Volume 55, Issue No. 6
A Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. Publication
Of History And Garden Shards Old Homes Yield Past Treasures; New Technology Helps To Dig Up The Dirt During 15 years of working, tilling and amending the soil of her Park Hill garden, the author has found many objects that she refers to as “garden shards.” They include pieces of stained glass, ceramics, beads, children’s toys, marbles, keys, and glass bottles.
June 2016
ing a historic district. The group is also taking photos of each of the homes within the boundary as part of the survey and documentation required for application. For more information, visit the group’s website at historicparkhill.org. Criteria for considering the designation of an historic property or district are more than big beautiful old homes designed by significant architects. Other contributing aspects are connections to events that have made a significant contribution to history, inhabitants that are persons significant in history, geographic importance, or possible important discoveries related to prehistory or history.
Online treasure troves
By Bernadette Kelly Zoning & Planning Chair, GPHC, Inc.
One year ago, a group of residents kicked off an effort to designate a section of Park Hill as a Denver Historic District. The proposed district follows the current National Historic district in Park Hill. It is bounded
on the west by Colorado Boulevard, to the east by Dahlia Street, to the north by 26th Avenue and to the south by Montview Boulevard. As in the National Historic District, the proposed period of significance is 1893 to 1954. Buildings outside of this boundary aren’t included in the proposed designation
Off To The Races
Come And Wander Through The Gardens
June 28 Primaries Will Usher In New Era By Cara DeGette Editor, GPHN
16th Annual Park Hill Garden Walk Is June 18, Nine Green Spaces Featured
On June 28, voters will elect one of three Democrats running to replace Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey, who has held the office for 12 years. The district attorney serves as Denver’s chief law enforcement officer, and is responsible for the criminal prosecution of violations of Colorado laws from gang and family violence to economic crime. There are currently 75 attorneys in the DAs office and 125 support staff, handing about 6,000 felony and 17,000 misdemeanor prosecutions every year.
By Barbara Armendariz Co-chair, Garden Walk
Who will be Denver’s next top cop? Kenneth Boyd, Michael Carrigan and Beth McCann are all vying for the job in the heavily Democratic district. Boyd currently works as a prosecutor in the white-collar crime division of the DA’s office. Carrigan is a former deputy district attorney and University of Colorado Regent. McCann, who was term limited this year from the state House of Representatives, is also a former manager of public safety in Denver. Whoever wins the June 28 primary will run against Helen Morgan, an independent candidate, continued on page 12
Angela Williams, outside her campaign headquarters in Five Points. Williams, who currently represents District 7 in the state House of Representatives, is running for the state Senate seat being vacated by Mike Johnston, who is term-limited.
Our annual Park Hill Garden Walk is scheduled this year on Saturday, June 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. I have been on the Garden Walk committee for the past six years and am always amazed at the generosity and tireless work of Park Hill folks who come together to make this event a success every year. First of all, thanks to the gardeners who invite visitors to stroll through their lovely spaces. They spend months working in their yards cleaning, planting everything from flowers to veggies, building patios, play areas and fish ponds. Their welcoming smiles guide visitors throughout the day into their creative and beautiful gardens. The garden walk is not complete without the many artists who are present each year in the gardens. There are painters, sculptors, potters and multimedia artists who show their work and are often working on a piece of art during the day. What a gift to see and talk with an accomplished artist while wandering through beautiful garden spaces. Surrounded by the
The Case For $12 by 2020
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Get Ready For The Park Hill Parade
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Inside This Issue
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April 2016 June
and buildings within the boundary but built after the period of significance are considered “non-contributing.” As of the April Greater Park Hill Community Community/Board meeting, the group had surveyed 37 homes in the proposed district and approximately 67 percent of homeowners surveyed support designat-
Also about a year ago, I began my journey of genealogical research of my own family, as well as the family that used to own and live in my own Park Hill home. The tools available for digging these days are rich indeed, including a massive trove of online sites. On both my maternal and paternal sides of the family, there are great-grandfathers that left the family when my grandparents were very young. Both grandparents being only children, that is where the family ended. As such, I felt like a ‘Cabbage Patch Kid’ and assumed my ancestors came to the United States in the 1800’s and joined the immigrants of large cities working as laborers and living in tenement apartments. Come to find out, on my maternal grandmother’s side, the Mattoons, Allens and Linthicums all go back to New England in the 1600’s. They fought in King Philip’s, the continued on page 9
Air Travel Etiquette 101
natural beauty of the earth and the creative talent of both gardeners and artists, this is an event for all to enjoy. Every garden has one or two sponsors who are business and service people that contribute financially to this annual event. Many either live or have their business in the Park Hill area, and their generous contributions support services offered by the Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. The Garden Walk is a wonderful fundraiser for our community. Many sponsors participate each year and are often present during the tour. The generosity of their presence and their donations to our community is a testimony to why Park Hill is an amazing place to live. More than 100 volunteers come out every year to help out with this event. And, there are many who have participated at all the garden tours from the beginning – 16 in all. It would be impossible to have an event of this size without the wonderful people who volunteer each year. They are the folks who sit outside the gardens taking tickets, guiding visitors into the gardens and answering continued on page 11
Next GPHC Meeting Thursday, June April 72 at 6:30 p.m. 2823 Fairfax St., Denver
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