Please note special days and/or hours for each site.
Much more information on each site may be found at:
www.DoorsOpenDenver.org
New this year indicated in blue
Fairmount Cemetery: Gate Lodge, Little Ivy Chapel, Mausoleum
Location Number: 56
Urban Adventures: B
430 So. Quebec Street
SAT 10AM - 4PM
Architect: Harry T.E. Wendell; John K. Monroe; F.E. Mountjoy
Mayor Speer, elected in 1904 with his campaign slogan of “City Beautiful”, is buried at
Fairmount. It is also the final resting place of Temple Hoyne Buell, Frank Edbrooke,
Burnham Hoyt, and others. Free Walking Tours will be offered throughout the day.
www.fairmountheritagefoundation.org
Year Built: 1890
Photography Allowed: Yes
Services Provided: Partial disabled access; public restrooms; free parking
Public Transit: Route 3 Alameda Crosstown and Route 73 Quebec Crosstown
Denver’s second oldest cemetery is home to such local namesakes as William Byers,
John Iliff, and David Moffat; its grounds were designed by Reinhard Schuetze, Denver’s
landscape architect, who also designed Cheesman and Washington parks. Fairmount is
both Colorado’s most populous cemetery and largest, most diverse arboretum.
The Gate Lodge, designated as a Denver Landmark in 1976, was designed by Harry T.
E. Wendell and built in 1890 as the entrance to Fairmount Cemetery. Constructed of
blue-white sandstone, patterned after the Richardson Library architectural style, the
lodge served as the superintendent’s quarters and cemetery office with the roadway into
the cemetery passing through the center of the building under an arch which reached a
height of 20 ft. at its crown.
The Ivy Chapel, designated as a Denver Landmark in 1976, was built by Harry T.E.
Wendell as the centerpiece of Fairmount Cemetery. Constructed of gray sandstone in
the style of 13th century Ecclesiastical French Gothic, the Ivy Chapel also features flying
buttresses, barbed finials and gargoyles with along with a pierced gable roof, topped by
a 90 ft steeple. Of the four chapels at Fairmount Cemetery, the Ivy Chapel is the oldest.
It was built in 1890, the same year that the cemetery was built, in a Gothic design that is
unique in the city of Denver. The chapel can be seen while touring the cemetery and its
gargoyles, flying buttresses, and historical backdrop have made it a landmark in the Mile
High City. Fairmount is Colorado’s most populous cemetery and a peaceful place to
study history and architecture. Its flying buttresses and barbed finials represent the
Ecclesiastical Gothic style. Inside its trademark buttressed walls are a pipe organ and
seating for 85.
The Fairmount Mausoleum, by F.E. Mountjoy, is of Greek Doric design with four
massive columns forming the main entrance. California granite is used for the exterior
finish. Alabama white grade A marble and Tennessee pink marble are used in the
interior. Completed in 1931, the Mausoleum features one of the largest collections of
stained glass windows in Colorado.
In addition to the buildings at Fairmount visitors will enjoy:
Numerous family mausoleums, each with a very distinct architectural style.
Historic photo, archival and artifact displays.
Fairmount Little Ivy Chapel built in 1890.
Fairmount Mausoleum, home to the largest collection of stained glass art in Colorado
First Baptist Church
Location Number: 40
Urban Adventures: E, M
1373 Grant Street
SAT 10AM - 4PM
SUN 10AM - 1PM
Architect: George Meredeth Musick Sr.
The rooster spire atop the steeple is a symbol of religious freedom and an ongoing
reminder that everyday is a new day filled with endless possibilities. Local artist Jeff
Phillips-Strain will have an exhibit during the Denver Open Doors weekend.
www.fbcdenver.org
Year Built: 1937
Photography Allowed: Yes
Services: Partial disabled access, public restrooms, free parking
Public Transit: RTD
The First Baptist Church, built after the Great Depression in the Classical Revival style
with polished red granite columns, was visited by Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1962.
During the late 19th century and early 20th century churches were being erected all over
the city of Denver. Following the Mayor Speer’s request new buildings were designed to
be elegant and usually in the classical revival style. Although the First Baptist Church
was built after Mayor Speer’s death it still followed the same style and is still a beautiful
church in the heart of Denver.
The Congregation of this church was first established in 1864 and was located at three
different places before the First Baptist Church was built across from the Colorado State
Capitol in 1938. The land that the church is located on was first purchased by the church
in 1919 from Tritch estate, however due to World War 1 and the Great depression the
congregation was hesitant to build. In 1934 the architect was hired and ground was
broken. The building was completed in 1938 under the leadership of Dr. Clarence
Kemper, a pastor that made sure the project went smoothly.
Upon completion the building cost $253,711 to build. The building was designed in a Tshape, has granite from Larimer County, marble from Tennessee, and limestone from
Indiana. The spire and weathervane on top of the building have become landmarks in
Denver. The columns on the North entrance of the building are 25 feet and two and a
half inches tall with a diameter of two feet and 11 inches. The red granite was from
Larimer County and was hand polished, making them the largest polished columns in
Colorado when the building was constructed. The building also includes decorative
moldings, draperies and vaulted ceilings.
In 1950 a 126 rank Aolian-Skinner grand pipe organ was installed. The organ is still in
use today. On April 16, 1962 Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at the pulpit of the church.
First Church of Christ, Scientist
Location Number: 39
Urban Adventures: E, M
1401 Logan Street
SAT 10AM - 4PM
SUN 11AM - 4PM
Architect: Ernest Philip Varian
This stately building of white lava stone epitomizes the neo-classical revival style of the
City Beautiful movement. Viewing the stained glass dome in the auditorium and listening
to a sample of music from the Casavant organ is not to be missed!
Year Built: 1901
Photography Allowed: Yes
Services Provided: Partial disabled access, public restrooms, free parking
Public Transit: RTD #15, #15L
This beautiful church is representative of the neoclassical revival style architecture and
is constructed of white lava stone from Salida, Colorado. The illuminated glass dome is
not to be missed.
Designed by the Denver firm of Varian, Frederick & Sterner, this stately building of white
lava stone epitomizes the neo-classical revival style of the City Beautiful movement. It
has been a City and County of Denver Landmark since 1968. The sanctuary was one of
the largest unobstructed auditoriums in the city when the church was completed in 1904.
Throughout the interior, plasterwork and Russian oak woodwork feature beautifully
crafted classical detailing. The entry foyer floor, 50 feet wide by 115 feet long, is covered
in mosaic tile.
The First Church of Christ, Scientist was one of the most imposing buildings, with its
large size and six iconic columns, built during the City Beautiful movement in 1901,
constructed from a unique stone called “white lava stone” from Kerr Gulch.
In the late 1890s the City Beautiful movement was impacting the construction of not only
city buildings but also churches and schools. The church buildings built around Capitol
Hill are still some of the most beautiful buildings built at that time. In 1906, the First
Church of Christ, Scientist was finished and joined the ranks of one of the more
impressive churches in Denver.
This imposing building was started in 1901; the task to build such a large stone building
was a daunting task in at that time. The stone that makes up this beautiful church was
found in Kerr Gulch, in the Arkansas River valley in Fremont County. The owner of the
land, John G. Kerr, was part of the congregation of the church built of the stone from his
land in 1917. The stone making up the First Church of Christ, Scientist is called “white
lava stone” because it was created during a volcanic eruption that had little ash, giving
the white coloring.
Construction started in 1901. The cornerstone of the building was laid on April 10th,
1902. The stone was from New Hampshire, the home of Mary Barker Eddy whom was
the founder of the Christian Science Church. When the building was finished in 1906 the
total cost was $163,000. The building has six large smooth white iconic styled columns
at the front entrance. The interior of the building was built with a slight slope in the floor
to provide an amphitheater feeling, everyone could see the speaker.
Fitzroy Place Mansion
Location Number: 63
Urban Adventures: K
2160 South Cook Street
SAT 10AM - 4PM
SUN 10AM - 4PM
Architect: Fuller & Wheeler
This red stone mansion included such futuristic extravagancies as an elevator, central
vacuum system, air conditioning, and basement refrigeration.
www.acceleratedschools.org
Year Built: 1893
Services provided: Free parking, partial access, restrooms
Public Transit: Light Rail; RTD #21
After cattle baron and local philanthropist John Wesley Iliff died in 1878, his widow
Elizabeth continued work on the seminary he dreamed of creating for training the
Colorado Territory’s ministers. Years later she became the wife of Bishop Henry White
Warren of New England, and together they co-founded the Iliff School of Theology at
DU, named for John.
Elizabeth and Henry’s 13-room home located near the Chamberlin Observatory just east
of DU was designed by Fuller & Wheeler of Albany; it is a two and a half story
Richardsonian Romanesque dating from 1893, with many bays creating a complicated
floor plan and roofline. Elizabeth named the red stone mansion Fitzroy Place after her
hometown in Ontario. A 1910 fire damaged the mansion but it was restored within a
decade; since the late 1960’s the building has been used as a school. The mansion was
added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 20, 1975.
Flour Mill Lofts
Location Number: 8
Urban Adventures: C
2000 Little Raven Street
SAT 10AM - 4PM
SUN 10AM - 4PM
Architects: Tower 1:Cuthbertson + DeSousa; Tower 2: John Williams Architecture, P.C.
The original mill was built in 1906, almost completely destroyed by fire in 1920, rebuilt,
destroyed by fire again in 1932, and rebuilt. What remained of the building is what we
see today.
www.FlourMillLofts.com
Year Built: 1998, 2000
Photography Allowed: Photography of the building exterior only is permitted
Services Provided: Disabled access, free street parking
Public Transit: RTD 6, 52; RTD Light Rail
Formerly a milling plant, the concrete and brick mill was in operation until the 1940s,
then converted into a warehouse until the 1970s, after which it became a desolate
structure. Developer Dana Crawford renovated the building into the Flour Mill Lofts
which maintain the mill and silo feel of the original building.
Originally built in 1920 as the Pride of the Rockies flour mill, the Flour Mill Lofts building
was converted to residences in 1998 by veteran local developer Dana Crawford.
Crawford was also the original developer of downtown Denver’s Larimer Square retail
district.
The Flour Mill Lofts has a total of 48 units. Phase 1 comprises 17 lofts and is the
converted Pride of the Rockies flour mill, the last remnant of an industry that flourished in
the Central Platte Valley in the early 20th century. Although only the mill building and
three storage bins survive from the large grain processing complex, the 1920 mill is the
last surviving structure of its type representing this aspect of Denver's early 20th century
milling industry. The building is placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Governor’s Residence at the Boettcher Mansion
Location Number: 52
Urban Adventures: E, K
400 East 8th Ave.
SAT 10AM - 4PM
SUN 10AM - 4PM
Architect: Marean & Norton
This three-story mansion was designed by Denver business mogul Walter Cheesman as
his family’s residence, completed a year after his death, then owned by the rich and
benevolent Boettchers who bequeathed it to the State of Colorado in 1959 as the home
to the sitting Governor.
www.Colorado.gov/governor/residence
Year Built: 1908
Photography Allowed: Yes
Services Provided: Disabled access; free parking
Public Transit: RTD Routes 0, 6 & 2
Noteworthy are the portico with Ionic colonnade, upper terrace with Italianate balustrade,
large windows with a view of Pike’s Peak and resplendent interior. For nearly 100 years
this mansion has stood atop a neighborhood once referred to as Quality Hill. Interior
features of note: Colorado Yule marble floor in the Palm Room; cross-cut inlaid oak
paneling on the walls of the Library; leaded glass windows in the Bar & Palm Room,
designed by Claude Boettcher; Waterford crystal chandelier in the Drawing Room; 18th
century French chandeliers in the Grand Hallway; 9th century Tang Dynasty Funeral
Horses displayed in the Library; 16th-19th century European and Asian artwork and
furnishings throughout the first floor.
This mansion, built in 1908, has been home to many important men in Denver’s history
including the Cheesman family, the Boettcher family and all of the Governors of Denver
since Gov. McNichols in 1960.
This three-story mansion was designed by Denver business mogul Walter Cheesman as
his family’s residence. He originally hired Grove and Walsh to build his home, but after
his death in 1907 the project had not even been started. Walter Cheesman’s wife, Alice,
and daughter, Gladys, hired Willis A. Marean and Albert J. Norton, whom impressed
them with the Cheesman Pavilion. The total cost of the building was $50,000. The house
was completed in 1908, hosting the wedding of Gladys Cheesman to he lifelong friend
and childhood sweetheart John Evans, the grandson of Gov. John Evans. After Alice
Cheesman’s death the house was bought by the rich and benevolent Boettchers. The
family later bequeathed it to the State of Colorado in 1959 as the home to the sitting
Governor. The first Governor to live in the house was Gov. Stephen McNichols in 1960.
Noteworthy are the portico with Ionic colonnade, upper terrace with Italianate balustrade,
large windows with a view of Pike’s Peak and resplendent interior. For nearly 100 years
this mansion has stood atop a neighborhood once referred to as Quality Hill. Interior
features of note: Colorado Yule marble floor in the Palm Room; cross-cut inlaid oak
paneling on the walls of the Library; leaded glass windows in the Bar & Palm Room,
designed by Claude Boettcher; Waterford crystal chandelier in the Drawing Room; 18th
century French chandeliers in the Grand Hallway; 9th century Tang Dynasty Funeral
Horses displayed in the Library; 16th-19th century European and Asian artwork and
furnishings throughout the first floor.
In 1979 part of Pennsylvania Street was closed off and turned into a grass-covered
connection between the Governor’s Mansion and the Grant-Humphrey’s Mansion, which
was donated to the State of Colorado in 1979. The Cheesman-Boettcher
Mansion/Governor’s Mansion was landmarked locally in 1968.
Grand Lowry Lofts
Location Number: 54
Urban Adventures: C
200 Rampart Way
SAT 10AM - 4PM
SUN 10AM - 4PM
Architect: Christopher Carvel Architects
Opened for duty in 1938, the Lowry Air Corps Base played a major role in WWII. Lowry
operated as a training facility, armament and officer’s quarters. The most famous
resident was President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
www.grandlowrylofts.com
Year Built: 1937
Photography Allowed: No
Services: Disabled access, public restrooms
Public Transit:
Lowry was a focal point for the armed services and the people of Denver following WWII.
In 1994 the base was cloased and six years later Grand Lowry Lofts was born in the
historic officer’s quarters. Attention was paid to each and every historic detail. The
massive brick walls were carefully repainted, although the outward visual signs of use
were incorporated into the lofts. The windows were restored to original condition and the
building’s exterior was cleaned and repaired. Military crests and statues were highlighted
as a visual reminder of the building’s historic past. In 1998 the National Park Service
listed the Lowry Field Brick Barracks on the National Register of Historic Places. Come
inside to see history meet modern for a unique place to live in Lowry.
Grant Street Art Center
Location Number: 22
Urban Adventures: E, C
300 E. 19th Avenue
SAT 10AM - 4PM
SUN 10AM - 4PM
Architect: Charles J. Dunn
Cathedral High School and Convent is an exemplary example of Spanish Renaissance
Revival architecture. The building features a red clay tile roof and original arched wood
doors.
www.
Year Built: 1921
Photography Allowed: Yes
Services: Disabled access, public restrooms
Public Transit: RTD #12
Formerly a Catholic High School, this artists’ space now serves as a studio and
community meeting place for local artists.
On October 31, 2011 Capitol Hill United Neighbors (CHUN), Historic Denver, Inc., and
Colorado Preservation, Inc. (CPI) submitted two separate designation applications for
the properties at 1840 Grant Street and 1835 Logan Street, both of which were once part
of the Cathedral High School complex. This was done in response to an application for a
Certificate of Non-Historic Status (CNHS) submitted by Sagebrush Capital Holdings on
October 10th for the same two properties, currently owned by the Archdiocese of
Denver. The application for a CNHS triggered a 21-day posting period to allow for
comments or designation applications from the public.
Sagebrush Capitol Holdings later cancelled their purchase contract and the certificate for
non-historic status (in effect a demolition permit) was withdrawn by the
Archdiocese. The Cathedral Parish agreed to negotiate with CHUN, Historic Denver,
and CPI in an effort to explore opportunities for the buildings' reuse.
Together the groups hosted a successful Open House in February 2012, attended by
more than 75 potential users, former students and preservation-minded
developers. While strong interest remains in the long-term reuse and rehabilitation of
the structures, particularly the Cathedral High School and Seton House portion fronting
Grant Street, for the time being the Cathedral Parish has leased the structure to Christ in
the City, a youth service program. Historic Denver is grateful for the Parish's willingness
to consider preservation solutions and believes that the Christ in the City program is a
fitting use for the buidling that once housed a mission founded by Mother Teresa.
On August 15 Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila officially reopened the site and remembered
time spent there during his previous service in Denver.
The Cathedral High School and Convent was designed noted Denver architect Harry J.
Manning and is an exemplary example of Spanish Renaissance Revival
architecture. Harry J. Manning is also known for the Capitol Life Insurance Building at
16th and Sherman, various structures on Regis College campus and St. Thomas
Episcopal Church in Park Hill, the famed Circle Drive home of Mrs. Verner Z. Reed, as
well as the Mary Reed Library on the Denver University campus, St. Thomas Episcopal
Church, Charles Boettcher home, Oscar Malo home, and Byers Junior High School. To
learn more about Harry J. Manning click HERE.
This elegant 3-story building features a large center courtyard connecting the former
Cathedral High School on the north to the former rectory on the south. The courtyard is
enclosed by an arched cloister to the east and a decorative stucco and wrought iron wall
to the west. Original wood windows and terra cotta elements as well as a four story bell
tower characterize the finely detailed exterior aspects of the building. Both the interior
and exterior of the building possess a high level of architectural integrity; however an
addition to the school portion of the building was constructed by the early 1950s. The
addition was designed to match the Spanish Renaissance Revival style of the original
construction.
The building also features a red clay tile roof and original arched wood doors. Although
the wood windows and doors are deteriorated by weather and some cracking in the
stucco is evident, the building is in very good condition. An ogee arch marks the main
entrance to the convent on the west façade of the south building. A prominent religious
statue resides in a niche above this entrance. The windows are predominately casement
leaded lights on the first floor and follow a pattern found in renaissance revival styles
where hierarchy allow for different sizes and shapes of windows to mark each floor
respectively. Double hung rectangular windows are on the second floor and Roman arch
top windows are on the third floor of the convent (south building). The original Cathedral
High School (north building) has regularly patterned double hung windows with highly
decorative lintel panels above and Moorish inspired scrolled pilasters marking each side
of the masonry opening and some corners. Leaded lights are in the bay section on the
north façade and in the courtyard.
The roof is bracketed at its eaves and is predominately hipped with gabled protrusions
on the Cathedral High School. The 1950s addition has a tiled mansard roof masking the
flat roof behind. The skin of the building is covered in painted smooth stucco. A few
decorative cartouches are located in the courtyard with cruciform symbols. The open
arcades of the second floor cloisters are decorated with trefoil arches, chamfered
columns and Greek cross forms inset within round medallions. The first floor arcade is
open on the east with Romanesque forms and in-filled with windows on the south. Highly
decorative plaster on the walls and ceilings of the interior accentuate window and door
openings, as well as reinforce the Renaissance Revival style groin vaults in the hallways
and chapel.
The building has reinforced concrete floors and staircases, and is of fireproof
construction throughout. In addition to the new construction of the convent, the building
that had been used as a rectory at 1854 Grant, as well as the nearby two-story barn,
were transformed in 1921. Construction was handled by Charles J. Dunn, a local
contractor, at a total cost of $135,000. Dunn was a prominent citizen responsible for a
large amount of the construction in Denver during the late 19th century. Dunn, a resident
of Denver since 1887, was a general carpenter and builder with many contracts for
private and public buildings. In addition to the construction business, he was also vicepresident of the Joseph P. Dunn Leather Company, charter member and secretary of the
Carpenters and Builders’ Association, member of the Knights of St. John, and Woodmen
of the World, Denver, Camp No. 1.
Grant-Humphreys Mansion
Location Number: 53
Urban Adventures: E, I, K
770 Pennsylvania St.
SUN 10AM - 4PM
Architect: Theodore Davis Boal and F.L. Harnois
This grand terra cotta Beaux-Arts 30-room palace with a projecting façade of 30-foot
columns and balustraded balconies was named for owners James Grant, Colorado’s
third governor, and Albert Humphreys, entrepreneur.
www.GrantHumphreysMansion.org
Year Built: 1902
Photography Allowed: Yes
Services Provided: Disabled access; public restrooms; free parking
Albert Humphreys was shot dead on the top floor and buried in Mount Prospect
Graveyard, now known as Cheesman Park. The Mansion is as important for its
architecture as for its association with these two prominent names in Colorado history.
The mansion combines grandiose proportions, detailed terra cotta finishes and a
projecting façade supported by 30-foot columns. The 30-room mansion was completed
at a cost of $35,000.
The Grant-Humphreys Mansion at 770 Pennsylvania Street is as important for its
architecture as for its association with two prominent names in Colorado History, James
B. Grant and Albert E. Humphreys. When James Grant, Colorado’s third Governor,
commissioned architects Theodore Davis Boal and F. I. Harnois to design his new home
on “Quality Hill,” Americans had begun building in the Beaux-Arts style, borrowing
elements from the high architectural periods of the ancient world and Renaissance
Europe. The Grant’s Beaux-Arts mansion is an exuberant mixture of elements,
combining a brick facade with terra cotta balustrades, projecting balconies, and 20 foot
columns. The thirty room mansion was completed in 1902 at a cost of $35,000.
Grant died in 1911, and his widow sold the mansion in 1917 to Albert E. Humphreys.
Humphreys was a determined entrepreneur who had acquired – and lost – two fortunes
in logging and mining before amassing a third through successful wildcat oil speculations
in Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Texas. Memebrs of the Humphreys family lived in the
homke until 1976, when it was given to History Colorado.
The Grant-Humphreys Mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(1970) and has been designated a Denver Landmark (Number 95, 1976).
Hogle-Allison Motors / Colorado Ballet Academy
Location Number: 45
Urban Adventures: G
1278 Lincoln Street
SAT 10AM - 2PM
Architect: Fisher & Fisher
Located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Denver, this building and was commissioned
by Hogle-Allison Motors in 1924 and built by the famed architects Fisher & Fisher.
www.coloradoballet.org
Year Built: 1924
Photography Allowed: Yes
Services: Disabled access, public restrooms
Public Transit: Bus Route #0
Come visit Colorado Ballet’s 1920’s studios and administrative offices, detailed inside
and out with classical accents. On Saturday, guests will be able to take a sneak peak at
the Academy’s upper level where pre-professional students train.
Hotel Teatro / Tramway Building
Location Number: 23
Urban Adventures: H
1100 14th Street
SAT 10AM - 4PM
SUN 10AM - 4PM
Architect: David Owen Tryba, FAIA Architects (renovation)
Built for the Denver Tramway Company and later used as offices for CU Denver, the
building was renovated to its current elegant design in 1998.
www.hotelteatro.com
Year Built: 1911
Photography Allowed: Yes
Services: Disabled access, public restrooms, food/beverage sales, paid parking
Public Transit: Light Rail
Son of Colorado territorial Governor John Evans and President of the Denver Tramway
Company, William G. Evans commissioned William and Arthur Fisher to create a
Chicago-style steel-structured tower and car barn here on the site of the demolished
Evans home in 1911. The eight-story, 42,000-square-foot tower was a Renaissance
Revival, clad in glazed red brick and white terra cotta, with coffered plaster ceilings,
overhanging parapet and galvanized metal cornice. Interior marble from Tennessee,
Vermont and Arizona complement Pike’s Peak granite in the façade of this streetcar
headquarters once scarred with bullet holes during the 1920 Tramway Strike.
After a period of use by CU Denver and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, then
a decline into disrepair, this landmark building was rehabilitated by David Owen Tryba
Architects and opened as a hotel in 1998, with onyx chandeliers and eight-story brass
mail chute restored to their former opulence. This hotel boasts one of Denver’s first
revolving doors. The hotel was named Denver’s Top Hotel (2005 Zagat Guide) and has
hosted notable celebrities inside its beautiful, theatrical décor.