2019 Holiday Home Tour: Neighborhood & Homes

DENVER’S UNIVERSITY PARK NEIGHBORHOOD

University Park and Central City Opera have a history that dates back to the late 19th century, when architect Robert S. Roeschlaub designed both the Opera House in Central City (1878) and the Chamberlin Observatory for Denver University (1890), historic buildings that are still in use today.

University Park’s founders envisioned a college environment and surrounding community grounded in the concepts of “conscience and culture,” a world away from the University of Denver’s then-location in downtown Denver. In 1885, Rufus “Potato” Clark, a farmer, agreed to donate 80 acres to DU based on a few stipulations that the school happily met for an opportunity to call the bucolic enclave that is now University Park its home.

In the early 1900s, Anne Evans (daughter of DU co-founder and second governor of the Territory of Colorado John Evans) and Ida Kruse McFarlane (head of DU’s English Literature program and daughter-in-law to Peter McFarlane, owner of the Central City Opera House), became friends. The Central City Opera House had fallen into decline after the collapse of the mining industry and the women arranged for the Opera House to be donated to Denver University. After restoring the Opera House to its former glory, Anne and Ida worked tirelessly to create an opera festival in Central City, a tradition that continues every summer. Denver University is home to Central City Opera’s historical archives, a partnership forged in Colorado history.

When the neighborhood was being developed, University Park was touted as having unsurpassed mountain views, distant from smelters, with pure air and no saloons. Buyers were required to develop their lots according to a "tasty and artistic plan." Some of University Park’s most celebrated buildings include Chamberlin Observatory and Fitzroy Place. The Chamberlin Observatory is used by DU for astronomy classes, stargazing and by the neighborhood for annual events. Fitzroy Place was built in 1892 by Bishop and Mrs. Henry Warren as their showcase residence and includes 13 rooms and 12 fireplaces and is surrounded by abundant open space. Today, the building houses a private school, Accelerated Schools (the starting point of this year’s home tour).

Changes continued with a spate of Post World War II housing in the southern portion of University Park, increased attendance at DU after the war, and the construction of the Valley Highway on the neighborhood's northern boundary in 1958. Notable landscape architect and city planner, S.R. DeBoer, is credited for characterizing what residents and other Denver city dwellers know and love about University Park today. The concepts promoted by DeBoer represent University Park as a “secluded nook, a quiet, peaceful part of the city,” encouraged by a lush greenscape.

Contributed by Rosemary Stoffel

Sources: Opera in the Rockies by Charles A. Johnson

The Glory That Was Gold: Central City Opera by the Central City Opera House Association

2019 homes on the tour

Designed by: Plum Sage Flowers & White Peacock — **Designed by:** **Plum Sage Flowers** & **White Peacock**

home #1

Completed in 2013, this spectacular Mediterranean-style home allows for the perfect blend of relaxing family life and neighborly connections. With three ground-level patios, summer evenings lead to cocktails and chit-chat with passersby and in winter, the home stays warm and cozy through six fireplaces and heated walnut wood floors. Guests especially enjoy congregating in the brightly remodeled kitchen. The exterior features custom stone masonry and stucco with intricate wrought iron details on the balcony railings and fencing.

Designed by: Bouquets & Home with Holliday — **Designed by:** **Bouquets** & **Home with Holliday**

Home #2

Impeccable landscaping and a curved cobblestone walkway serve as the enchanting welcome to this charming Cape Cod. Built in 2004, the two story, four bedroom home boasts several patios and relaxing outdoor areas where various arbor species provide cool summer shade and vivid fall foliage. Cedar shingles and round, porthole-style windows give the exterior a breezy, beach-y feel, but the interior is traditionally decorated in the owner's favorite color of red. A spacious floor plan showcases unique collectibles from the Denver Antique Show, a previous fundraiser that benefited Central City Opera.

Designed by: Birdsall & Co. & lulu’s furniture — **Designed by:** **Birdsall & Co.** & **lulu’s furniture**

home #3

A stunning home in the style of old-world French Country, this two-story, corner lot oasis was constructed of stone and stucco in 2007. High ceilings provide a grand greeting in the entryway and a focal point to the second floor. A custom window seat upstairs gives a bird’s eye view of the quiet, tree-lined street, as does a private balcony. The homeowner's favorite area of the house is the Great Room, which connects the spacious kitchen, dining and sitting room to a three-sided exposure of the outdoors, where they can choose between a lush front and side porch or landscaped back patio.

Designed by: Flower Power & T is for Table — **Designed by:** **Flower Power** & **T is for Table**

home #4

Built in the efficient “Denver Square” design in 1906, this two-story brick home is a model of how the city looked at the turn of the century, but with custom updates around every corner. The owners are only the third family to live in the house since buying it in 1983 and their love of folk art and travel is apparent throughout the five bedrooms and five baths. Original leaded glass and a wall of windows in the entryway fill the home with sun-soaked ambience. The show-stopping focal point of the home is the teak water sluice of animals, which was hand carved in Thailand and took over a year to complete.

Designed by: The Perfect Petal & Dwell Antiques — **Designed by:** **The Perfect Petal** & **Dwell Antiques**

home #5

This stately home lives up to its “Expanded Denver Square” name and then some. Built in 1902 as one of the first homes in University Park, it went down to the studs in 2008 for a $2M renovation that solidified it as a house that will stand for another 100+ years. The original character remains through gorgeous wood floors, custom wainscoting and elevated ceilings with period metalwork, while upgraded features and modern infrastructure are designed for comfort and luxury.

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