Denver Landmarks & Historic Districts: A Pictorial Guide

by Thomas J. Noel, Wellington Webb (Foreword)

Conceived in gold lust and born in the middle of nowhere on a cold winter day, Denver grew up on a diet of mining booms and busts. Boosters built the city rapidly and recklessly. With each boom in gold, silver, and oil, Denverites tore down "old-fashioned buildings" to construct their own grand new monuments. Denver was stripped of its architectural past as each generation demolished the work of its predecessors.

Not until the 1960s did Denverites, alarmed by wholesale urban-renewal demolitions and a new building boom, convince the mayor and city council to form the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission to identify and preserve the most important landmarks.

Denver Landmarks & Historical A Pictorial Guide is the newest, most thorough guide to Denver’s 250 landmarks and 28 historic districts established since 1967. This lavishly illustrated volume celebrates Denver’s oldest banks, churches, clubs, hotels, libraries, schools, restaurants, mansions, and show homes. Many of these landmarks, both well known and obscure, are open to the public.

Entries include the Daniels & Fisher Tower, Elitch’s Theater, structures within the city’s parks, the Denver Press Club, the Denver Athletic Club, a tiny Five Points black mortuary that became a Hispanic pool hall, the most notorious house of ill repute, the enormous Hanger #1 at Lowry Airy Force Base, and much more.

162 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1996

Reviews

[Lukas Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am assuming this is a text book because it reads like one. But for my research project purposes it was perfect. Lots of information and photos and some great background information about Denver I have not seen anywhere else.