Doors Open Denver (with a couple side stops)

 

 





 On Sunday, Danny and I took advantage of "Doors Open Denver," a free event that gives residents and visitors the opportunity to experience Denver’s built environment from inside many buildings that are typically not open to the public.  The theme this year was "City Beautiful Then & Now." The City Beautiful philosophy is the most dominant planning aesthetic still apparent in the Mile High City. ln fact, our Civic Center was given the highest honor a historic site can earn when Secretary of the lnterior designated it a National Historic Landmark.

 

Wikipedia states, "The City Beautiful Movement was a reform philosophy of North American architecture and urban planning that flourished during the 1890s and 1900s with the intent of introducing beautification and monumental grandeur in cities. The movement, which was originally associated mainly with Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, and Washington, D.C. promoted beauty not only for its own sake, but also to create moral and civic virtue among urban populations."

 

While there were over 80 Landmark Buildings to see, we made it to four this time around (and one place that was not on the official list). Here they are in order of our visit:

 

1. Grand Lowry Lofts: Opened for duty in 1938, the Lowry Air Corps Base played a major role in WWII. Lowry operated as a training facility, armament and officer's quarters. The most famous resident was President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
   
   -What we learned: First Lady, Mamie Eisenhower spent part of her childhood in Denver, which helps explain why they spent so much time here. The barracks were considered the safest place for the President to spend his summers. Lowry Air Force base was closed in 1994, but then became a mixed use redevelopment area. It is also the neighborhood that Danny and I have lived in for the last two years, and remains one of my favorite places in all of Denver. The officers' quarters are an example of that preservation, and Grand Lowry Lofts' spot on the National Register of Historic Places keep it rooted in history. The Grand Lowry Lofts have over 200 units with 50 different floor plans.
2. *Planned Detour from Doors Open Denver* Lunch with friends at Lowry Beer Garden
   - Good food and beer in its own park between two converted airline hangers including the Wings Over the Rockies: Air and Space Museum. Be sure to note what happens to unattended children (top left hand corner). Further proof that pretty much any activity with Danny (and me) more than likely involves a stop for beer.
3. Governor's Residence at the Boettcher Mansion
   This three-story mansion was designed by Denver business mogul Walter Cheeseman as his family's residence, completed a year after his death, then owned by the rich and benevolent Boettchers who bequeathed it to the State of Colorado in 1959 as the home of the sitting Governor.
   
   -What we learned:  Mr. Boettcher presented the deed to his wife Edna as a Valentine's Day present in 1924. Upon Mrs. Boettcher's death, after being turned down many times by the State Legislature, the house was scheduled to be torn down and the contents auctioned before Governor Stephen McNichols gratefully accepted the mansion on behalf of the state. The house is rarely open to the public, outside of special functions, except for about six weeks in the summer and then again at Christmas for the holiday decorations. Of course I will try to make it back for those as I am sure they are spectacular. We were able to see the first floor, including the grand entry hall  that includes a view as far as Pikes Peak on a clear day, and the carriage house in the back.
4. Denver Woman's Press Club / The Burr HouseBuilt as a residence and artist studio for George Elbert Burr, the DWPC purchased the building in 1924 and it has been used ever since as a meeting place for writers and other members of the media.
   
   -What we learned: This house is deceptively large on the inside, which is a common theme throughout Denver. The staircases are both quite tight, but there is a lot more space than one would think just looking at it from the outside. Today the DWPC membership includes over 200 writing professionals in various fields – it's fun to think that I could be a member one day. A girl can dream, right?
   
   I had to take a picture of their two vintage typewriters. While at the Antique and Vintage Show on Saturday, I passed up the opportunity to be a travelling typewriter. I could not justify the expense to myself mainly because I have a goal to purchase a true vintage typewriter (none of this electric, nonsense) if I ever make any money with my writing.
5. Byers-Evans House MuseumThe Byers-Evans House Museum, a Denver landmark, was built by the first publisher of the Rocky Mountain News-What we learned: The house was built for William N. Byers in 1883, but was purchased by William Evans, the oldest son of former Colorado territorial governor John Evans in 1889. William and his wife Cornelia raised four children in the house. William headed the Denver Tramway Company, which later became RTD (the current Denver public transportation company). The home has been restored to the period between 1912 and 1924 and includes many of the Evans family furnishings that came from all over the world. Danny and I were able to take an abbreviated version of the tour, which I found hard to follow at times especially since the mother-in-law and daughter had the same name. Hopefully I can do the full tour soon to keep track of who in the world did what and when. Regardless it is a beautiful home with many "modern-conveniences" for the time period. I especially liked the sign that would indicate how many pounds of ice each house wanted per day (ranging from 25 - 100).
   
   This is also where Danny purchased his miniature blue bear that he now wants to make his own version of the "Travelocity Gnome". You can see his first attempt below...

 

On the way home from the Byers-Evans House Museum, I asked to stop at Walgreens. Danny decided that the one on Colfax Avenue was as good as any. Along the way, I spotted the Oscar-Myer Wienermobile in a restaurant parking lot (ironically NOT the hot dog restaurant a couple doors down). I had heard it was in town, but the only listed places to see it were Wal Mart parking lots, which felt like too much work even for the Weinermobile.

  

 

-What we learned: One can travel around (*work*) for the Wienermobile for one year as a recent college graduate. One of these employees was an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He gave Danny tips on places to go, post-Ironman. After stumbling through the jingle, Danny and I each have our own Weiner-whistle and an "I saw it!" sticker.

 

A very random, ridiculous, fun day in Denver. Please note the beautiful blue skies and lack of jackets because the very next day it was snowing and freezing followed by another snow storm a couple days later. Yep, it is truly Spring in Colorado.