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
Denver Animal Shelter
Location Number: 55
Urban Adventures: A, C
1241 West Bayaud Avenue
SAT 10AM - 4PM
SUN 10AM - 4PM
Architect: Animal Arts
Construction of the 36,000 square foot site began in 2010 thanks to the support of
Denver voters through Better Denver Bond funding. In honor of Doors Open Denver, the
Denver Animal Shelter will offer a reduced adoption package special of $85 for dogs,
$50 for cats and $10 for small animals on April 13 & 14 (approximately half the normal
adoption package rate).
www.denveranimalshelter.org
Year Built: 2011
Photography Allowed: Yes
Services: Disabled access, free parking, public restrooms
This new facility, designed by Animal Arts, an architectural firm specializing in animal
shelter and veterinary hospital design, represents the highest standard of care for shelter
animals.
For DOD Adoption Special: In honor of Doors Open Denver, the Denver Animal
Shelter will offer a reduced adoption package special of $85 for dogs, $50 for cats, $10
small animals on April 13 & 14. This rate is approximately half the normal adoption
package rate.
Selected Highlights:
Construction of the 36,000 square foot Denver Animal Shelter began in 2010 thanks to
the support of Denver voters through Better Denver Bond funding. The facility opened to
the public in June of 2011, replacing the old, dilapidated shelter on Jason Street that was
home to city’s shelter since 1972.
The new Bayaud street facility was designed and built to reflect Denver Animal Care &
Control’s commitment to animal welfare and health and the City’s commitment to
sustainability. The new facility, designed by Animal Arts, an architectural firm
specializing in animal shelter and veterinary hospital design, represents the highest
standard of care for shelter animals.
Highlights include:

“Greenest” Animal Shelter - In 2012, the Denver Animal Shelter (DAS)
achieved LEED-NC Platinum certification. This prestigious designation makes
DAS the first and only animal facility in the country to achieve the nationallyrecognized environmental rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
See sustainability fact sheet attached. A few examples include:
o
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Uses natural process of evaporation to cool the air instead of the use of
environmentally-damaging refrigerants.
o Uses daylight sensors to automatically control the lights when there is
adequate daylight, reducing the need for electricity. More than 80% of
the areas have enough daylight for the electric lights to be shut off when
the sun is shining.
o Use of non-toxic cleaning solution designed for cold water use reduces
energy that would have been used for heating water.
o The floors in the dog kennels will have radiant heat for comfort and
warmth.
“Greenest” Denver City facility – To date, DAS is the only Denver city building
to achieve Platinum LEED status. See sustainability fact sheet attached.
25 ft Tall Public Art “Sun Spot” - Sun Spot is a three-piece public art sculpture
by Seattle artists Laura Haddad and Tom Drugan. The primary piece is a 25
foot-tall silver iconic dog sculpture located at the southeast corner of the site,
adjacent to the South Platte Trail and visible from Interstate-25. The sculpture is
made from a structural steel skeleton overlaid with stainless steel mesh that is
covered with over 90,000 individual stainless steel pet tags.
Denver Art Museum - North Building
Location Number: 41
Urban Adventures: C, G, J
100 W. 14th Avenue Parkway
SAT 10AM - 5PM
SUN 10AM - 5PM
NOTE: There is no free admission to the DAM. The following areas ONLY are free
during Doors Open Denver: the first floor of the North Building and the atrium of the
Hamilton Building. Founded in 1893, the Denver Art Museum has one of the largest
collections of world art between Chicago and the West Coast. The 24-sided North
Building is covered in over one million glass tiles.
www.denverartmuseum.org
Year Built: 1971 (North Building); 2006 (Hamilton Building)
Architect: Gio Ponti (North Building)
Photography Allowed: No flash photography or tripods inside the building; photography
of art on loan is prohibited. Other photography for personal enjoyment (not commercial
purposes) is permitted, including exterior building photography.
Services Provided: Full disabled access, food/beverage services, paid parking Public
Transit: RTD #0, #10 and #15; Light Rail to Broadway
Founded in 1893, the Denver Art Museum has one of the largest collections of world art
between Chicago and the West Coast. The 24-sided North Building is covered in over
one million glass tiles. NOTE: The following areas ONLY are free during Doors Open
Denver: C-level of the North Building, 1st floor of the Hamilton Building and the Duncan
Pavilion.
In 1971, the Denver Art Museum achieved a goal that had eluded it for more than 75
years: the construction of a building that brought together all its treasures and activities
under a single roof. Though the building seemed startling and unorthodox when it
opened, it ranks today as a masterpiece.
Gio Ponti (1891-1979), Milan-based architect of the building’s exterior, was delighted
when people compared the building to a fortress. Ponti’s international reputation as a
designed of everything from buildings and cars to stage sets and cutlery counted heavily
in his being named to the architectural team that included Denverite James Sudler and
his associate Joal Cronenwett. Ponti’s signature contributions are apparent in features
that break up the massive appearance of the square towers and add to the building’s
sculptural richness: the articulation of the permimeter walls, striking window
arrnagements and pierced roofline. Using three-dimensional tiles for the building’s skin
was among the techniques Ponti had already been experimenting with to create the
illusion of weighlessness and immateriality.
The DAM nearly doubled in size in October, 2006 with the titanium-clad Frederic C.
Hamilton expansion. The angular design and soaring central atrium are architectural
highlights. The art museum consists of two boldly modern structures: the 1971 North
Building, designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti and Denver’s James Sudler Associates,
with its seven stories of crenellated, castle-like facade and reflective glass tiles, and the
2006 Hamilton Building, designed by Daniel Libeskind to reflect the Colorado sunshine
and mountains in its angular panels clad in titanium panels.
Denver Central Library
Location Number: 42
Urban Adventures: A, G, L
10 West 14th Avenue Pkwy
SAT 9AM - 5PM
SUN 1PM - 5PM
denverlibrary.org
Year Built: 1955/1995
Architect: Burnham Hoyt; Michael Graves, klipp Colussy Jenks Dubois
The Central Library serves the public from a mix of formal and informal spaces:
community rooms and quiet reading areas, high-tech nerve centers and cozy storytime
nooks.
Photography Allowed: Yes, but not of customers or staff
Services Provided: Full disabled access, public restrooms, food/beverage services, paid
parking
Public Transit: RTD routes 0, 9, 10, 16, 52, 83L, Civic Center Station
The Denver Central Library is a regional icon showcasing elements of two important
architectural movements; the International style and Postmodernism. The original portion
the building’s flat-roof, reinforced concrete frame and random ashlar Indiana limestone
veneer place it firmly in the International Style. Designed by architect Burnham Hoyt, the
1955 library is the only major work by Hoyt completed in Denver in the post-World War II
period and is one of only two major Hoyt projects in the International Style that survives.
Renowned architect, Michael Graves, with the Denver architectural firm of klipp Colussy
Jenks DuBois, designed a seven-story addition in 1995, bringing the vocabulary of
Postmodernism to Denver without overwhelming the Hoyt library’s exterior elements.
The 1995 Graves’ expansion’s multi-hued towers, turrets and colonnades make the
Central Library a mini skyline unto itself and a stellar example of the Postmodern style.
Inside, Grave’s signature color palette continues and unifies the library’s varied spaces
and departments. Renovations completed by klipp Architects in 2011 have added
interest and enhanced functionality throughout this Denver landmark. Stop by to see
murals by Edward Ruscha, roam exhibits in our Level 5 and Level 7 galleries and to
browse hundreds of thousands of books, audiobooks, music CDs and DVDs. The
Denver Central Library has something for everyone. Sign up for an expert tour led by
Brian Klipp of klipp Architects. Tour begins at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 13.
Denver City & County Building
Location Number: 36
Urban Adventures: G
1437 Bannock Street
SAT 10AM - 3PM
SUN 10AM - 3PM
www.DenverGov.org
Year Built: 1932
Architect: Robert Kenneth Fuller, FAIA, Allied Architects Association; Roland Lindner,
FAIA
This is the formal seat of government of the City & County of Denver and was designed
by a consortium of 39 local architects in Neoclassical style. Hourly tours (beginning at
10:15am) will be offered, starting on the front steps, highlighting the remodeled first floor,
historic District Court Rooms, Perry Mason Court Room, and ending in the Mayor’s
Office.
Photography Allowed: Yes
Services Provided: Disabled access, public restrooms
Public Transit: Light Rail to Broadway Station
The capstone to Civic Center Park, the building is constructed of a composite steel and
cast in place concrete column, beam and slab system. Attached to this is the exterior
granite skin of solid masonry veneer. Colorado granite, a gray medium-grained granite
quarried from Fremont County, Colorado, was used in the exterior lower courses of the
building. Georgia granite, a lighter gray granite, was used for the upper courses.
The Denver City and County Building, completed in 1932, is the formal seat of
government of the City and County of Denver. The total cost for the facility was
$4,649.457. It is among the most impressive municipal building~ in the United States.
On May 15, 1923, during the administration of Mayor Ben Stapleton, the electorate
decided to locate the City and County Building on the west side of Civic Center Park.
Nine years later, August 1, 1932, the building was dedicated.
The Allied Architects Association, a consortium of 39 local architects, designed the
building in neo-c1assical style. The building is constructed of a composite steel and cast
in place concrete column, beam and slab system. Attached to the structural system is
the exterior granite skin of solid masonry veneer. Colorado granite, a gray mediumgrained granite quarried from Fremont County, Colorado, was used in the exterior lower
courses of the building. The Georgia granite, a lighter gray granite was used for the
upper courses of the building.
The City and County Building is the capstone to the Civic Center Park. Civic Center
was a special interest in the planning efforts of Mayor Speer during his first term as
mayor from 1904 to 1912. Parkways formed important linkages across town,
connecting neighborhoods and parks. Civic Center was clearly the centerpiece of this
work.
The City and County Building faces the State Capitol Building. Other civic buildings
complement this area. The City and county Building is the commanding focus of
Denver's Civic Center Park where city celebrations and festivals are held.
Clearly, the officials and visionaries who built the City and County Building felt an
enormous sense of pride in this architectural accomplishment. Touring this building
today, from its grand entrance to its expansive interior is to revisit that civic pride, savor
its architectural sensitivity and reaffirm its historic preservation.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar designated Denver’s Civic Center as a
National Historic Landmark on Oct. 17, 2012 making it the City and County of Denver's
first NHL and one of two civic centers in the country to achieve the prestigious
recognition, according to Historic Denver Inc., the Denver nonprofit that submitted the
NHL nomination.
Denver Dry Building
Location Number: 27
Urban Adventures: H
1555 California Street
SAT 10AM - 4PM
SUN 10AM - 4PM
Architect:
For a while, the Denver Dry Goods Company was claimed to be the largest department
store west of Chicago. The store was converted to apartments in 1994.
www.
Year Built: 1889
Photography Allowed: Yes
Services: Disabled access
The Denver Dry Good Company, also known at The Denver”, was established in Denver
in 1879 by Michael J. McNamara and L.H. Flanders as M.J. McNamara & Company and
later The McNamara Dry Good Company. The beginning of the company can be traced
back to 1876 when they had both worked as clerks at another dry goods store in Denver.
In 1877, McNamara left that store and formed a partnership with Edgar H. Drew. After
two years, Drew left and L.H. Flanders came on as co-owner. In 1893, the company was
reorganized under the name “Denver Dry Goods Company.” A postcard from 1916 read:
The largest store in the Central West, 400 feel long, seven acres floor area, 1,200
employees, $1,500,000 stock.”
The Denver Dry Goods Company later became part of Associated Dry Goods (ADG)
and in the 1970’s and early 1980’s it was considered one of ADG’s most profitable
operating units, just behind Lord and Taylor. ADG invested in expanding The Denver,
both with suburban stores in the greater Denver market and stores in far-flung locales
such as Bilings, Montana. Also under ADG, the downtown Denver store was renovated.
Many Colorado residents recall the store’s motto: “Where Colorado shops with
confidence.”
The store was acquired by May Company as part of ADG in 1986, nine of twelve
locations were shut down and sold off, and the remaining three units were converted to
May-Daniels & Fisher in 1987. The original downtown store was built in 1889, expanded
in 1898, 1906 and 1924.
Denver Fire Station #9
Location Number: 5
Urban Adventures: A
4400 Brighton Blvd.
SAT 10AM - 4PM
SUN 10AM - 4PM
Architect: Pahl Architecture
One of the newest buildings of the Denver Fire Department, this station was built in 2001
by Pahl Architecture. The fire station is located on a difficult rectangular site across the
street from the Denver Coliseum on Brighton Boulevard.
www.
Year Built: 2001
Photography Allowed: No photos may be taken for profit or promotion
Services: Public restrooms
Public Transit:
Denver Fire Station No. 9 is a 12,785 square foot facility. It features a three-bay
apparatus area, sleeping pods, lockers, showers, living spaces, classrooms, a
community room, and an exercise room. The fire station is located on a difficult
rectangular site across the street from the Denver Coliseum on Brighton Boulevard. The
station was occupied in 2001 and was built at a final construction cost of $2,644,327.
Denver Woman’s Press Club / The Burr House
Location Number: 43
Urban Adventures: E
1325 Logan St.
SAT 10AM - 4PM
SUN 10AM - 4PM
Architect: Varian & Varian; George Elbert Burr
Built as a residence and artist studio for George Elbert Burr, the DWPC purchased the
building in 1924 and it has been used ever since as a meeting place for writers and other
members of the media.
www.dwpconline.org
Year Built: 1910
Photography Allowed: Yes
Services Provided: Public restroom; food/beverage
The DWPC Clubhouse, known as the Burr House, was built in 1910 in the architectural
style of a 20th Century English Craftsman cottage by famous American etching artist,
George Elbert Burr (1859-1939). Burr built this house as a combination art studio, salon
and home. He designed much of the house working with the architectural firm Varian
and Varian. He lived here with his wife until he sold it to the Denver Woman’s Press Club
in 1924. The Burrs left 12 of the artist’s etchings to the club which are on display as well
as interior features. In a 1930 letter to DWPC members in 1930, Mrs. Burr described
these features: “…the brass globes in the dining room (are) made from Benares bowls.
The Japanese candle lantern in the hall, and outside, under the hood of the door, the
shade which Craftwood made for us…The hood of the front door is from a sketch Mr.
Burr made when we were walking one day…on Lake Geneva.” The house also boasts
the original dumbwaiter that carries food from the tiny 1st Floor kitchen to the larger
kitchen in the basement, brass fixtures, the original wood banisters, bookcase and wall
coverings, the original skylight, the A.B. Chase piano purchased by DWPC in 1935, a
large portrait of Mary Elitch Long hanging on the north wall.
The tiny 2nd Floor space that served as the Burrs’ bedrooms, are now the offices and
archives of DWPC. Photos of members from the turn of the century to the present,
documents including Letters of Incorporation and essays written by early members, line
the walls.
The Denver Woman’s Press Club (DWPC) was founded in 1898 by nineteen charter
members, including organizer and first president Minnie J. Reynolds. Reynolds was an
influential suffrage leader, serving as “Press Secretary” in the victorious 1893 Colorado
campaign, and later as a national suffrage organizer. She was one of the first woman
political writers for the Rocky Mountain News, and an early woman stump speaker and
activist in the Populist Party. The building is a unique example of the era and a real
survivor! It is the only woman’s press club in America to own their own building: it was
purchased by the Club in 1924 for $9,000 and paid off in full.
The Club’s membership, throughout its history, has included numerous women leaders.
Among them:
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Mary Elizabeth Bates, one of the first women doctors in Denver;
Mary Florence Lathrop, one of Denver’s first women lawyers;
Helen Ring Robinson, Colorado’s first woman state senator;
Helen Marie Black, first woman business manager of a major symphony
orchestra (she was instrumental in the founding of the Denver Symphony);
Mary Coyle Chase, Pulitzer Prize winning author of the play “Harvey”
The house contains not only the history of famous 20th Century artist etcher, George
Elbert Burr, whose works appear in galleries and museums across the U.S., including
the Denver Art Museum, but the history of the Denver Woman’s Press Club, an
important and ground-cutting Denver institution since 1898. We would welcome the
opportunity to relate these proud histories to members of the Denver public.
East High School
Location Number: 33
Urban Adventures: A, L
1600 City Park Esplanade
SAT 1PM - 4PM
SUN 10AM - 4PM
Architect: George H. Williamson, FAIA
Designed by an East High alumnus (class of 1893), the East Angels’ Jacobean building
of red brick and white terra cotta bears a 162-foot tall clocktower fashioned after
Independence Hall.
www.eastangels.org
Year Built: 1925
Architect: George H. Williamson, FAIA
Photography Allowed: Yes, but no photos may be taken of students
Services Provided: Full disabled access, public restrooms, free parking
Public Transit: RTD Colfax route
Designed by an East High alumnus (class of 1893), the East Angels’ Jacobean building
of red brick and white terra cotta bears a 162-foot tall clocktower fashioned after
Independence Hall. Also noteworthy are its oak library with Elizabethan ceiling and
Depression-era murals, its statue-capped columns, sculpted lionheads, fountains and
esplanade, and relics of past buildings: a sculpted angel’s face opposite the main office,
and a former keystone in the south lawn’s rock garden.
The architectural style of the building is known as Jacobean and is associated with the
early 17th century British halls of learning, as well as the American colonial period. The
most visible feature of the East High building is its clock tower. At its highest point, the
East Tower is 162 feet high and is visible from over a mile away. In 1992 the building
was declared an official Denver Historic Landmark by the Denver Landmark Commission
and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
Due to the increase of students enrolling for school East High School was built to ease
the overpopulation in other schools; however because of its efforts to make an inspiring
learning environment it became a model for other schools throughout Denver.
East High school was built in 1925 to address the growing number of students enrolling
into high school in Denver. The school was designed by George H. Williamson an East
High alumnus (class of 1893) and Colorado native. Due to City Beautiful, schools were
to be placed adjacent to parks. East High School was placed to face the City Park
Esplanade which stretches two blocks, established in the 1900s.
The architectural style of the building is known as Jacobean and is associated with the
early 17th century British halls of learning, as well as the American colonial period.
When finished the building showed off its four stories of mottled red brick and grey terra
cotta trim. The interior of the building was designed in order to give the kids attending
the school an inspiring environment with gray Ozark marble, statuary throughout the
lobby, a state of the art auditorium and a grand double stairway. On the third floor there
is a library that was renovated in 2006. Also noteworthy are its oak library with
Elizabethan ceiling and Depression-era murals, its statue-capped columns, sculpted lion
heads, fountains and esplanade, and relics of past buildings: a sculpted angel’s face
opposite the main office, and a former keystone in the south lawn’s rock garden. The
most visible feature of the East High building is its seven story clock tower, fashioned
after Independence Hall. At its highest point, the East Tower is 162 feet high and is
visible from over a mile away. Because of the elegance of this school it became an
architectural ornament to the community and was a model for other schools in Denver.
In 1992 the building was declared an official Denver Historic Landmark by the Denver
Landmark Commission and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
Ellie Caulkins Opera House / Auditorium Theater
Location Number: 24
Urban Adventures: H, I
1101 13th Street
SAT 10AM - 4PM
SUN 10AM - 4PM
Architect: Robert O. Wilson (1908); Peter Lucking (Semple Brown Design – 2005
renovation)
Built for Denver’s first Democratic National Convention, the Quigg Newton Municipal
Auditorium was renovated in 2005.
www.ArtsComplex.com
Year Built: 1908
Photography Allowed: No photos of stages or props
Services Provided: Full disabled access, public restrooms, paid parking
Public Transit: Light Rail to Theatre District/Convention Center stop, several RTD bus
routes
The Auditorium is now home to a state-of-the-art lyric opera house, colloquially referred
to as “The Ellie” and the sophisticated Chambers Grant Salon. Two incredible original
works of art are on display in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House as part of Denver’s 1% For
The Arts Program, which dedicates 1% of the cost of all Denver capital improvement
projects to funding artwork specifically for the project. The life-like sculpture titled “Maria
Mosina and Igor Vassine” by artist John DeAndrea stands in the lobby on the north side
of the building, and a fascinating mural titled “Rehearsal” by artist Stephen Batura hangs
on the south side of the lobby.
In the Chambers Grant Salon, three of the largest paintings Colorado artist Vance
Kirkland ever created grace the walls, side-by-side, as a tribute to the performing arts
showcased in the building. The paintings, titled Vibrations of Scarlet on Crimson, Space
Mysteries and Explosions in Unknown Space were contributed by the Kirkland Museum.
A series of seven fine art tapestries by internationally renowned artist Herbert Bayer
(1900 - 1985) are on display in the hallways of the opera house. The tapestries were
contributed to the Ellie by long-time Denver art collectors, Jamie White and Andrew
Sirotnak.
A dazzling chandelier, created by celebrated artist Dale Chihuly, hangs in the foyer of
the Ellie. Overall, the chandelier in the Ellie incorporates 500 separate glass pieces and
took about two and a half days to assemble and light correctly. Amazingly, there are no
lights attached to the chandelier itself – it’s the way the light reflects off of the glass that
creates a magnificent glow. Chihuly chandeliers are suspended from ceilings of the most
celebrated spaces in the world.
The Ellie Caulkins Opera House is just one of the many auditoriums in the Denver
Performing Arts Complex, but unlike the others it was originally built in 1908 as an opera
house to attract top artists to the Mile High City with its world-class acoustical hall
design.
During the early 1900s public spaces for the arts and education were very important to
the City Beautiful movement in Denver. In order to give citizens a place to enjoy music
and other important events the building was drawn up by Robert O. Wilson. Built for
Denver’s first Democratic National Convention, the Quigg Newton Municipal Auditorium
was originally built in 1908 and renovated in 2004. The auditorium was first designed in
lyric style and encompasses the four levels, can hold 2,100 people, often associated
with grand opera houses; the balcony, loge, mezzanine, and the orchestra. The
Auditorium is now home to a state-of-the-art lyric opera house, colloquially referred to as
“The Ellie” and the sophisticated Chambers Grant Salon. The auditorium is one of three
opera houses in the United Stated and one of nine in the World with seatback tilting on
every seat in the house. The intention of the grand opera house was to attract top artists
to Denver.
Two incredible original works of art are on display in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House as
part of Denver’s 1% for the Arts Program, which dedicates 1% of the cost of all Denver
capital improvement projects to funding artwork specifically for the project. The life-like
sculpture titled “Maria Mosina and Igor Vassine” by artist John DeAndrea stands in the
lobby on the north side of the building, and a fascinating mural titled “Rehearsal” by artist
Stephen Batura hangs on the south side of the lobby.
In the Chambers Grant Salon, three of the largest paintings Colorado artist Vance
Kirkland ever created graces the walls, side-by-side, as a tribute to the performing arts
showcased in the building. The paintings, titled Vibrations of Scarlet on Crimson, Space
Mysteries and Explosions in Unknown Space were contributed by the Kirkland Museum.
A series of seven fine art tapestries by internationally renowned artist Herbert Bayer
(1900 - 1985) are on display in the hallways of the opera house. The tapestries were
contributed to the Ellie by long-time Denver art collectors, Jamie White and Andrew
Sirotnak.
A dazzling chandelier, created by celebrated artist Dale Chihuly, hangs in the foyer of
the Ellie. Overall, the chandelier in the Ellie incorporates 500 separate glass pieces and
took about two and a half days to assemble and light correctly. Amazingly, there are no
lights attached to the chandelier itself – it’s the way the light reflects off of the glass that
creates a magnificent glow. Chihuly chandeliers are suspended from ceilings of the most
celebrated spaces in the world.
Emerson School
Location Number: 38
Urban Adventures: E
1420 Ogden Street
SAT 10AM - 4PM
SUN 10AM - 4PM
Architect: Robert Roeschlaub
Completed in 1885, the Emerson School is the oldest remaining Roeschlaub-designed
school in Colorado.
www.preservationnation.org/issues/sustainability/emerson-school-project
Year Built: 1885
Services provided: Free parking, full access, restrooms
Public Transit: RTD #15
The Emerson School was designed by Robert Roeschlaub (1843 – 1923), who is widely
recognized as Colorado’s first master architect. 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.
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.
Closed in 1979, the Emerson School was adapted in the 1980s to create a senior center
and medical clinic and was renamed the Frank B. McGlone Center. In 2010, the entire
property was donated to the National Trust for Historic Preservation by Capitol Hill
Senior Resources, Inc. The National Trust is now wrapping up a $3.2 million
rehabilitation to create a new center for preservation in Colorado, housing the National
Trust’s Denver Office, Colorado Preservation, Inc., Historic Denver, Inc., Downtown
Colorado, Inc, and other nonprofits. The rehabilitation demonstrates numerous
strategies for “greening” historic buildings, including restoration of all original window
sash, the re-use of a historic ventilation system and the installation of a ground-source
geothermal heating and cooling system. Major landscape improvements are also
included.
Project partners include the St. Charles Town Company, SLATERPAULL Architects, Inc.
and Spectrum General Contractors. The rehabilitation is supported in part by a grant
from the Colorado Historical Society's State Historical Fund as well as numerous
foundations and private donors and a loan from the Colorado Historical Foundation. The
Emerson School is about to become the home for Historic Denver, Colorado
Preservation, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Equitable Building
Location Number: 19
Urban Adventures: G
730 17th Street
SAT 10AM - 4PM
SUN 10AM - 4PM
Architect: Andrews, Jaques & Rantoul
15th & 16th Streets were the heart of Denver’s business activity when the Equitable Life
Insurance Company constructed the first “high-rise” on 17th Street.
www.sopracommunities.com
Year Built: 1892
Photography Allowed: Yes
Services Provided: Disabled access, public restrooms
Public Transit: Light Rail Lines D, E, F, H; RTD #30, 16th Street Mall Shuttle
At a cost of $1.5 million, this was Denver’s most expensive, and with nine stories,
Denver’s tallest building. The intricate carvings on the exterior arches show finely
detailed laurel leaves, acanthus leaves and great wreaths. Carved by Andrew Garbutt of
Boston, they exemplify the Greco-Roman style of the building. The stately stone exterior,
with an interior lobby of Byzantine mosaics, Tiffany glass and brass fixtures, grace what
is still Denver’s grandest office building.
The Equitable Building was designed by Andrews, Jacques, and Rantoul of Boston for
the Equitable Life Assurance Company. Built at a cost of $1.5 million, this nine story
commercial building was the showpiece of Denver’s thriving financial district when it was
completed in 1892, as well as the city’s tallest building. The 173,000 square foot
structure represented Denver’s status as commercial and financial center of the Rocky
Mountain region. It was one of several large commercial buildings built in Denver during
the economic boom of the 1880s and early 1890s. The building was designed in the
Italianate or Renaissance Revival style, characterized by symmetry and classical
architectural details. The stone and brick construction is accentuated by pale terra cotta
string courses.
The first two stories are clad in pink granite, with pale pressed brick used for the floors
above. A boxed cornice is supported by elaborate modillions. Street level entrances and
window openings on the first two levels are round-arched. The 17th Street façade
features a large Palladian window at the third-and fourth-story levels. Round-arched
windows with elaborate hoodmolds distinguish the fifth and eighth stories. The Equitable
Life Assurance Company’s initial “E” appears throughout the building as a decorative
motif. Other decorative features include Tiffany stained glass windows and a lobby rich
with marble and mosaic vaulted ceilings. Early Equitable tenants were leaders in the
Denver and Colorado business community.
Mining and railroad tycoon David Moffatt moved his First National Bank into the building,
and the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad was headquartered there as well. During 1892
and 1892, it served as State executive offices while the state capitol was under
construction. The Equitable also contained legal offices of many of Denver’s leading
attorneys. These included Mary Lathrop, the first woman admitted to the Bar in the
United States. The Silver Panic of 1892 devastated Denver soon after the Equitable
opened its doors so that despite its prestigious tenants, lease rates failed to regain their
original level until 1902.
The building was owned William Barth, president of the D&RG Railroad, then by his
heirs from 1910 through 1956. It passed through a series of owners and renovations
before a Canadian firm bought it in 1977 for $1.5 million. The building received a $2
million refurbishment in the early 1990s. In 2000 the Equitable was converted into
condominiums, with upkeep of the common areas overseen by the Equitable Building
Condominium Association’s Board of Directors. In 2010, major restoration of the stone
and brickwork was begun. Since the early 1980s, street-level businesses have included
various banks and stock brokerage firms and the clothing store Molly’s of Denver.