Tammen House

Construction of this historic home began in 1908 when Harry Tammen, part owner of the Denver Post, commissioned architect Edwin Moormanthe to design this Classic Revival estate. Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and William H Taft both gave speeches on an interior balcony. The home is part of the Humboldt Historic District.

This mansion was created for Harry Heye Tammen and reflects the interesting life of its owner who not only led the Denver Post but was also a part-owner of a circus that featured Buffalo Bill. In 1895, Tammen and his friend Frederick Bonfils purchased the Evening Post for $12,500 and renamed it The Denver Evening Post. Neither had newspaper experience but shared a vision of mixing news with entertainment.

Tammen said “You’ve seen a vaudeville show, haven’t you? It’s got every sort of act – laughs, tears, wonder, thrills, melodrama, tragedy, comedy, love and hate. That’s is what I want to give to our readers.”

In 1902 Tammen and Bonfils purchased a circus named the “Floto Dog and Pony Show” and later renamed the “Sells Floto Circus.” In 1913, they hired “Buffalo Bill” Cody. The Circus was renamed again to “Sells Floto and Buffalo Bill Circus.” Tammen acquired elephants for an act in the circus. \

In 1908 construction began on this home which was next to then-Governor William Ellery Sweet’s mansion. Sweet was not a fan of Tammen or the Denver Post and had tried to prevent Tammen from building in this neighborhood. Tammen allegedly responded with a half-serious plan to build an elephant barn next to the Governor.

Architect Edwin Moorman is best known for designing Denver's Moffat Railroad Station, but this home also remains one of his standout works owing to its facade and the fact that Teddy Roosevelt and William H Taft both gave addresses from one of the interior balconies. 

In 1914, Tammen added the two-story porch to the south end. In 1919, this area was enclosed for a solarium. In 1929, a copper chased enclosed balcony was added on the second floor, on the north side of the building. In 1931, the south half of the front porch was enclosed to make a Palm Room. 

The House is part of the Humboldt Historic District which consists of two dozen homes in a two-block area along Humboldt Street from 12th Ave to 10th Ave. There has been no new construction in the district since 1920 and it was listed on the Historic Register in 1978.

1. Bretz, James. Mansions of Denver: 1870-1938. Pruet Publishing, 2005.
2. Nomination Form, National Register of Historic Places Register. Accessed July 3rd 2020. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/fa298fae-2f62-41e1-a3bc-4fde1dc5bd12.
3. Kreck, Dick. The newspaper newcomers who bought a failing paper and grew it into the largest in Colorado, The Denver Post. October 15th 2017. Accessed July 3rd 2020. https://www.denverpost.com/2017/10/15/denver-post-harry-tammen-frederick-bonfils/.