Curious about a Queen Anne Victorian style home? This is the Centennial House. It stands as a testament to Aurora’s early days. The Centennial House is one of the oldest of ten remaining houses. These houses were built as part of the Town of Fletcher. Fletcher was a speculative community east of Denver. This was before Aurora was Aurora.
Like all Fletcher homes, the Centennial House had indoor plumbing. This included the kitchen and upstairs bath. It was a luxury at the time. Consider the period and the arid surroundings.
The City of Aurora bought the Centennial House in 1990. Community members restored it for the City’s Centennial year. The Centennial House stands at 1671 Galena Street in Aurora, Colorado. You can call (303) 739-6660 for more information.
Ninth Street Historic Park also features old homes. It’s the oldest restored block of residences in Denver. Students casually make their way to class. They walk by homes from 1872 to 1906. Ordinary collegiate business happens within these structures.
Auraria Campus encompasses three educational institutions. They are the Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State College of Denver, and the University of Colorado at Denver. Before Auraria Campus, it was a settlement. The Russel brothers from Georgia laid it out in October 1858. Auraria means “gold region.”
Auraria linked up with Denver. The town was originally comprised of people from Germany and Ireland. Jewish and Hispanic families settled into Auraria later. Plans were made to turn the area into the Auraria Campus in 1969. Historic Denver raised funds to preserve fourteen structures along Ninth Street.
The Centennial House is one of those old timers. It is often believed to be the oldest brick residence left standing in Denver. The Groussman Store was a corner grocery story. It shows what commercial architecture in Denver looked like.
The Knight House was called the most perfectly proportional Victorian house in Denver. Candy makers, carpenters, and railroad engineers lived in this neighborhood. Ninth Street Historic Park is on the National Register of Historic Places.
CU Denver celebrated its 50th Anniversary. People gathered to see the changes at the Centennial House. It’s a part of the Ninth Street Historic Park. The Auraria neighborhood was displaced when the Auraria Higher Education Center was built. CU Denver announced an expansion of the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship Program. The meticulous care preserves this home’s history. It prepares it for the future.