Home, Sweet Home

One hundred years after the first Curtis Park grand Victorians were built in the 1870s, the neighborhood was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Homes that had long fallen into disrepair started to see reinvestment. This weekend, some of the people who have put their blood, sweat, tears — and especially money — into Curtis Park will get to show it off during the 34th annual Historic Denver House Tour.

Related Content

• Colorado Humanities might sell off the Ferril House. Throw the book at ’em.
  September 1, 2011
• National Western Stock Show's past should be part of the discussion of its future
  January 23, 2012
• Thomas Hornsby Ferril House is part of Denver's history -- and could be history
  September 8, 2011
• Ten spooky stories from Denver's own Croke-Patterson mansion
  October 27, 2011
• Culinary calendar for the week ahead: Soup for the Soul, booze dinners and more
  February 21, 2011

More About

• Laura Libby
• Historic Denver
• National Register of Historic Places
• Historic Buildings
• Visual Arts

Laura Libby, Historic Denver's director of operations and development, said the tour is meant to bring people from all over the Front Range into Curtis Park. "The goal isn't to have everyone move into the city, but to have everyone value what we have in our historic neighborhoods," she says.

The tour, which begins at 2816 Curtis Street, features thirteen homes, including a rare wooden house, a range of architectural styles including Italianate, Queen Anne and Gothic Revival, two homes in the midst of restoration, and two new homes — along with a host of "stunning interiors" and "unforgettable outdoor spaces."

Libby says the homes in progress show people what restoration takes — "and people live there while they do it, which always surprises me." The new homes, she says, were actually built by a group of neighbors to fit in with the neighborhood on challenging 25-foot lots.

Advance tickets are $12, $10 for Historic Denver members, and are available at King Soopers or www.historicdenver.org; admission is $15 the day of the tour. For more information, call 303-534-5288.
Sat., Sept. 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 9, 12-4 p.m.