On September 26, 2017, Packard’s Hill became Denver’s 53rd historic district. This website was created by neighborhood volunteers as a resource for conversations with neighbors and property owners in the area. Since it contains helpful information about the history of the area and about historic districts in Denver in general, we have chosen to let it remain available.
Packard’s Hill joins four existing historic districts in Northwest Denver in achieving this status, including A.M. Ghost, Wolff Place, Witter-Cofield and Potter Highlands. The district includes, loosely, the area west of Lowell Boulevard to Osceola Street (both sides of the street), and north of 32nd Avenue to 35th Avenue (south side only). As this is a residential historic district, buildings built specifically for commercial use were not included.
The historic district encompasses three of the original West Highland subdivisions: Packard's Hill, Highland Place, and First Addition to Highland Place. The Packard's Hill subdivision was platted in 1887 by William C. Packard and Charles L. Hoffman.
Please note that historic district regulations in Denver are different from those in other states and towns around the country. The regulations in Denver are designed to make it very feasible to expand and adapt historic buildings to meet modern needs and lifestyles. You can learn more about that here.
Neighbors were fortunate to receive a grant from History Colorado State Historical Fund to cover most of the cost of the research required by the City for designation. The State Historical Fund is comprised of a portion of the gaming tax revenues from Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek and is used for historic preservation throughout the state.
With Packard’s Hill, Denver now has 53 historic districts. Immediately south and south east of Packard’s Hill are two of those: Wolff Place and Allen M. Ghost historic districts. They are located south of 32nd Ave, loosely between Perry and Irving Streets.
There are several reasons why it makes sense to preserve Packard’s Hill's unique history, architecture and character. First of all, the district contains a very high percentage of architecturally significant homes from the late 19th century and first quarter of the 20th century, which have retained their historic character. Secondly, the district is an excellent example of the late 19th and early 20th century national trend of Americans moving from the congestion of the inner city to areas farther away that advertised attractive settings and healthy environments served by rapid transit.
Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the proposed Packard’s Hill historic district is significant for much more than just its architecture and relationship to urban planning trends. The district is exceptionally significant for its strong association with Denver women’s history and reflects the growing influence of women in society, in several professions and in property ownership and architecture. From the area’s earliest period of development, women were investors and developers, buying and trading parcels of land in Packard’s Hill and/or participating in the construction and sale of houses.
In addition to women’s history, the district was home to many prominent individuals, including persons significant in business, cultural leaders, noted professionals, and prominent politicians. To read more about the proposed district’s history and the individuals who lived there, go to our History page.
Whether you are a visitor to the area, a neighbor, or someone researching historic districts in Denver, we hope you’ll find this information useful and that you’ll enjoy both the area and its history. Thank you for visiting!
Building in historic districts
is very feasible.
See examples here.
Read the application submitted to the City, which contains the fascinating history of our area and a review of architectural styles found in Packard’s Hill.
Read application here.
Watch the video presentation on historic designation given by Councilman Rafael Espinoza: http://bit.ly/HistPres