The North Capitol Hill/City Park West neighborhoods, east to High Street, were part of the City of Denver established by the Territorial Session Laws of 1864. The remaining part of the neighborhoods became a part of the city under the Territorial Session Laws of 1874 and under the Colorado Sessions Laws of 1883.

North Capitol Hill/City Park West established themselves as fine, stable residential areas. Most of the homes were constructed of stone or masonry, multi-storied, with deep yards and narrow frontages, in imposing stretches of four to ten houses. Some were built with a square floor plan and a square or peaked roof with lavish use of leaded and stained glass windows. In 1887, the area between Clarkson and Emerson Street and 16th and 17th Avenue was resubdivided as Swallow's Resubdivision from the original Park Avenue Addition platted in 1876. Swallow's Resubdivision still exhibits excellent examples of historic structures and was one of the last areas built east of downtown Denver for Denver's socially prominent.

Development of the Colfax corridor was stimulated by a contract a real estate man made with the horse-car monopoly, to build an extension of East Colfax Avenue from Emerson Street to York Street. Real estate men bought ground from land developers along the route for construction of the horse-car tract. For every house built along the horse-car line, $45 was deducted from its construction cost. East Colfax Avenue in its early years was a residential street. In 1929, the first master plan for the city zoned much of Colfax for business.

One of the most impressive residential streets was the west side of York Street between Colfax Avenue and 16th Avenue. This half -block was lined with eight magnificent stone homes contain- ing the residences of prominent politicians from which the block derived its name of "Statesman's Row." Buildings on this half-block are now used for commercial and business purposes.

The early settlers were affluent White Anglo-Saxon Protestants. Their neighborhood was protected by restrictive covenants, which were declared illegal in 1948. During the late 1920s and early 1930s the area experienced an influx of Irish Catholic residents as well as the relocation of the Beth Medrosh Hagodol synagogue, which was the city's orthodox Jewish congregation. Organized in 1897, its first building was erected at 24th and Curtis Streets, on the site of Temple Emanuel, since recently destroyed by fire. This synagogue was the home of the congregation until 1919. At that time the cornerstone was laid for the beautiful new building at the corner of 16th Avenue and Gaylord Street. The congregation used this synagogue for several years before its formal dedication, marked by five days of ceremony, beginning on February 22, 1929. Also in that time period, African Americans tried to move into the area. But violence erupted over their initial effort. The area grew in population through the 1930s and 1940's. The highest number of residents in the area was recorded in the 1950 Census. After that, the population started to decline and continued to do so through the 1960s and 1970s. It has since stabilized.

Denver initially began to build a reputation as a health-care center around the turn of the century as word spread about the curative benefits of the city's dry, bracing air on those suffering from respiratory diseases. Various privately owned hospitals were established at that time on the edge of the city. Today this area is sometimes referred to as the mid-town hospital area.

Educational and other facilities within the area were established during the early days of Denver's history. John E. Wyman, land developer, sold the northeast corner site at East 16th Avenue and Williams Street to the School Board of Denver's District No. 1 in 1888 to erect a school. The elementary school was named in his honor at the request of area residents. The school was rebuilt in 1975 at 1690 Williams. Boettcher Elementary School, located at 1900 Downing Street, was built in 1940 for physically disabled students from kindergarten through grade twelve.

An assemblage of Jewish settlers in this Western Territory banded together in 1866 to form a Hebrew Burial and Prayer Society to perform the most important religious rituals of their faith. In 1874 (two years before Colorado became a state) Temple Emanuel, a congregation of reform Judaism, was organized. Its first synagogue was built at 19th and Curtis Streets and was dedicated on Rosh Hashonah, September 29, 1875. In 1882, the congregation, considerably larger, built a new synagogue at 24th and Curtis Streets. There, one of the first pipe organs in Colorado was used. The synagogue was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1897. It then moved to East 16th Avenue and Pearl Street. An addition to the structure was built in 1924. The congregation stayed there for 61 years until it sold the building to the First Southern Baptist Church. Today, it is used primarily for musical performances.

Another facility within the area is Mammoth Gardens, at East Colfax Avenue and Clarkson Street. It was built in 1907 by Albert Lewin as Denver's grand roller skating rink. Since 1912 when the rink closed, the building has been used for various purposes. Today, it's used primarily for Spanish-language musical events.

Source:  The City and County of Denver.

Copyright 1998 - The Piton Foundation