah S. Krause
James Kroll
Holly Kylberg
Thomas A. Lorz
Carla McConnell
Chris G. Murata
Richard Murray
Larry Nelson
Jackie Noble
David Pfeifer
Jonathan Pray
Bob Sarlo
Mark Sheldon
Rosemary Stoffel
Cyndi Stovall
Taylor Swallow
Margaret Toal
Elizabeth Walker
Bill Wenk
HD Central Office
Executive Director Annie Levinsky x1
Outreach Coordinator
Sophie Bieluczyk x5
Director of Preservation Program
John Olson x4
Discover Denver Director Alice Gilbertson x3
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 of Collections Nicole Roush x12
Volunteer and Program Coordinator
Emily Dobish x10
Museum Educator
Darcie Martin x17
Historic Denver News
Managing Editor
Sophie Bieluczyk
Graphic Design
Printing
Mailhouse
303.534.5288 x5
Edgellworks
Southeast Denver Graphics
Direct Mail Concepts
Historic Denver News welcomes your letters,
contents of which may be edited for length and
clarity. Please include your name, address and
telephone number in correspondence to:
Editor, Historic Denver News,
1420 Ogden Street, Denver, CO 80218
Spring 2012
Guest
Author
The City Beautiful Revisited
By Tom Noel
The original City Beautiful movement of the early 1900s was an agenda of reformers
during the Progressive Era. Then many Americans, unlike many voters and politicians
today, felt that government could help solve social and economic problems. The City
Beautiful crusade succeeded in bringing more and better schools, libraries, health care,
and recreation to crowded, dangerous, slum-ridden cities.
Between 1904 when he was first elected mayor and his death in office in 1918, Mayor
Speer transformed an ordinary, drab, unplanned town into a handsome city of imposing
public buildings, parks, parkways and even mountain parks outside the city limits. In
retrospect, it is astonishing that a much smaller, poorer city 100 years ago could address
the terrible urban problems of that time and also build so firmly and attractively for the
future. Despite flaws, the City Beautiful Movement essentially was an idealistic crusade
that worked. To unplanned, ugly, crowded cities, it brought order, beauty and space. In
Denver, many of the monumental achievements of that era still stand, challenging subsequent generations to do as well. =
A quarter of a century ago, Historic
Denver, Inc. (HDI) published Denver:
The City Beautiful and Its Architects,
1893-1941 by Barbara Stewart Norgren
and Thomas Jacob Noel. Barbara went
to heaven last October but I will always
treasure that delightful collaboration. For
this basic guide to the Mile High City’s
architecture and architects, I dug up
colorful tales of buildings and their builders. Barbara would query “Is that really
Thomas J. “Dr. Colorado” Noel teaches at CU-Denver. He is a longtime member and
true? Can you document that?” Then she
former officer of HDI, for whom he also co-authored the Lowry, Montclair and Park
would smile and I would surrender. She
Hills Guidebooks. Tom welcomes your comments at dr.colrado.auraria.edu.
kept everyone on track with her integrity,
gracious sharing of factual information,
and wonderful warm, soft smile.
The Adolph Coors Brewing Company
funded publication and made it possible
to sell this hardback, lavishly illustrated coffee table book for only $21.95.
Coors, the authors, and HDI aspired
not to make money but to advance the
cause of preservation and educate the
public about Denver’s rich architectural
heritage. Denver: The City Beautiful also
originated as a sequel to Richard B.
Brettell’s splendid, similarly formatted
Historic Denver: The Architects and the
Architecture, 1858 1893 (Denver, CO:
Not all City Beautiful dreams came true. This lovely
Historic Denver, Inc., 1973). Brettell’s
lady whom Frank Edbrooke designed for the top of
the Colorado State Capitol’s gold dome disappeared
book is a gorgeously illustrated, smartly
in legislative sessions where men could not agree
written tribute to the brick and stone city
on the most shapely model after studying numerous
then bowing to glass, steel, cement, and
women in various states of dress – and undress.
Credit: Colorado State Archives.
asphalt. His overview of 19th century
Denver is followed by chapters on the
then almost unknown architectural trinity: Frank E. Edbrooke, William Lang, and Robert
Roeschlaub. Brettell’s book had no predecessor; it was a highly original, eye-opener that
inspired many of us.
Barbara and I picked up where Rick left off, with the 1893 silver crash that abruptly
froze architectural development. We asked fellow architectural historians to do the
sketches of their favorite Denver architect. That idea worked well giving our book brief
biographies of 67 leading Denver architects, including such memorable sketches as Ken
Fuller on his father, Kenneth R. Fuller of Colorado’s first and longest lived architectural
Denver: The City Beautiful co-authors Barbara Norgren
firm founded by Roeschlaub and Fuller. Don Etter profiled Eugene Groves while Ed
and Tom Noel pose with one of their favorite neoclassical
icons, the old post office now known as the Byron White
White scrutinized Burnham Hoyt with whom he once worked.
Federal Courthouse at 18th and Stout Sts. downtown.
Someone now needs to do the post 1941 survey. The ever expanding list of prominent
Credit: Photo by Roger Whitacre.
local, national and even international architects contributing to Denver’s cityscape cries
out for an update, a sequel to Brettell and to Norgren and Noel.
Barbara and I were gratified by ongoing sales of Denver: The City Beautiful
and by the interest that some mayors and other civic leaders took in reviving that
dream brought to town by Mayor Robert W. Speer. Some parks and parkways
are now protected by Denver Landmark Preservation Commission designations.
Civic Center District, one of the greatest accomplishments of the City Beautiful
era, is being proposed for National Historic Landmark status.
Denver has been building and improving public buildings at a rate reminiscent of Mayor Robert W. Speer’s City Beautiful era a century ago. Like Speer,
Mayors Federico Peña and Wellington Webb often seemed to get more criticism
than accolades from naysayers. Mayor Peña, the first mayor to take a real interest in historic preservation, personally intervened to save treasures such as the
Mayan Theatre. He also spearheaded construction of the Michael Graves addition to the Central Library and restoration of many landmarked branch libraries. Our first Hispanic mayor also drove constriction of DIA and Coors Field.
Despite the 1980s economic hard times, Peña, like Speer, turned hard times into
an era of notable city beautiful building.
Wellington Webb, Denver’s first African-American mayor, continued the
tradition. He, like Speer, doubled the city’s park acerage. At Red Rocks the
Webb Administration did a marvelous job of preserving that amphitheatre,
which the AIA once judged Colorado’s finest structure, while installing a $15
million visitors center underground so as to not mar that setting. Mayor Webb
also purchased another 193 acres on the edge of the park to stop encroaching
development.
Crowded, unplanned, ugly and unhealthy, c. 1900 Denver desperately needed city beautification. After that transformation,
it is one of the few U.S. core cities still growing in vibrancy and population thanks to ongoing commitment to preservation
and city beautiful ideals. Credit: Western History Collection, Denver Public Library.
Historic Denver Inc.
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Historic Denver News
Preservation
Briefs
Elizabeth Street Façade- The former theater ticket foyer was converted into the space for the Encore
Restaurant. The restaurant details retain the original pink travertine marble and aluminum accents.
Lowenstein Theater Designation
On Monday, February 13 Denver City
Council designated the Bonfils Memorial
Theater, also known as the Lowenstein
Theater, as a Denver landmark. Historic
Denver helped to prepare the designation
with the support of the property owner.
The Bonfils Memorial Theater was
designed in 1949 and completed in 1953.
The theater was designed by John K.
Monroe, a local master architect largely
known for his work for the Archdiocese
of Denver. The theater was constructed
for the Denver Civic Theater, which was
originally founded at the University of
Denver. Avid theater-lover Helen Bonfils,
of Denver Post fame, was a major force
behind the theater’s construction and it
was a state-of-the-art facility at the time of
its completion. Also, because it was constructed before the Denver Center for the
Performing Arts was conceived it played
a significant role in the city’s growth as a
Colfax Avenue Façade- This acts as the main façade for
the new bookstore. The original rose colored windows
cultural capital in the West – serving as a
with circle motif were retained while an aluminum canprecursor to the strong theater commuopy with new Tattered Cover signage was installed.
nity we enjoy today.
In 2006 St. Charles Town Company
completed a major renovation of the structure, converting the theater into the Tattered
Cover Bookstore and Encore Restaurant, which are now part of the Colfax Cultural
Complex. St. Charles Town Company pursued National Register Designation for the
structure, which allowed them to take advantage of the federal tax credit for rehabilitation, a tool that has made rehabilitation of structures across the country possible. In 2006
St. Charles Town Company agreed to pursue local designation of the structure after the
completion of the project and with the February 13th designation they’ve made good on
their word, adding another layer of protection for this important structure.
The Lowenstein is considered one of the best examples of the Art Moderne style and
the elegant windows on the north façade, facing Colfax, are a special character-defining
feature that once again illuminate the street below.
Special thanks to Diane Wray for the use of her research on the Bonfils Memorial
Theater as a source for the local designation, as well as Historic Denver intern Annie
Tobin for preparing the application.
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New Publication: The Economic Power of
Heritage and Place
In 2001, the Colorado
Historical
Foundation
kicked off a major effort
to regularly identify, study,
and document the economic benefits of historic preservation in Colorado. The
first study was released in
2002 and an update to that
report was completed in
2005. Now, the Colorado
Historical Foundation and
History Colorado have
revisited the 2005 study
and provided an update
with data relevant to our
communities and the current economic climate.
“The Economic Power of
Heritage and Place, How
Historic Preservation is
Building a Sustainable
Future for Colorado,” documents how preservation
creates jobs, builds strong
communities and protects
the environment. Case studies from across Colorado document the tremendous impact
of reusing and rehabilitating historic structures. Three Denver neighborhoods, Wyman,
Witter-Cofield and Quality Hill, are included as examples of the impact of historic districts, while Denver projects like the Alliance Center and Emerson School are featured
as examples of the “greening” of historic structures. Some of the highlights include: 32
new jobs are created for every $1 million spent on preservation; between 1981 and 2011
historic preservation projects in Colorado generated nearly 34,400 jobs and $843 million
in household earnings. Overall, preservation over the last thirty years has had an impact
of $2.5 billion. You can read the entire publication at http://www.historycolorado.org/
archaeologists/economic-benefits-report.
Spring 2012
The Emerson School photographed sometime between
1890 and 1900. Photo: Denver Public Library.
Historic Denver
Finds a New Home
in the Emerson
School
Historic Denver, Inc. is now settled in
our wonderful new office at the recently
rehabilitated Emerson School. We currently share the school with the offices of
the Western Field Office of the National
Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP),
Colorado Preservation, Inc. (CPI), and
Howard Dental. The NTHP hoped that
they would create greater cooperation
and collaboration between the three organizations by locating them all under the
same roof. And it has, from the first few
days when we were sharing cleaning supplies till today when we are exchanging
advice on writing grants and sharing
photos for this very article.
In 2010, the trustees of Capitol
Hill Senior Resources, Inc. donated the
Emerson School to the NTHP. In addition, a $2.0 million endowment, established specifically for the long-term maintenance of the Emerson School, was
given to the NTHP by a trustee of
Capitol Hill Senior Resources, Inc. With
a State Historical Fund sustainability
initiative grant, a Colorado Historical
Foundation Loan, foundation grants and
private donations the NTHP got to work
on transforming the Emerson School into
a prime example of sustainable historic
rehabilitation.
History of the Emerson
School
Built in 1885, the Emerson School
was designed by Colorado’s first master architect, Robert Roeschlaub. The
Emerson School was individually designated a Denver Landmark in 1984 and
was listed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1997.
It is the oldest remaining example
of a Roeschlaub-designed school in
Colorado. Surviving Roeschlaub buildings include the Chamberlain Observatory
at the University of Denver, Trinity United
Methodist Church in Denver, the Central
City Opera House, Dora Moore School
and Wyatt School. Roeschlaub’s commissions for more than 50 school and college
buildings are a particularly significant
aspect of his architectural legacy and were
influential in Colorado and nationally.
The school is a two-story red brick
structure with a raised basement and a
large attic under a massive hipped roof.
The school has a slightly irregular plan
and asymmetrically arranged facades,
with some Gothic Revival influence evident in the entry porticos. The large
limestone sundial on the south façade is
believed to be the first example of the use
of a sundial on a Colorado building. It
was included as a reminder to students to
be on time.
The school has a masonry and timber
frame interior structure and thick masonry
walls. Four classrooms are located around
generous central hallways on the first
and second floors. Each classroom has a
wall of large windows to provide natural
light and ventilation. Classrooms were
arranged so that light came from windows
to the left of each student’s desk.
A one-story “cottage school” was
added to the north side of the Emerson
School in 1917. The idea of the cottage
school was to separate kindergartners
and first graders from the older students and provide a more home-like and
cozy environment. The Emerson cottage
school had fireplaces in each classroom
and a large front porch that could be used
for classes when weather allowed.
The school was in use for 94 years
and closed in 1979, due to declining
enrollment from the Capitol Hill neighborhood. In 1980, a group of three
nonprofit organizations purchased the
Emerson School and converted it to a
senior center, including a geriatric clinic
on the first floor.
The Medical Care and Research
Foundation took over management of
the building in 1989 and a number of
additional nonprofit organizations were
added as tenants. Several interior changes
were made to the main school building,
including the construction of individual
offices, the addition of a conference room
in the original first floor hallway and the
installation of a five-stop elevator.
In 1994, the Colorado State Historical
Fund provided a grant for masonry
repairs, including cleaning, pointing, and
replacement of chimney caps and finials. The Emerson School was renamed
the Frank B. McGlone Center to honor
a physician who served as Executive
Director of Capitol Hill Senior Resources
and was widely recognized for his service
to seniors.
In 2010, the trustees of Capitol
Hill Senior Resources, Inc. donated the
Emerson School to the National Trust for
Historic Preservation.
Energy Efficiency
The NTHP approached the rehabilitation of the Emerson School with a
particular focus on making the building
a model for how older structures can
meet – or exceed – the highest standards
for energy efficiency and environmental
design. In fact, using the entire old building, rather than demolishing it, is energyefficient itself. Furthermore, 75% of the
construction waste was recycled and many
recycled and environmentally responsible
materials were used in the construction.
The Emerson School is aiming for
the Gold level of LEED (Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The first, and easiest, energy-saving tasks had to do with the “envelope”
of the building. The original operable
windows were tightened, as well as the
original exterior doors, and the attic was
insulated. To make the lighting of the
building energy efficient, NTHP removed
all the interior partitions to restore the
original daylighting of interior spaces and
repaired the exterior transom windows.
The Emerson School now has high-efficiency fixtures for general lighting with
occupancy sensors. The building received
new low water plumbing fixtures such as
high-efficiency toilets and sensor faucets
on all sinks.
One of the biggest energy efficient
changes to the Emerson School concerns
heating and cooling of the building. The
original passive ventilation system, night
venting, and operable windows have all
been put back into use. 30 bore holes,
each 300 feet deep were installed under
the north parking lot for geothermal
ground source heating and cooling. There
is piping which connects the bore holes
and circulates water deep into the ground
and then back inside the school through
a system of 27 heat pumps and fan coil
units that are located in each of the
interior spaces. The geothermal system is
designed to use the constant 55-60 degree
temperature of the earth to reduce heating and cooling needs.
Looking Ahead
Over the next few weeks and months
the Colorado Conservation Trust and
Downtown Colorado Inc. will be moving
into the Emerson School while Denver
CASA will be moving into the “cottage
school.” Thanks to a private donation the
grounds of the Emerson School are currently undergoing landscaping based upon
the design by Rassbach Architecture, Inc.
This landscaping, including new shade
trees, water efficient plantings and irrigation, and a short fence around the property will be completed in May of 2012.
We hope the presence of the newly
rehabilitatied Emerson School encourages
some neighborhood revitalization and
preservation-based community development in the area. Historic Denver is still
unpacking, but we are excited to spend
many years in the Emerson School with
our preservation partners.
Last fall the north parking lot of the Emerson School
was prepared for the digging of the geothermal heating and cooling field
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Historic Denver News
In late February 2011, Jeffco Schools announced that
Fruitdale School would be demolished in April. CPI, working with Wheat Ridge mayor Jerry DiTullio and members
of the Wheat Ridge City Council approached the Jeffco
Schools Superintendent and School Board in attempt to save
the school. When it became clear that the school district was
moving forward with demolition, the Wheat Ridge Housing
Authority purchased Fruitdale in late April – mere days before
demolition was to begin.
Saved from near certain demolition by the Wheat Ridge
Housing Authority (WRHA), Fruitdale School stands ready
to again serve the community of Wheat Ridge. But first, the
Historic Structure Assessment is needed to provide a roadmap for preservation of this important architectural landmark. Very little of the community of Fruitdale remains, and
this school is certainly the most prominent reminder of the
early farming settlement that is now located within the city
limits of Wheat Ridge.
Community leaders have identified the Fruitdale School as
a possible arts center that would serve both youth and adult
populations, a community amenity currently lacking in Wheat
Ridge. Other potential uses include a library branch, business
incubator and/or an affordable housing project.
If the Fruitdale School is not used for housing, the WRHA
will need to dispose of the building. Having a completed HSA
will allow potential public or nonprofit buyers to understand
the project scope. The HSA will also provide Historic Denver
with the steps needed to go forward with the building that
educated the community of Wheat Ridge for 80 years. =
Fruitdale School
John Olson, Director of Preservation Programs
In 2011 Colorado
Preservation, Inc. (CPI) was
awarded a $15,000 grant
from the State Historical
Fund to perform a Historical
Structure Assessment (HSA)
on the Fruitdale School and
the surrounding property in
Wheat Ridge. Recently, CPI
has transferred the management responsibilities of the
grant to Historic Denver.
Historic Denver has much
experience in managing
grants and is excited to work
with the current owners of the Fruitdale School, The Wheat Ridge Housing Authority.
The HSA will consist of an on-site condition assessment and testing, historic research
and report writing and the development of recommendations and a preservation plan.
Historic Denver will be working with SlaterPaull, the primary architectural consultants,
and JVA Consulting Engineers to try to determine a new use for this noteworthy building.
First homestead in the mid 1800s, the community of Fruitdale became an agricultural
center in the region. By 1883 it was recognized that a school was needed to fulfill the
educational needs of Fruitdale’s children, so Jefferson County School District #32 was
formed. James A. Lewis and Jacob H. Brown donated the land and built a log school
building, originally known as the Vasquez School. This one-room log building was used
until the transition to a two-room brick structure took place in 1901. Disaster struck in
December of 1926 when the school was destroyed by fire. However, a determined faculty
kept classes in operation in two churches until the new school was built and completed.
Designed by the master architect Temple Buell, the new Fruitdale School was a twostory, rectangular plan, red brick building ready for classes by September of 1927. The
school consisted of six original classrooms and a boys’ bathroom and girls’ bathroom on
the main floor. The second floor had two classrooms and a kitchen on one side of the building and an Assembly Room across the hall complete with a stage and dressing rooms. This
room was used as a gymnasium, auditorium, and a cafeteria. In fact, Fruitdale was one of
the first public schools in the area to offer hot lunches to students. The new school was built
directly over the old foundation of the 1901 school, as shown in Temple Buell’s architectural
drawings at the Denver Public Library. Also, Buell used elements from the 1901 school in his
design, including a one-story boiler room, bricks, and several salvaged radiators.
The building is constructed of concrete, brick, and steel beams, with wood windows and
trim. Fruitdale School is a good example of Buell’s use of fanciful brickwork. The building
has contrasting brick color, rug brick, and patterns of brick as ornamentation. Later in his
career, Buell would further develop his use of brick as ornament in such well known buildings as Horace Mann Junior High (1931), and Mullen’s Home for Nurses (1936).
Fruitdale School was consolidated into the Jefferson County R-1 School System (now
Jeffco Public Schools) in 1950. Subsequent to the consolidation, one-story blond brick
additions were added to the original building in the mid-1950s and early 1970s. The second floor assembly room and kitchen in the 1926 building were converted to classroom
space. Fruitdale continued to serve as an elementary school until 1978, at which point
it was converted to use as an Adult Education Center. By 1990, the building had been
converted for use as a preschool and was continually used as a preschool until 2007. A
new preschool was built to the immediate north and east of Fruitdale School, necessitating
the demolition of the eastern 1953 and 1972 additions. Fruitdale School has been largely
vacant since 2007.
6
Historic Denver Inc.
Spring 2012
Richthofen Castle:
local landmark for sale
Jerry and Ester Priddy are selling their
home of 28 years, the Richthofen Castle.
The castle, both a Local Landmark and on
the National Register of Historic Places, is
on the market for $3.75 million. This eight
bedroom, seven bathroom castle feels
more like a house than a dark and drafty
castle. The beautiful home with thirty-five
total rooms, including a drawing room,
library, music alcove, servant’s quarters,
butler’s pantry, billiards room, and “Red
Baron” bar, is surprisingly bright and airy.
The castle is in a great neighborhood and
quite private and quiet.
Historic Denver, Inc. first became
aware of the Richthofen Castle 1972 when
it became the first property in our preservation easement program. We recently
became aware that the castle is on the
market, being sold by the Priddys, the
castle’s longest owners. When the Priddys
moved in in 1984 they wanted a big house
for their four teenage children and all their
furnishings. Now, with nine grandchildren
the Priddys are selling, because, according to Esther Priddy, “14,938 square feet
for two people, you really don’t need that
space when you’re our age; it’s too much
for two people.”
The Priddys first tried to purchase the
castle in 1980, but were out bid. The couple who bought it in 1980 soon divorced
and never moved into the castle. The castle
lay vacant for four years, until the Priddys
purchased it for $545,000 in August of
1984. Esther Priddy says that the castle
“was a disaster” when they bought it.
There was water damage, bowed walls,
and the children referred to the basement
as “the dungeon.” Most of the light fixtures had all been removed, the kitchen
was painted pink, and there was no heat.
The Priddys put in a new boiler and furnace, finished the basement, and updated
the electrical system and water heaters.
The castle wasn’t quite a disaster,
the original parquet floors were in great
condition, as was the woodwork, including the doors. Today the home boasts
original leaded glass windows, the original
fireplace, and amazing hand-tooled leather
wallpaper. The marble fountain, engraved
1891, remains in the east courtyard and
the original bronze chandelier hangs over
the dining room table.
Interestingly enough, the Priddys
already owned furniture that once
belonged to Baron von Richthofen. In
1976, the Priddys, who own an estate
auction business, conducted an estate
sale for John Thams Jr., who owned the
Richthofen Castel from 1937 to 1946. The
Priddys bought Baron von Richthofen’s
dining room set, dining room buffet, and
grandfather clock from the auction.
In their estate auction business, the
Priddys came upon the original silver
sconces and restored them to their place
on either side of the fireplace. They bought
two chandeliers and a set of door handles
from an old hotel on Larimer Street. The
chandeliers now adorn the living room
while the door handles are on the inside
of the main doors. The Priddys have collected much furnishings and artwork over
the years. Recently, an appraiser spent a
month in the castle and appraised all the
contents for $4.4 million. The Priddys are
selling all the contents of the Richthofen
Castle for $2.2 million.
The Priddys, who will soon be celebrating their 58th wedding anniversary, have
had a great run in the castle. They never
held a wedding at the castle, but did host
their fair share of engagement parties, dinners, political fundraisers, benefits, and celebrations for each holiday. Both Jerry and
Esther still go to work everyday and plan
to stay in Denver when their castle is sold.
History of Richthofen
Castle
Baron Walter von Richthofen, the
uncle and godfather of the famed “Red
Baron,” emigrated from Silesia, in
Germany, to the United States in 1877.
He settled in Denver and began work on
his castle in 1883. The Richthofen Castle
was designed by Alexander Cazin and
completed in 1887. The Baron named
the castle “Louisburgh” for his second
wife, Louise Ferguson Woodall Davies.
It is constructed of Castle Rock rhyolite
and topped by crenellated battlements
and turrets. The central square tower is
still emblazoned with the Richthofen coat
of arms: two lions crowning a judge’s
head. On the northwest corner is a twofoot-high red sandstone bust of Frederick
Barbarossa, the great medieval emperor
who first united the many squabbling
German states.
Before moving into the castle, the Baron
transformed the land into a ten-acre park
with elm and spruce saplings and rose gardens. He installed curved pathways amid
European statuary, a marble fountain, and,
according to legend, a pit for his pet bear.
The Montclair Ditch, which made all this
greenery possible, was dubbed a “moat” as
it rounded the castle hillside.
The baron sold the estate in 1891 to
fellow German entrepreneur John von
Mueller (soon Anglicized to Miller) for
$104,000. Miller was impoverished by the
crash of 1893 and forced to live off the
meager stipend provided to him as town
mayor and fire chief. The castle reverted
to the baroness in 1898. In 1903 the
castle was sold for $40,000 to Edwin B.
Henrie, owner of the Henrie and Bolhoff
Manufacturing Company, which claimed
to be “the largest mining equipment manufacturer in the world.”
In 1910, Henrie hired architect
Maurice B. Biscoe to redesign and soften
the stark, stony fortress. Biscoe reopened
the original Castle Rock quarry to secure
matching rhyolite for a new west wing.
He subdued the turrets, tower, and battlements with Tudor elements, including a
half-timbered and stuccoed second floor.
The crenelated parapets and towers he
capped with red tile roofing. In 1924,
Denver architect J.J.B. Benedict also used
In this photo you can see the Baron’s dining room
set and dining room buffet once again at the
Richthofen Castle thanks to the Priddys.
the Tudor mold for his 1924 southeast
wing addition.
In 1937 the castle was purchased
by John Thams, Jr., scion of a pioneer
Colorado family that once owned the
Elephant Corral in downtown Denver. In
1947, the castle was purchased by Etienne
Perenyi, a Hungarian nobleman fleeing
the Soviet takeover of his country. The
Perenyis sold off nearly all of the grounds,
and modern houses sprang up on all sides
of the castle.
In 1980 the castle was the Junior
Symphony Guild Designer Showhome
and was offered for sale at $435,500. In
1984 Jerry and Esther Priddy purchased
the castle and began restoring it to its
former glory. =
For more information
about the Richthofen Castle contact Casey Miller, of Fuller Sotheby’s International
Realty, at 720-201-2755 or [email protected].
Living room in the Richthofen Castle with original leaded glass windows fireplace and woodwork.
Historic Denver Inc.
7
Historic Denver News
Molly Brown
House museum
Education Corner: Looking Ahead
The original binnacle from
Titanic’s sister ship, the
Olympic. This extraordinary
artifact is on loan from
Mrs. Deedee Decker.
8
Historic Denver Inc.
By Darcie Martin, Museum Educator
For over a decade the Molly Brown House Museum has been the primary educational
arm of Historic Denver. In 2011 the Museum’s education programs served approximately
6,000 students for both on-site and off-site programs. In addition, 20% of the schools we
served received a reduced price in programming through our SCFD funding.
At the Museum, we are always striving to suit the needs of our local teachers and
students.
We created a new program for 2012, Uncovering the Titanic: An Artifact Exploration,
in anticipation for a higher demand for Titanic programming. In this new off-site program, students learn about the Titanic and handle reproduction artifacts while wearing
a curator’s white jacket and cotton gloves. As expected, we have seen an increase in our
offsite programming. In April 2011, we had nine requests for offsite programming. For
April 2012, we have 24, 15 of which are for the new Uncovering the Titanic program.
In addition to providing quality programs to local students, we are also involved
with creating a student-friendly text on Denver’s History. In 2009, teachers involved with
Historic Denver and the Molly Brown House Museum brought to our attention a lack of
Denver history resources for third and fourth grades. Historic Denver is currently addressing this oversight by developing a student Denver history book and teacher resource
packet with funds provided by the Colorado State Historical Fund.
This exciting project opens many opportunities for the Museum. We are working
closely with the Denver Public School District in order to make our Denver history book
a success. We will be hosting a pilot project in Denver Public Schools in May 2012 that
will aim for 1,000 students to have free access to the 50-page book. In addition to the textbook, there is also a teacher resource packet that includes lesson plans, designed by our
teacher committee, and field trip itineraries. It is our goal to have this publication finalized
and in local schools by September of 2012. Throughout this process, our teacher committee has pushed for this publication and teacher resource packet to be made digitally as
well. In October of 2012, we anticipate writing a follow up grant to the State Historical
Fund requesting funds to make this vision a reality.
The creation of a student history book opens new programming opportunities at the
Molly Brown House Museum. The Museum was able to secure grant funds from Kinder
Morgan Foundation and the John G. Duncan Foundation in order to purchase iPads to
use on school tours. Currently the Museum is using these devices on tours to allow students to hear the sounds of a Victrola and show pictures to engage the students. This is the
first educational program to incorporate technology at the Molly Brown House Museum.
The education programs at the Molly Brown House Museum are funded primarily
by the Museum’s event revenue but rely also on both public and private grant funding
sources. The education programs also receive support from Historic Denver’s participation in the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) as a Tier III organization. If
you would like to provide support to our educational programs please visit our website at
www.mollybrown.org to make a contribution today. =
Historic Denver NewsNovember • December
Spring 2006
2012
Creating Your Community
In mid-March the Denver Public
Library launched Creating Your
Community, a new social website
where anyone and everyone can connect and preserve their own Colorado
history. This interactive website
allows people to share their stories,
upload images and create their own
online community all while preserving
and contributing to Colorado history.
This participatory archive was created in collaboration with the Aurora History Museum, Auraria Library, Blair-Caldwell African
American Research Library, Colorado Genealogical Society, Douglas County
Research Center, Four-Mile Historic Park, History Colorado, Historic Denver,
Ira M. & Peryle Hayutin Beck Memorial Archives of Rocky Mountain Jewish
History, Penrose Library at the University of Denver, Lakewood Heritage Center,
and Zion Baptist Church. The program is possible because of a grant from the
Institute of Museum and Library Services. The Institute is the primary source of
federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.
Denver Public Library launched their first successful online initiative in 2010
called Creating Communities. That website featured digitized images of seven historic Denver neighborhoods, including photos, maps and other documents. Now,
Creating Your Community will help preserve and disseminate community heritage
in Colorado, and educate and instruct communities on how to preserve their own
materials and records.
The project is one of the first of its kind in the United States, and Denver Public
Library’s CYC program administrator, Jamie Seemiller, has been traveling the
country educating other institutions about this project for months. “What makes
this project unique is that the community will be the content providers,” says
Jamie Seemiller, “Colorado’s history not only lives in our libraries and museums,
but in the stories and photos collected by families and communities. Capturing
and preserving these materials will open up a new chapter in Colorado’s history
that will be available to future generations of history lovers and researchers.”
Historic Denver, Inc. is very excited about the synergistic possibilities of using
Creating Your Community as one of the education and outreach programs to be
launched with our city-wide survey initiative, Discover Denver. The survey project
is intended to serve many purposes, such as providing educational opportunities
to various segments of the public – property owners, neighborhood groups, historians, students, realtors, preservation groups, developers, city staff, and elected
officials. We will be inviting everyone to share their stories about what makes
Denver the special place it is – and Creating Your Community will be one of the
options people will have for sharing their stories about their favorite buildings
and locations.
For example, many Denverites know that the City Beautiful movement beginning in the early years of the 20th Century had a huge impact on why Denver
looks the way it does today. Our parks, parkways, mountain parks and grand civic
places such as the City and County Building and Union Station are all tangible
reminders of the impact this progressive-era reform movement had on the Mile
High City. But what you might not know is the City Beautiful movement also
benefitted our residential neighborhoods. The Architects’ Small House Service
Bureau, endorsed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), was formed by
top architects in Denver who were interested in providing those families with
modest incomes the opportunity to build homes that were both functional and
beautiful. If you look around neighborhoods such as Congress Park, Park Hill and
Washington Park, you see these houses dotted throughout the neighborhoods. The
designs were considered an affordable alternative to the thousands of bungalows
built at the time.
The architects developed a pattern and design book with over 50 house
designs, from small to not-so-small, specifically designed for Denver. As part of
the Discover Denver project, Historic Denver envisions posting the designs on
Creating Your Community and asking owners or admirers of these house styles
to post photos of actual homes still standing in Denver neighborhoods. Alice
Gilbertson, Director of Discover Denver, says, “I always wondered why there were
these very uniquely designed homes across the street from our classic bungalow.
Now, after nearly 25 years, I have a clue why they look the way they do.”
A major component of the Creating Your Community project is educating residents on the best practices of preserving their own history and heritage in an affordable manner. As such, the CYC partners will be hosting a series of preservation
workshops in addition to free public scanning days at the Denver Central Library
in the Community Technology Center every third Sunday starting in April. Historic
Denver will also be participating in some of these events as we launch Discover
Denver in three pilot areas over the next two years.
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
[email protected]
555 17th Street
Suite 3200
Denver, CO 80202
www.hollandhart.com
Photo Courtesy of the Colorado Historical Society
Creating Your Community can be accessed at
creatingcommunities.denverlibrary.org =
HH
istoric
istoric
DD
enver
enver
Inc
Inc
. .
9
Historic Denver News
Richthofen Castle
View of the library looking out onto the first floor sunroom.
RESTORING DENVER’S
RICH HERITAGE
FOR OVER 25 YEARS
HDI’s Denver: The
City Beautiful and Its
Architects, 1893-1941, is
still alive and in print 25
years after its launch.
In honor of its 25th Anniversary,
purchase a SIGNED COPY of Denver: The
City Beautiful and Its Architects, 1893-1941
and receive a copy of City of Parks: The
Preservation of Denver’s Park and Parkway
System.
City of Parks is an introduction to
understanding Denver’s park and parkway
system which makes Denver an attractive,
accessible, and comfortable place to live.
Denver: The City Beautiful may be
purchased for $15 at the offices of Historic
Denver, Inc., the Molly Brown House
Museum Store, or online at
http://store.historicdenver.org.
Offer expires December 31, 2012.
25
YEARS
3060 Walnut Street, Denver, Co. 80205
www.brsrestores.com / (303) 297-2004
TOW N S C A P E S L L C
Consulting and Project
Management for Rehabilitation
of Historic Buildings
• StrategicPlanning
• FinancialStructures
• DesignandConstructionCoordination
• TaxCredits
• OwnersRepresentative
303.579.4068
www.townscapesllc.com
10
Historic Denver Inc.
Thank You
To Historic Denver’s New and
Renewing Supporters
October 2011 to January 2012
John Abel
Brett and Lauren Abernathy
Terry Amicone
Jeff and Julie Andrews
Sue Anschutz-Rodgers
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Neslon
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Family Foundation
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Middlebrooks
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Intermountain Jewish News, Inc.
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Become a Supporter of
Historic Denver
S U P P O R T E R I N F O R M AT I O N
New Supporter
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Name/Business __________________________________________________________
Thank you to those who have donated to the
Barbara Norgren Memorial Fund [December 2011- March 2012]
Mary Lanius
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William West
Thank you to those who have donated to the
Tobie Hazard Memorial Fund [December 2011- March 2012]
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Historic Denver Inc.
11
Historic Denver News
Winter 2012
calendar of
EVENTS
Thursday, April 12
Sunday, June 10
Meet Margaret “Molly”
Brown’s Descendent
Unsinkable Molly
Brown Full Tea
5:30 – 7:00 pm
Brown Palace Hotel
321 17th Street
$12 / person
Join Margaret “Molly” Brown’s descendent Muffet Laurie Brown at the Brown
Palace Hotel where she will recount
her great-grandmother’s Titanic experience and life after as the Heroine of the
Titanic.
1:00 & 3:00 pm
Molly Brown House Museum
1340 Pennsylvania Street
$20 / person
Enjoy this rare chance to take tea
with Margaret “Molly” Brown as she
recounts her Titanic experience and
shares her passion for helping others. Be
ready to help row the lifeboat!
Please note that all tickets are will-call
only and are non-refundable.
Sunday, July 15
All purchases will be processed by our
secure, online merchant service. You
will receive immediate confirmation of
your purchase from Authorize.Net, our
secure service, with a follow-up e-mail
or phone call from us directly within
2 business days regarding the status of
your order.
Molly’s Birthday
Jubilee & Titanic Expo
Tuesday, April 17
Lecture - Unsinkable:
The Titanic in American
Culture, 1912–2012
1:00 pm and 7:00pm
Scottish Rite Masonic Center
1370 Grant Street
History Colorado welcomes Steven Biel
author of Down with the Old Canoe: A
Cultural History of the Titanic Disaster,
as he explores how Americans have
made sense of the century-old Titanic
disaster of April 1912.
Tickets are only available at History
Colorado. For tickets and prices please
visit History Colorado at www.historycolorado.org or call 303-866-4686.
Saturday, May 12
Sunday, May 13
Mother’s Day Full Tea
Saturday, 11:00 am, 1:00 & 3:00 pm
Sunday, 1:00 & 3:00 pm
Molly Brown House Museum
1340 Pennsylvania Street
$20 / person
All Moms are heroines of their own
ships - show your appreciation with
tea at the Unsinkable Molly Brown’s
house and include a little shopping in
the Museum Store. Gift certificates are
available!
The Museum and 3rd floor space where
this event is held is not wheelchair
accessible and requires navigating 4
flights of stairs. Please contact museum
staff for any special accommodations
you may require.
12
Historic Denver Inc.
Doors Open
Denver 2012
Sunday, July 15, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Molly Brown House Museum
1340 Pennsylvania Street
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 non-members
Help the Museum celebrate Molly’s
145th birthday! Meet Molly and her
friends who will be sharing in the festivities and enjoy traditional lawn games,
birthday cake and other delectable
treats. 2012 is the 100th Anniversary of
the Titanic’s only voyage so explore our
Titanic Expo filled with titanic games,
trivia and dress-up. Have your photo
taken in a Titanic Lifeboat!
Friday, August 17
Steerage Class Shindig
6:00 pm
Molly Brown House Museum
1340 Pennsylvania Street
$55 / person
Kick up your heels and have a memorable evening as we recreate the experience of a Third Class passenger aboard
the Titanic. Dining Saloon fare, a rollicking band and a fine pint await you
as you step back with us to a time of
simple pleasures and great expectations.
This event includes a membership to
Historic Denver, our parent organization. Space is limited, so reserve your
ticket now!
Saturday, Sept. 22
Titanic’s Café Parisien
Full Tea
11:00 am and 1:00 pm
Molly Brown House Museum
1340 Pennsylvania Street
$20 / person
Unique to the Titanic, the Café Parisien
was a casual place to stave off hunger
pangs with an elegant sandwich will sipping on an aperitif. Relieve this experience at Molly Brown’s and imagine oneself at a Paris sidewalk café or aboard
the opulent Titanic.
The new History
Colorado Center
opening April, 28
The History Colorado Center’s handson and high-tech exhibits take you back
in time, connecting what WAS to what’s
NEXT. They’re unexpected, thoughtprovoking, and relevant. And most of
all, fun! Join us for an inspirational
journey that will ignite your imagination and touch your heart. Be part of
the story.
Monday – Saturday 10:00am - 5:00pm
Sunday – 12:00pm -5:00pm
The eighth annual Doors Open Denver
will be held April 14 and 15, 2012. This
year’s theme is Denver Landmarks with
more than 80 outstanding historical and
architectural sites offering free access!
This year’s celebration and exploration
of our built environment is offering more
than 30 new sites!
The City of Denver is undergoing a
period of architectural growth, with many
new and important building projects in
development. DOD provides a unique
opportunity to go behind-the-scenes at
many of the city’s architectural gems and
lesser-known treasures. A wide variety of
sites are participating in the 2012 program including cultural and educational
facilities, office suites, hotels, government
buildings, retail spaces, art galleries and
architectural firms. The event highlights
and draws attention to good design, and
is meant to stimulate conversation about
the value and impact design has on our
daily lives.
Doors Open Denver (DOD) is a
free and fun event that offers residents
and visitors the opportunity to learn
about Denver’s diverse architecture and
design.
Participants may experience
DOD through self-guided tours, Urban
Adventures (self-guided tours tailored to
a specific interest or theme), and Expert
Tours (led by architects and historians).
Examples of Expert Tours are:
Mayan Theatre: The story of an Art
Deco Movie Palace, Behind-the-Scenes
Sneak Peek of the History Colorado
Center, Old Auraria Landmarks, Wall
Street of the West: Denver’s 17th Street,
Whittier Neighborhood Tour and The
Sculptures of City Park The Expert
Tours are free; however participants must
pre-register for tour tickets on the tour
day. Pre-registration occurs at Event
Headquarters, the Ellie Caulkins Opera
House in the Denver Center for the
Performing Arts, between 8:30 a.m. and
4:00 p.m. on the tour day. Due to limited
capacity registration is on a first-come,
first-served basis, but many tours will be
offered more than once. Two tickets per
person and two tours per day per person
are permitted; group size is limited to provide participants with the closest access
to guides and best experience possible.
Bring comfortable footwear, a camera,
sunscreen and water!
Arts & Venues Denver and the Denver
Architectural Foundation co-sponsor this
event with the help of numerous partnering organizations, including AIA Denver,
A Chapter of the American Institute of
Architects, Historic Denver, Inc.
For more information on Expert Tours
and full tour descriptions, please visit:
www.DenverGov.org/DoorsOpenDenver.