High above Westminster Colorado’s bustling streets stands a majestic bell tower. This isn’t just any tower. It’s a 130-foot spire a testament to Westminster’s unique history.
Westminster Colorado a city nestled in Adams and Jefferson counties. It’s the eighth largest city in Colorado. Its story is one of gold rushes pioneering spirits and unexpected twists. Gold discovered in the South Platte River Valley in 1858 drew people westward. The Homestead Act of 1862 encouraged settlement. Antelope and buffalo once roamed freely. Arapaho Indians inhabited the Crown Point area.
Pleasant DeSpain a Kentucky farmer became Westminster’s first permanent settler in 1870. He built his home on 160 acres near present-day West 76th Avenue and Lowell Street. The area became DeSpain Junction attracting other settlers like Edward Bruce Bowles. Bowles built a stunning Italianate brick house in 1881. It’s now a museum on the National Register of Historic Places. Farming proved challenging in Colorado’s arid climate.
Connecticut real estate developer C J Harris arrived in 1885. He bought DeSpain’s farm renaming DeSpain Junction to Harris. He divided the land for fruit farmers. In 1890 Henry T Mayham convinced the Denver Presbytery to establish a university. The university built from red sandstone opened in 1908. Called Westminster University of Colorado it was the “Princeton of the West”. It closed in 1917 when students left for World War I.
The city incorporated in 1911. It adopted the name Westminster honoring the university now also on the National Register of Historic Places. The city’s growth continued. The bell tower at City Hall stands as a tribute to Westminster Palace’s clock tower Big Ben. The unveiling in 1986 included the mayor of Westminster England. An English oak a gift from Westminster England stands on City Hall property.
Westminster today boasts a vibrant downtown area with parks open spaces and a thriving business community. It’s a city that blends its rich agricultural and educational past with a dynamic modern future. This bell tower a symbol of that unique legacy stands as a reminder of Westminster’s remarkable journey.