CURRENT ISSUES

A Unique, Industrial Historic Site — Now the Preferred Site for a New Denver Broncos Stadium Burnham Yard, the former rail yard situated in an industrial corridor near the South Platte River and I-25, has moved from an uncertain future to the center of one of Denver’s most significant development stories in decades: it is…

A FEDERAL RULE CHANGE THREATENS HISTORIC PLACES NATIONWIDE Update: July 2026 Late Friday night, a small federal council voted to advance sweeping changes to the rules that have protected historic places nationwide for nearly 60 years — including many of the ones you love right here in Denver. This isn’t the end of the fight….

A Whittier Landmark On Monday, June 22, Denver City Council voted unanimously to designate the Webb House at 2329 N. Gaylord St. as an official Denver landmark. Reflecting on the decision, Historic Denver CEO John Deffenbaugh told the Denver Post that the designation affirms “history lives here, and history will always live here.” Read the…

Now a Denver Landmark On Monday, June 1, Denver City Council voted unanimously to designate the Harris-Cousins House at 3535 E. 26th Ave. Pkwy. as an official Denver landmark, ensuring the stories held within it are preserved for generations to come. Built in 1958 for Frank and Nora Harris, the Ranch Style home at 3535…

Time is Running Out for the Zuni Steam Plant Update: Landmark Designation Application Submitted In March 2025, Historic Denver and community members formally submitted a landmark designation application for the Zuni Steam Plant, located at 13th and Zuni Street, to protect it from potential demolition. The move comes after Xcel Energy announced…

50 Actions for 50 Places Plaques Installed Progress continues on many of our 50 Action for 50 Places sites. After our community nominated 50 sites with special meaning to the city of Denver, which had not previously received preservation attention, we have been hard at work finding preservation actions for each site. Earlier this month…

Opposing Demolition of 1600 & 1618 East Colfax Avenue 1600 and 1618 East Colfax have been unoccupied for five years, with little attempt made by the owner of the buildings to secure and maintain them. In March 2024, a fire broke out in 1600 East Colfax, damaging the interior. 1618 East Colfax was largely unharmed….

New Logo, Renewed Commitment Historic Denver launched its first new logo in over 30 years, the fourth in the non-profit’s 54-year history. Historic Denver President & CEO John Deffenbaugh, said: “Inspired by the shape of the city itself, the logo is intended to show that Historic Denver exists to champion the stories of all…

UPDATE: Historic Denver and Monfort Companies Reach Compromise to Preserve Portion of Former El Chapultepec Building at 1962 Market Historic Denver and Monfort Companies are pleased to announce a significant step forward in the redevelopment of the former El Chapultepec building at 1962 Market Street. Following a series of productive meetings over the past three…

Update After searching for a prospective buyer for this property, unfortunately none was found. It is the current plan for the building to replaced with a new residence, and our hope is the new building will reflect some of the area’s wonderful past. Calling All Prospective Home Buyers The former home of Harry Huffman, a…

Historic Denver names John Deffenbaugh new CEO Historic Denver, Inc. today named John Deffenbaugh its president and CEO. Deffenbaugh will oversee advocacy and operations for the 53-year-old nonprofit and its flagship property, the Molly Brown House Museum. Deffenbaugh brings nearly 20 years of experience on architectural, urban and creative design projects in the United States…

Mayor and Council Candidates on Preservation, Growth The 2023 municipal election is upon us, with ballots due by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4. Historic Denver does not endorse any candidate. However, we are keenly aware of the influence a mayor and city council members can have on policies related to our built environment and…

1902 Building Designed By Architects of Denver Union Station to Become Local Landmark In February 2023, three City Park West residents applied to designate the Dutch Colonial Revival mansion at 1741 Gaylord St. as a landmark, following the real estate developer/owner’s request for a certificate of demolition eligibility from the city. The residents applied for…

We celebrated the life of our former walking tour guide, friend and Denver historian Joe Sokolowski last Sunday at the Wings Over the Rockies. In celebration of his many accomplishments, here is a memoriam article that originally appeared in Historic Denver News. In Memoriam: Joe Sokolowski By Leah M. Charney, Historic Denver News Managing Editor…

Historic Denver has named Andrea Burns interim president and CEO. A Denver-based communications consultant, Burns has a background in managing communications on historic preservation, city planning, real estate and redevelopment. Her experience includes serving as communications director for Denver Community Planning and Development and the city’s landmark preservation office, and as the National Western Center’s…

West Denver neighbors exploring potential historic district focused on Jewish history, culture In 2021, a handful of residents from Denver’s West Side began exploring the possibility of applying to the city designation of a local historic district that would reflect and preserve the cultural history of Jewish immigrants in the area. The residents partnered with…

UPDATE: Denver City Council declined to designate Crowther House as a landmark on Dec. 12, 2023. The property owner opposed designation and plans to demolish the building and redevelop the site. The Crowther House from Historic Denver Guide The Mid-Century Modern House in Denver, photography by Kathleen Roach Community Landmark Application Headed to the City…

This is a press release by Urban Cowboy written in conjunction with GBX Group and Historic Denver. Urban Cowboy Heads West: Owners Lyon Porter and Jersey Banks to Open Outpost of Boutique Hotel in Denver The George Schleier Mansion in 2021 A historic Downtown Mansion will play host to the lodge and signature Public House…

Preserving & Protecting a Legacy- the former Emily Griffith Opportunity School For 100 years the buildings at 12th & Welton Street were home to the Emily Griffith Opportunity School- the influential and pioneering legacy of an educator determined to create opportunity for all Denverites. When the Emily Griffith programs, both secondary and the technical college,…

Concerning Changes to the 16th Street Mall Opened in 1982, the 16th Street Mall is among the most iconic places in Denver, recognized for its high quality design, enduring materials, and value as a civic space. Officially recognized as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places due to the exceptional caliber of its design…

Denver’s First Historic Cultural District to Honor the Chicano/a Movement On August 2, 2021, Denver City Council designated the La Alma Lincoln Park Historic Cultural District, recognizing the historic and cultural significance of the neighborhood in Denver’s Chicano movement. https://youtu.be/hD0qaCXpzdU Why It Matters La Alma Lincoln Park is not only one of Denver’s oldest residential…

East 7th Avenue- Steele Street Extension Protects Judge Raymond Jones Home As the pandemic raged in 2020 and 2021 residents of the 600 and 700 blocks of Steele Street talked on Zoom, on porches, and on-line about pursuing a small historic district designation, just two blocks long and immediately adjacent to the existing East 7th…

The Effort to Save one of Park Hill’s Oldest Homes In April 2022, Denver City Council unanimously made the 1889 Queen Anne house at 3435 Albion St. a local landmark, protecting it from demolition. The designation followed a year of uncertainty for the building, known as the Robinson House, during which Historic Denver helped to…

On March 25th, 2021 Historic Denver’s board and staff came together for a special session dedicated to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access. The meeting was the culmination of six months of work by a board task force convened to dive deeper into this work, its intersection with historic preservation and historical interpretation, and to make…

Denver murals named to list of most endangered historic places in America In 2018 Historic Denver began a partnership with Chicano/a/x Murals of Colorado Project (CMCP) to help preserve murals important to Denver’s cultural heritage. Supported through Historic Denver’s Action Fund, phase one implementation of this project will focus on preserving four of the earliest…

Treat Hall, now know as Centennial Hall, was fully rehabilitated by JWU and is now protected by an easement held by Historic Denver. 110-Year-Old Campus has New Owners On the eastern edge of Park Hill, on what was once the vast open prairie, sits a campus that has endured ups and downs and served generations…

East Area Plan Projects Vision for Six Core Neighborhoods In 2018, Denver City Council adopted an update to Blueprint Denver, a citywide land use and transportation plan. As follow-up, the City Planning Office is now creating plans for collections of neighborhoods across Denver through a process called the Neighborhood Planning Initiative. The East Central Area…

Changing the Demolition vs. Designation Paradigm In a Sept. 30, 2019 meeting, Denver City Council unanimously approved updates to the city’s landmark preservation ordinance, also known as Chapter 30 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code. The updates, which will greatly improve the landmark process with more inclusion and creative problem-solving, include: Shifting the way time…

Googie Diner to be Saved, Now Listed on National Register The Googie‐style building at Colfax & Pearl, known to many as Tom’s Diner, will be saved from demolition and reinvented through a partnership between GBX Group and the longtime owner. The diner first garnered public attention in May 2019 when the City of Denver posted…

Larimer Square Gets a New Owner In December 2020, Larimer & Associates sold Larimer Square to Asana Partners of North Carolina, following a three-year period of uncertainty for the block. Asana, which owns historic structures in other cities, including Dallas, Los Angeles, and Alexandria, Virginia, has indicated its commitment to restoring the block. Why It…

Key Historic Buildings to be Preserved Preservation work is underway at Loretto Heights within the broader redevelopment project, following a multi-year public planning process. The Administration Building and connected chapel, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are now protected by an easement donated to Historic Denver by the owner. Pancratia Hall…

Celebrating the Life & Work of John Henderson John Henderson was the first licensed African American architect in the state of Colorado. He worked on many institutional buildings in the City and County of Denver, but he was most proud of his family home in the Skyland/City Park North neighborhood, which he designed himself in…

Denver’s Meatpacking and Agricultural Legacy The longtime site of the National Western Stock Show in north Denver is being redeveloped into the new National Western Center. While the project is bringing new and modern buildings to house the Stock Show and other year-round activities, the site features historic buildings and assets dating back as early…

During the summer of 2015 the community learned of plans for a new development on the western side of the 1600 block of Pearl Street. The site, largely made up of parking lots, was also home to four buildings, among them the storefront structures at the corner of 17th & Pearl, which in recent years…

City Park Master Plan Update & Design Guidelines May 30, 2017 5 to 7 pm City Park Pavilion In July 2014 Historic Denver convened a group of community stakeholders, including Parks & Recreation, to talk about City Park, and to explore questions about what the park’s past means for its future. After several months of…

In 2017, Historic Denver learned of plans to demolish the building on the southwest corner of Colfax and Downing Street. The 1930s building is best known for having been the long-time home of Smiley’s Laundromat, a staple for Capitol Hill residents for more than 30 years. During the city’s efforts to create Main Street zoning,…