Historic Englewood Post Office and Mural

Probably most folks wouldn't consider a post office to be a destination when visiting a place. However, if you are someone interested in history, you might want to stop by for a quick look at the historic post office in Englewood. It's not like going to an amusement park or something...but there are a few interesting things to see.

The post office was built in 1938 as a New Deal construction project. Up until then, Englewood's mail came through Denver, but the suburb was growing rapidly and in need of its own services. It was the first federal building constructed in Englewood. A big groundbreaking event took place in 1937, complete with speeches and a performance by the Englewood High School Marching Band.

Beyond the classic architecture of the building itself, the most unique feature of the post office is the mural in the lobby. Once upon a time, many post offices had murals but they are tough to find now. Very few still exist, and even fewer exist in their original locations. 

The mural was created by Boardman Robinson, who is considered by many to be the founder of the American mural movement. This is his only post office mural and one of only three of his murals that still reside in their original locations. The mural is called Colorado Stock Sale. It was completed in 1940 and is actually based on the artist's second idea for the piece. The sketches submitted for the first were deemed too "frivolous."

The US Postal Service decided to close the Englewood post office in 2010, but the outcry from the community caused a quick change of plans. Eventually, the building ended up on the National Registry of Historic places.

This historic structure, and its historic mural, are located at 3330 S Broadway in downtown Englewood.

Mile Hi Church

It can be dangerous driving around town looking for interesting things. Sometimes you see something interesting out of the corner of your eye and you immediately turn your attention away from the road and start staring at whatever it was you saw. Well, legend has it that back in the early 70's a local minister asked the architects designing his new church to create something that would cause those driving by to exclaim, "what the hell is that?" Drivers are still doing that today when they drive by Mile Hi Church in Lakewood.

Some say the building looks like a giant white octopus. It was formed by pouring concrete over sculpted mounds of dirt. Once the concrete dried, the dirt was removed. I don't claim to understand how it all works, all I know is it looks pretty cool.  I'm not the only one, either.  Shortly after it was built, it was featured along with several other futuristic Denver area buildings in Woody Allen's 1973 film Sleeper. It actually played the part of a McDonalds.

As I'm sure you can imagine, the sloping tentacles of the building's roof are more than a bit tempting to adventure seekers. Because people are dumb sometimes, you will find signs around stating the obvious...that roof access is prohibited. I wouldn't be surprised if the occasional visit by ambitious skateboarders prompted the installation of these signs.

So, if you plan to stop by, just look, don't climb. The church also has a few other unique buildings that are worth a look filling out its campus. You will find this unique structure at 9077 W Alameda Ave in Lakewood.

Riverboat Car Wash

Back in the 70's, when I was a kid, not every gas station had a car wash. In fact, they were pretty rare. You had to specifically go to a car wash, or do it yourself. My dad always did it himself and it was a blast for us as kids to help. Grandma and Grandpa, on the other hand, had moved beyond washing the car themselves, so it was always a treat to go with them to get the car washed. After all, when you're a kid, the simple things are extremely entertaining. So riding in Grandma's car while it gets suds upped and slapped with a bunch of big blue brushes, that's like the coolest thing ever. In Denver, though, there's an extra level to the coolness when you can have that experience in a car wash shaped like a giant riverboat!

It's called the Riverboat Car Wash, for obvious reasons. I mean, what else do you call a car wash that looks like a giant white, three-level riverboat? It's even got two big black smokestacks popping out of the top! It is an odd sight, for sure, to be driving down a busy Denver road and suddenly see a large riverboat parked just behind Grease Monkey.

I guess part of what makes it such a weird sight is that Colorado is not an area that is really known for that Mark Twain sort of river culture. Sure, the Platte River goes right through Denver, but it's not the sort of waterway that could handle a vessel this size. I'm not complaining, though. This is just the sort of roadside oddity that I love to experience. 

You'll find the Riverboat Car Wash about three-quarters of a mile east of I-25 on Hampden Technically, the address is 3480 S. Poplar in Denver.

Denver Art Museum - Martin Building Reopening

This was a big weekend for the folks at the Denver Art Museum! After a four-year renovation project, the museum's Martin Building has finally been reopened to the public. My family and I made sure to be there on the goodbye weekend for the Martin Building four years ago, so we absolutely had to show up this weekend for the big reopening.

The museum has two buildings which are across the street from each other, connected by a bridge. The Hamilton Building is the newer structure. It was opened in 2006 and is one of the bizarre structures in all of Colorado. The Martin Building, on the other hand, has been around since 1971, so it celebrating it's 50th anniversary this year. It was designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti and is the only completed building in North America by this well-known architect. Many say it resembles a tall castle.

With seven floors of exhibits, it has a lot of vertical ground for visitors to explore. We'll go floor by floor through the building over the course of the next few posts. For this post, though, we're just taking a look at the new Sie Welcome Center, which will serve as a new entry point for the museum. Come back in the days to come for a look at some of the unique exhibits spread throughout the Martin Building.

Mid-Mod Architecture - Citywide Banks Building

We've looked at a lot of the mid-mod architecture in the downtown Littleton area, but there are other great examples of this unique architecture all around the Denver area. It makes sense that we would find some great examples along Colfax Avenue. Traveling down Colfax is like taking a trip through time. The street is still home to many of the structures that would've welcomed travelers as they entered Denver from the east. If you're sailing down the road a bit too fast, though, you may miss the unusual-looking Citywide Banks building.

The tall pillars that decorate the front of the bank are definitely the most eye-catching aspect of the building. They look a bit like giant mushrooms. This theme is even continued in the design of the bank's tall sign that stands out by the road.

I certainly get some weird looks when I'm out and about taking pictures of random buildings. I don't think anyone would think it weird to pull over and nab a few snaps of this one, though. This isn't the sort of design you see every day.

The Citywide Banks building is located at 10660 E Colfax in Aurora.

Chamberlain Observatory

Typically, it is best to get away from the city to get a really good look at the stars in the night sky. That's why observatories tend to be located in more remote areas. However, there's also something to be said for having such facilities available to college students. That's why just a few blocks away from the University of Denver you will find Observatory Park. The park has open spaces, tennis courts and playgrounds...you know, typical park stuff. In its center, however, you will find the feature that gives the park its name...Chamberlain Observatory.

The observatory is owned and operated by the University of Denver and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1890, it was named for Humphrey B Chamberlain, a Denver real estate magnate who pledged $50,000 to build and equip the facility. The Romanesque structure was designed by Denver architect Robert S Roeschlaub and built from rusticated red sandstone blocks.

The Denver Astronomical Society hosts regular events at the observatory. When my kids were younger, we took in a few of these events where we got to look through the telescope in the rotunda, as well as other telescopes that were set up in outside of the building. Even if you don't get to actually do any stargazing, the building itself is a unique sight to see. The Chamberlain Observatory is found inside Observatory Park, 2930 East Warren Avenue in Denver.

Cheesman Park

My last post was about a recent visit to a cemetery, and so is this one...sort of. On another one of those warmer days that came between snowstorms, I managed to spend a little time at Denver's Cheesman Park. Nestled in the heart of the city, it is definitely a favorite place for locals to spend a sunny day.

One of the iconic features of the park is the Cheesman Memorial Pavilion, which was constructed in 1908. The pavilion was built in the neoclassical style from Colorado Yule marble. It features a few reflecting ponds on the west side, which aren't reflecting anything right now. It is winter, after all. The pavilion once hosted open-air performances of operas and Broadway musicals. The structure was funded by the family of Denver pioneer Walter Cheesman, and so the park bears his name, as well.

Though the park is considered one of the city's best spots to spend a peaceful afternoon, it also has a more sinister side. Cheesman Park is considered to be one of Denver's most haunted locations. You see, once upon a time, Cheesman Park was Prospect Hill Cemetery.  When the decision was made to change the land to a park, families were given 90 days to arrange for their loved ones to be relocated. While many bodies were moved, after several years more than 5,000 remained. An undertaker named E.P. McGovern was contracted to remove the bodies that remained and transfer them to Riverside Cemetery. He was paid $1.90 per body and let's just say he wasn't terribly ethical about how he went about doing the job. It is said that he took to using child-sized caskets, and thus turned one body into several, resulting in more ka-ching for him. So, supposedly, the previous residents of the park are not terribly happy.

As if all of this wasn't enough, when McGovern's plan was discovered, the remaining bodies were never moved. It is estimated that roughly 2,000 corpses still rest beneath the surface of the park. It is not at all uncommon for human remains to be uncovered by workmen in the area. As recently as 2010, four skeletons were discovered by crews doing irrigation work in the park.

So, Cheesman Park ends up being a nice place for a picnic on a warm day, and a creepy place to visit for a ghost tour. Cheesman Park is located, roughly, at 8th and Franklin St. in Denver.

Littleton Blvd, Between Greenwood St and Hickory St, Mid-century Modern Architecture

It's been a little while since we looked at some of the mid-mod architecture on Littleton Boulevard. More recent posts have moved us further west, toward downtown Littleton. However, today we're going to venture back a few blocks east to a section of the road between Greenwood and Hickory Streets.

Our first stop is the Nickels-Hill Chapel of Peace designed by Raymond Heyl in 1958. Today it is known as the Drinkwine Family Mortuary. This is an intriguing building, featuring stone walls and dramatic glass windows. Yet, the location still has a peaceful, park-like feel. 

It's interesting to see photos from when this building was new, and the trees were much smaller. Today, however, the greenery seems to envelop the building. You can find this building at 999 W Littleton Blvd.

Across the street and down the block are two more interesting buildings, that I, unfortunately, don't have any background information on. The first building is located at 1060 W Littleton Blvd. It's large windows and unique slanted roof definitely draw the eye. Today the building houses a non-profit organization the assists adults with special needs.

Right next door is a small strip mall that also has unique mid-mod features. Like its next-door neighbor, this building also has a unique angled roof. Today the building houses two offices, including a medical dispensary. We are in Colorado, after all.

I find the brickwork on the west wall of the building to be quite interesting, as well. This building is located at 1080 W Littleton Blvd.

Downtown Littleton - Mid-Century Modern Architecture

Littleton Boulevard is the main drag through downtown Littleton, and the hot spot for finding examples of mid-century modern architecture in the area. However, there are also a few great examples if you wander a few blocks to the north or south.

At the corner of Powers Avenue and Prince Street you will find the building that originally housed the Circle Savings and Loan. This brick structure is unique for its curved features and for the fact that it sits diagonally on the lot, facing the corner. The southwest side of the building also features a sunken garden. The structure was built in 1970 and designed by Laramey and Butts. The building currently houses an accounting office. You'll find it at 5583 S Prince St in Littleton.

Head south on Prince Street a few blocks and you'll find the Littleton National Bank building, which is now a Chase Bank location. Designed by Barker Rinker Seacat, it is one of downtown Littleton's most imposing structures. The hooded windows are one of the most notable features of the building. The impressive structure stands tall at 5734 S Prince St, on the corner or Prince and Alamo.

Littleton Blvd Side Streets - Mid-Century Modern Architecture

Today we continue our look at mid-century modern architecture in Littleton with two buildings that technically aren't on Littleton Blvd, but are just a few steps down its side streets.

We begin at 5723 S Gallup Street with a building that is appropriately called The Gallup Building. It was designed by Eugene Sternberg, the architect responsible for the Courthouse Building covered in a previous post. 

Sternberg is possibly most famous for designing the mid-modern housing development Arapahoe Acres in nearby Englewood. Though not quite as dramatic as his Courthouse Building, the Gallup Building still has an eye-catching roof and windows. I also appreciate the raised and sunken entryways.

One block over, at 5804 S Datura Street, you will find the building which was originally home to the Arapahoe County Bank. The building, designed by Earl Chester Morris, now houses a different sort of bank...a food bank. The unique zig-zag roof is probably the most interesting feature of the building. Morris himself lived in Littleton and is buried in nearby Littleton Cemetery. His headstone is, like his buildings, a unique design that is easy to spot.

Lowry Air Force Base - Building 349

The Denver area has a lot of history connected to the US Military. A big part of that is the fact that Denver was home to Lowry Air Force Base from 1938 to 1994. After the base closed, the area began a gradual transformation into the neighborhood now known as Lowry. Though many of the base's structures are now gone, there are also many which have been repurposed. The largest of the structures that remain is Building 349.

The structure originally served as barracks for thousands of men training for duty during World War II. It could house over 1,800 men and had its own library, cafeteria, barbershop, portrait studio, and even a bowling alley. In 1961, the building was repurposed to become the base headquarters, which is why many still refer to it as The Headquarters Building.

Today, the building is once again a residence, though it's probably a bit more luxurious than it was during the war. It's now known as the Grand Lowry Lofts. Though the inside of Building 349 has changed drastically, the exterior still displays the features it sported when built over 80 years ago.

You can see this piece of history for yourself at 200 Rampart Way in Denver.