Denver’s Architectural Styles
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These two styles are so similar in Denver that we have combined the two. The Equitable Building on 17th Street was the first to incorporate the Italian Renaissance influence in 1890. At their most elaborate, this style had a low roof, overhanging eaves with decorative brackets, an entrance tower, round headed windows with hood moldings, corner quoins, arcaded porches, balustrade balconies, small chimneys set in irregular locations, tall narrow windows, classical door surrounds. These elegant facades were typically made of stucco or masonry. |
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1022 Humboldt Street Stoiberhof MansionBuilt in 1907 this huge 15 bedroom/15 bath Italian Renaissance Revival home features an indoor mosaic swimming pool, the original elevator leading to a prohibition room, three dining rooms, a theatre stage, a barber shop, a bowling alley and hand painted biblical scenes on the ceiling beams in the library. |
“I was very fortunate to meet and marry my husband at Stoiberhof in 1972. While we were in residence here at 1022 Humboldt, there was a female headless ghost who sat on the end of the 20 foot long dining room table. She was extremely distressed and pleaded with anyone who would listen to help her find her missing head. As we all know, this could indeed be true as many “body parts” were left behind when they moved the bodies from the city cemetery to build what we now know as Cheesman Park. I don’t know if she ever found her head, but I do know that you can take walking tours in and around Cheesman Park and actually see the indentation from sunken graves in the park.”
– Sonja Leonard Leonard
Humboldt Island Historic District
200 Cherry Street
George Cranmer Residence
J.J.B. Benedict called this home on Cramner Park his best design of all. And it is easy to see why with the unusual curved broken pediment, a low-hipped roof, an elegant arched entry…all of which are indicative of the style.Hilltop
707 Washington
The Morris-Wood-Bonfils MansionA great example of Mediterranean Revival and one of Sonja’s favorite buildings is the Morris-Wood-Bonfils Mansion. Used for years as the Mexican Consulate, it has now been converted to condominiums with new look alike town homes directly to the west.
580 Williams Street
Small in scale but grand by design this vernacular example of Italian Renaissance home was built by J.J.B. Benedict. With its paired arched windows and low-hipped roof, it is one of the most elegant small houses in the area. It is interesting to note here that this small home is located very near the famous small homes of Denver.
Source: Denver the City Beautiful by Thomas J Noel & Barbara Norgren