Jefferson Park, Denver
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Jefferson Park is a neighborhood and public park that overlooks downtown Denver from its perch across Interstate 25 (I-25). Views east from Jefferson Park take in Six Flags Elitch Gardens, The Children's Museum, Denver's Downtown Aquarium, Pepsi Center, the REI Flagship Store and other attractions in Downtown's Central Platte Valley. Downtown Denver and the Central Platte Valley are quickly accessed from Jefferson Park, using the 23rd Avenue overpass on I-25 and Water Street. In addition, the Light Rail C-Line is located by INVESCO Field at Mile High in the southern part of the neighborhood.
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[edit] Geography
Jefferson Park sits on a bluff just to the northwest of Denver's downtown core providing it fantastic views of Denver's Central Platte Valley. The boundaries of the neighborhood are:
- South - 17th Avenue
- North - Speer Boulevard
- East - Platte River
- West - Federal Boulevard
[edit] History
[edit] The Town of Highland
Jefferson Park was originally incorporated as part of the Town of Highland, and was part of the Congressional land grant of 1860. Highland was considered Denver's first suburb after General William Larimer, Jr. waded the Platte River on December 11, 1858, and platted the Town of Highland on the bluffs located on the opposite shore. A city hall was constructed at the Southwest corner of West 26th Avenue and Federal Boulevard, now the site of Denver Fire Station 12. Federal was simply referred to as “The Boulevard”, becoming Federal after annexation by Denver.
During the late-1800s the political rivalry between Denver and Highland became very heated. The Town of Highland was intended to be an elite suburb, a residential community with the men earning their living in Denver and retiring in the evening to Highland. Highlanders were a very proud people, proud of their pure air, pure water (artesian aquifer), fine homes, good schools and high morals. Highland was a blue law town at a time when Denver was known coast to coast for its gambling, prostitution, and racy life. The problem for Highland was access to Denver, where the jobs were. Highland, with its gracious and crime free lifestyle kept thumbing its nose at Denver with its railroad yards, tanneries, mills, and a famous red-light district, inciting the ire of Denver Mayor Wolfe Londoner. Londoner simply told the poorly connected citizens of Highland that the price of a viaduct across the rail yards and the Platte River was annexation.
[edit] Becoming Jefferson Park
By 1861 Denver City and Auraria had already merged and Highland realized that it was only a matter of time before the city made its way to their doorstep and in 1896 the Town of Highland was eventually annexed, and thereafter was known as "North Denver." As the city grew larger and the name "North Denver" started to encompass a larger area the new neighborhood was renamed Jefferson Park, from the 6.7-acre park located on West 23rd Avenue and Clay Street in the heart of the neighborhood. The park was the site of an old landfill that was landscaped in the early 1900s and then named after the father of the Democratic Party, Thomas Jefferson, in order to politically compete with the recently named Washington Park on the City's south side.
Originally, Highland was made up of 35 subdivisions with the street names, directions and lot sizes not conforming to the city norm. As a general rule, building was permitted on 25 foot lots, and some builders would put up a row of small gothic cottages, built very close together, and surrounded by acres of vacant lots. Any block, in Jefferson Park today, may have houses representing the architecture of the 1890s, the 1910s, 1920s and '40s, and 50s. After the building boom that occurred following the end of World War II, there was very little vacant property left in North Denver.
By the 1960s Denver was experiencing its own white flight, as many American cities were, and the neighborhoods in the inner core of the city started feeling the effects. Properties in Jefferson Park were abandoned for the suburbs, and as the recession of the late 1970s and early 1980s hit Denver violence and crime increased throughout the neighborhood. The once celebrated neighborhood fell into disrepair and was eventually ignored by the city.
[edit] Jefferson Park's Renaissance
By the 1990s Jefferson Park's location, affordable housing, and neighborhood feel brought it back to the attention of the city and home-buyers that were tired of long commutes and wanted an urban lifestyle. Jefferson Park was made a focus neighborhood by the city of Denver and investment in infrastructure and beautification began. Eventually, Jefferson Park United Neighbors (or JPUN) was formed in 2000, after a controversial large-scale development by Sullivan-Hayes threatened to destroy the character of the neighborhood and condemn a number of homes.
The residents of Jefferson Park banded together and formed JPUN after the now defunct Jefferson Park Neighborhood Association (JPNA) failed to act. The neighbors formed JPUN, created by-laws, and fought Sullivan-Hayes by talking to their council people and Mayor Wellington Webb.
The proposed development which would have condemned many 19th Century homes and turned the park into an amphitheater was defeated. It was at this point that the residents turned their attention to improving the neighborhood.
Since 2000, controlled investment and development has brought positive change to the neighborhood, although much of the neighborhood is still mired in poverty. Relative to neighboring areas of North Denver, relatively few homes in Jefferson Park are owner occupied. Through relationships with INVESCO Field at Mile High, the City of Denver and other entities Jefferson Park has been able to pave alleys, beautify blocks, plant trees, upgrade curbs and encouraged development and improvement throughout the neighborhood. Jefferson Park is considered one of the hottest neighborhoods in the city due to its proximity to downtown and neighborhood feel - the future looks bright for the neighborhood.
[edit] Today
Today, Jefferson Park is marked by a variety of housing styles and architecture from various eras. Single family homes from the late 19th century stand next to apartment complexes built in the 1950s and a current boon of development at the turn of the millennium. Jefferson Park is currently experiencing a renaissance in investment and development due to its proximity to downtown Denver, major attractions in the Central Platte Valley, and its availability of reasonably priced housing as compared to the neighborhoods surrounding it that have already completed gentrification.
The neighborhood has approximately 3,300 residents.[citation needed]
