Institution

Donald Fletcher –  Born in Canada in 1849, Donald Fletcher was educated in both Canada and the United States. Before arriving in Colorado in 1879, he worked as a Presbyterian minister in Illinois, but found employment as a firefighter, mine director, and railroad clerk. He moved to Denver with his wife and three children in 1882, finding work in the real estate market. Fletcher became a member of the Denver Chamber of Commerce when it formed in 1884, becoming president of the organization four years later. He also served as president of the Colorado Board of Immigration, which encouraged settlement in the state. In charge of the organization that stimulated immigration to Colorado, Fletcher expanded his real estate activities, investing in West Denver, Capitol Hill, and Montclair, all developments expanding out from Denver. Fletcher, aware that new housing developments were dependent on a burgeoning rail car system, founded the Colfax Avenue Railway Company, along with the East Denver Water Company. Prosperity faded during the 1893 Silver Crash as Colorado, and much of the nation, dropped into a depression. Having lost much of his fortune, Fletcher left for California in 1894, dying a year later at the age of forty-six. Community of Fletcher –  While the economy of Colorado blossomed in the late 1880s, Fletcher, along with Samuel Marsden Perry, and Thomas S. Hayden purchased and plotted tracts of land East of Denver. In 1890, Fletcher and partners replotted a section as Aurora Subdivision under the Colfax Trust Company. Hathaway Street, now named Galena Street, experienced development first. Over the next two years, fourteen brick Queen Anne style homes were constructed among the surrounding farms and ranches. A year later the town of Fletcher was incorporated on April 30, 1891. Two years later, the Colfax Electric Railway Company extended a rail car stop near Hathaway (Galena) on Colfax, connecting the new community with Denver. In 1907 the citizens of Fletcher voted to change the town name to Aurora.

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Designated Aurora Landmark No. 11 in 1993, this Queen Anne Victorian is the oldest remaining home built as part of the town of Fletcher. A luxurious home at the time, it featured indoor plumbing to the kitchen and upstairs bathroom. The City of Aurora purchased the property in 1990 and community members restored the home to commemorate the city’s centennial year.

Centennial House

 This walking tour takes the visitor to nine different historic landmarks that embody the development of Fletcher and early Aurora. Explore the various residents and  architectural styles present in the neighborhood..  

Water and Settlement: As Americans moved west, they encountered arid spaces. Known as the Great American Desert, the eastern plains of the Rocky Mountains were considered sparse when compared to the densely vegetated areas farther east. The communities established as a result of the Gold Rush in 1858, faced challenges as they expanded away from the Platte River, Cherry Creek, and other water sources provided by Rocky Mountain snowmelt. In response, water companies around Denver attempted to tap into available water sources and create a transport system (ditches and dams) to deliver this precious resource to customers in the late 19th and early 20th century. In 1870, the railroad arrived in Denver, connecting the once remote city with the nation via the Transcontinental rail line. As new settlements developed to the east of Denver, water systems were needed to supply homes and farms with water. When the Colfax Trust Company made plans to develop Fletcher, they had to find a water source. Luckily, Donald Fletcher, a construction partner in the Fletcher development, created the East Denver Water Company (EDWC) a few years before, to supply water to the community of Mountclair; however, Mountclair residents elected to purchase water from Denver, leaving the EDWC without a buyer. Possibly an incentive to developing a community east of Denver, the Colfax Trust Company began development of the town of Fletcher in 1890, supplying the new homes along Hathaway Street (now Galena Street) with EDWC water. These water lines allowed the new homes along Galena to feature in-door plumbing, a very luxurious amenity. The development of water transportation systems was key to the development of Fletcher and many other Colorado communities on the arid high plains. Granville Fuller:  Born in 1837, Granville Fuller lived in Brighton, Massachusetts.  Fuller inherited his father’s lumber company, served as director of the National Market Bank and Citizens Mutual Insurance Company, and spent time in the Massachusetts legislature. While he was president of the New England Investment Company, the organization purchased the Colorado Land and Investment Company, which sold land to the Colfax Trust Company to develop Fletcher. When completed, Fuller purchased two homes, one here at 2027 Galena Street and the other at 2280 Galena Street. He remained in Brighton, possibly leasing both properties until selling them in the early 20th century.

Built in 1892, the Fuller House is one of the few remaining homes from the town of Fletcher. It stands as an exemplary Queen Anne Victorian style structure, popular in the late 19th century, and represents the importance of water in the settlement of Colorado communities. In 2001 the Fuller House was designated to the National Register of Historic Places for its association with community planning and its embodiment of an architectural style. 

Fuller House

Spanish Colonial Revival:  Prior to the Panama-California Exposition of 1915, no prominent architectural style was influenced by Spanish Colonialism. The exposition, held in San Diego, California, displayed Spanish influence around the world and was well received by both the public and architects. The style found prominence in states with pre-existing Spanish influence, mainly California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Florida, but dropped off heavily following 1940. Distinguishing architectural features include: a low-pitched tile roof with no eave overhang, stucco exterior, prominent arches, and an asymmetrical façade.  Prohibition in Colorado Alcohol Prohibition in Colorado passed in November of 1914 and took effect in January 1916, four years before the passage of the 18th Amendment, which implemented National Prohibition. The prohibition movement, active since the mid-19th century and blustered by organizations like the Anti-Saloon League, found common ground with the Progressive movement, which sought to improve society through government interaction. These forces intersected a wave of xenophobia and religious fever that culminated in the passage of the state dry law. Attempting to halt crime, vice, and drunkenness, the ban on the transportation and sale of alcohol created an atmosphere of organized crime and corruption. Ultimately, National Prohibition came to an end in 1933 with the passage of the 21st Amendment. The Italian Villa Restaurant/Night Club: The Italian Villa Restaurant opened in 1925, nine years into Colorado prohibition. The restaurant found acclaim when Alex Maranzino took over in 1929, establishing the Villa as a quiet getaway for Denverites, offering quality food, live music, and an extensive garden patio. Known as the "summer garden," the outdoor space sat 150 patrons and featured a trout pond, dance floor, and a decretive awning that covered the entire patio. Rumored to have been a speakeasy and gambling club during Prohibition, the only written account of the restaurant violating the Volstead Act came in early 1933, after the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt amended the Volstead Act to make 3.2% beer legal. Following local ordinance, Maranzino applied and paid for a license to sell the now legal beer. Despite his compliance with local ordinance, Maranzino was arrested in August for breaking the 3.2% beer law. A crowd of Auroran's filled the courtroom in Brighton to hear the injunction brought on by Harry Behm, District Attorney. Behm immediately dropped the charge that Maranzino violated the 3.2% beer law and asked the court to close the Villa because it was a public nuisance. Several Auroran's testified to the character of Maranzino and the Villa, and by the days end the court dismissed the suit, stating: "The overwhelming predominance of evidence is in favor of the defendant; it is plainly apparent that the people and officials of Aurora are in favor of the establishment and that Aurora has enough law to take care of any such place." (1) Albeit Maranzio's victory, the cost of the court proceedings, coupled with the Great Depression's financial devastation, might have proven too much. In January of 1934, Maranzino and his family closed the restaurant and moved to nearby Denver for unknown reasons. The Blanks: Henry Blank was born on July 4, 1883 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a Russian immigrants. At the age of fifteen, Henry enlisted with the New Jersey National Guard Volunteer Infantry following the start of the Spanish-American War in April of 1898. Enlisted as a Private in Company K of the 4th Regiment, he served at Camp Meade, Pennsylvania and Camp Wetherill, South Carolina until being mustered out on April 6, 1899.   Following his time in the New Jersey National Guard, Henry attended the University of Maryland, graduating in 1906 with a Doctors Degree. He moved to Denver seven years later, where he practiced medicine for the next twenty-two years, retiring in 1936. He married Lena La Bruzza in 1934 and moved into 1785 N. Hanover St. Henry passed away at the age of 70 in 1954. Lena continued to reside in the home until 1982.

Designated as Aurora Landmark No. 8 in 1988, the Italian Villa was constructed as an Italian restaurant in 1925. The restaurant, advertised as “Denver’s Smartest Night Club," drew large numbers of Denverites to its extravagant outdoor patio. Aurora residents, annoyed with the boisterous antics of the Villa, accused the restaurant of being a public nuisance and violating the 18th Amendment, taking the owner to court in 1933. 

Italian Villa

The Milliken House was constructed in 1891 as part of the original development initiated by the Colfax Trust Company. After completion, the home hosted the first meeting of the Trustees of the Town of Fletcher which took place on May 27, 1891. At the first meeting, the town Treasurer, Recorder, and Secretary were elected. Trustees also elected to hire a Mr. Denison to draft ordinances for the new municipality and appointed Mayor Milliken a committee of one to establish meeting procedures. The Milliken residence continued to operate as the center of city government until the Fletcher School House opened in 1893, taking over city government meetings. Architecture:  Under the Classical Revival inspired wrap around porch, is a classic example of Queen Anne architectural style in Colorado. The steeply pitched gable roof, bay window, integral porch (now enclosed), patterned shingle gable, and asymmetrical façade are all defining features of a Queen Anne. English architects, most notably Richard Norman Shaw, named and popularized the style in the late 19th century. The use of the name in the United States is misleading. The English version of a Queen Anne featured late Medieval influences from the Jacobean and Elizabethan periods. The only American Queen Anne’s that resemble their English forbearers, are the half-timbered and patterned masonry sub-types. After the introduction of the Queen Anne in America around 1874, the style found little popularity among architects. However, pattern books, which allowed an individual to order Queen Anne plans, found success as the railroad network made nation-wide shipping possible. American interpretations of the English style known as Spindlework and Free Classic found popularity in developing communities of the Western United States into the early 20th century.

Constructed in 1891 as part of speculative neighborhood East of Denver, the Milliken House hosted the first Town Trustee (City Council) meeting for the Town of Fletcher, later renamed Aurora. The Milliken House obtained Local Historic Landmark status in 1987 for its role in the establishment of local government and association with Mayor Milliken. 

Milliken House

The McMillans:John M. McMillan was born to Edward and Janet McMillian on April 17, 1877, in Emporia, Kansas. Edward and Janet, Scottish immigrants, operated a farm after arriving in the United States in the mid-1800s. At the age of twenty-one, John volunteered with the 22nd Kansas Infantry after President McKinley called for troops for what would be known as the Spanish-American War (1898). Enlisted as a Private in Company E, the 22nd never deployed overseas, spending the war stationed in the United States. Following the end of his enlistment, John entered the field of stenography. While working for various railroad companies in Pike, Kansas, he met a fellow stenographer, Emma Banks. Emma was born in Kansas in 1868 to Alexander and Jennie Banks. John and Emma married in 1906 and relocated to Denver. In Denver, John found employment with the Union Pacific Railroad and, in 1911, purchased lots 31 and 32 from Frank Leasure for $400.00. The couple then commissioned James T. Foley to construct a home on the lots.  After moving to Aurora, John became a member of the Aurora Board of Trustees. His political career continued on an upward trajectory, being elected major in 1916. After his term ended two years later, John, now a Secretary, left the Union Pacific Railroad, eventually starting his own real estate company, Aurora Realty Company. In 1921, his political life re-emerged, being elected Mayor of Aurora and keeping that position until 1926. The years after the First World War were difficult in Colorado, especially Aurora. The agricultural industry entered a recession when grain and livestock prices dropped 60% in three years. This had an immediate impact on the factories of Colorado that processed agricultural products. During these difficult years, John served his second stint as Mayor, seeing Aurora through budgetary constraints, little expansion, and a significant industry recession. When he left office in 1926, Aurora felt recovery on the horizon. The Fitzsimons Army Hospital, along with increased agricultural prices and the start of the Stapleton Airport, indicated an upcoming period of economic prosperity.  John and Emma continued to live at 1629 Galena Street into the 1930s, moving to E. Colfax Avenue sometime before the end of the decade. In 1947, the couple sold the realty company to support and focus on Emma’s failing health. Emma passed away in 1956 at the age of eighty-eight. John lived another seventeen years, succumbing to bronchial pneumonia in Cottonwood, Kansas, at the age of ninety-six.

Designated an Aurora Historic Landmark in 2018, the McMillan House is a beautiful example of how additions can create a varied architectural form/style. Constructed between 1910 and 1911, the McMillan House is a Folk Victorian that features Queen Anne and Craftsman detailing.  The front porch, added ten years later and enclosed in the 1970s, showcases how this home had been adapted by residents throughout its lifetime. The house is also significant for its association with two-term Aurora mayor, John M. McMillan.

McMillan House

Mary Jane Lavina Girard Robidoux: Mary Jane Lavina Girard Robidoux was born to an Irish immigrant family in Quebec, Canada, in 1866. She moved to Gopher, Kansas, twenty-years later, and married Albert Robidoux the following year in Denver, Colorado. Albert also immigrated from Quebec, Canada to Kansas, working as a saloon keeper before purchasing ranch land. The couple built a successful ranch and stock business around Wallace, Kansas. After suffering a stroke, Albert lost the use of an arm and vowed to settle his business and end his life. He kept his promise, hanging himself from a barn rafter on May 19, 1912, his fifty-fifth birthday. After her husband’s death, Mary Jane sold the ranch in Kansas , and purchased four lots in Aurora, Colorado. She then commissioned the construction of a bungalow, costing $3,500. Completed in 1913, the new residence created quite a buzz in Aurora, being hailed as “ …being the finest house yet erected in Aurora …constructed of the best brick and is as modern as it is possible….”(1) Following completion, Mary Jane lived in the house until her death in 1929, leaving the home to St. Clara’s Orphanage.  Craftsman Architecture: In the late 19th century, the English Arts &amp; Crafts movement rejected modern industry and mass-produced products in favor of old-world craftsmanship. In America, however, Arts &amp; Crafts utilized industrialism, often producing "Craftsman" accessories with faux detailing in industrial plants. Despite the differences, Craftsman architecture emerged in the early years of the 20th century, heavily influenced by its English roots. The first Craftsman homes were designed by Charles S. Greene and his brother, Henry M, Greene as bungalows in California around 1903. Featured in a number of architecture publications, the style appeared in pattern books across the nation, which resulted in widespread popularity from 1905 – 1930. Distinguishing features of the Craftsman-style are evident on the Robidoux House. The home features a low-pitched cross-gabled roof, open eave overhangs, decorative beams, a full porch, and square tapered columns (battered columns). Note the decretive knee braces along the roof line, the exposed rafter tails that accompany the large eaves, and the intricate brick work on the front gable. While viewing this home, hailed in 1913 for its construction, think on the larger Queen Anne homes built twenty-years prior and compare their size and decorative elements.

Mary Jane Lavina Girard Robidoux moved from Kansas following her husband’s death and commissioned this Craftsman home in 1913. The detailed brickwork and interior sawn oak woodwork are definitive features of the Craftsman style, an offshoot of the English Arts & Crafts Movement popular in the late 19th century. Upon completion, the home was hailed as the most exquisite house in Aurora. The Robidoux House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its embodiment of the Craftsman style. 

Robidoux House 

The residents of Aurora wished for a theater of their own. Yet, the priorities of the Great Depression and Second World War made that reality nothing more than a dream. That changed in 1946 when the Fox Inter-Mountain Amusement Corporation announced plans for a movie theater in Aurora. Costing $100,000, the “theater of tomorrow," as it was advertised, combined the futuristic design of Art Modern with the military Quonset hut.  Prefabrication and the Quonset Hut Prefabricated structures have roots in the mail order catalogues popular in the later 19th and early 20th centuries. By that time, modernist designers, like Frank Lloyd Wright, began to think of prefabrication as a mechanism of affordable housing. Following the United States entry into World War II prefabrication methods were quickly adopted by the military for their low cost and portable nature. As the nation geared up for war, a team of U.S. Navy designers developed a simple, versatile prefabricated structure known as the Quonset hut.  The simple design and prefabricated components required no skilled labor to construct, resulting in some 150,000 Quonset huts being deployed around the world, serving a number of uses. When the conflict ended in 1945, surplus Quonset huts were sold to civilians, finding new homes on ranches, farms, and in residential neighborhoods. Prefabrication became a staple in the post war years, providing homes to returning soldiers and their families in new suburban developments.

Constructed in 1946,  this unique theater features a U.S. Army Quonset hut with an Art Moderne entrance.  Designed by architect Charles Strong following the end of the Second World War, the theater fulfilled Aurora’s dream for a local motion picture venue and displayed the community’s connection with the military. Designated Aurora Historic Landmark No. 5 in 1987 for its architectural significance, the building continues to serve the community as a performing arts center. 

Aurora Fox Arts Center

Folk Victorian: Popular from 1870-1910, Folk Victorian homes feature a simple, small house form, like a rectangle or square, with either Queen Anne, Italianate, or Gothic Revival inspiration (notice the spindlework on the porch columns). The style can be found all over the United States as railroad expansion made pre-cut detailing available at a cheaper cost. The availability of pre-cut detailing allowed middle-class individuals to keep up with changing trends, often updating their existing Folk homes with Queen Anne, Italianate, or Gothic Revival detailing. Folk Victorians were phased out after 1910 as Craftsman, and Eclectic styles gained popularity. The McDowell’s: The McDowell family, consisting of Harry, Gertrude, and daughter Miriam, arrived in Colorado from North Dakota in 1915 and operated Acacia Drug Company on E. Colfax for twelve years. During that time, the Acacia Drug Co became a well-known and respected business in Aurora, providing several services to the community. Harry acquired his education as a Pharmacist at Highland Park College in Des Moines, Iowa, before marrying Gertrude Larson in 1906. Before their marriage, Gertrude taught school in both Iowa and Minnesota. The new couple moved to North Dakota, where they operated a retail store – pharmacy and welcomed their only child, Miriam, into the world. After near nine years in North Dakota, the McDowell’s picked up and moved to Boulder, Colorado, then Bennett, before finally settling at 1580 N. Dallas Street in 1916. The McDowell’s opened Acacia Drug Company soon after. Located at 9601 E. Colfax Avenue, the pharmacy fronted the ever-busy Colfax Avenue, exposing it to daily commuters trekking to and from Denver. Along with a full functioning pharmacy, Acacia Drug Company offered Auroran’s a soda fountain, ice cream, and assorted candies for purchase. Both owners and businesses received praise within the community and flourished. Though the family lived in the working-class neighborhood around N. Dallas Street, the McDowell’s were able to afford a live-in servant; nineteen-year-old Addie Barrois. In 1928, Henry passed away from what is described as heart trouble and chronic appendicitis. He was forty-eight years old. The Aurora Democrat noted his pleasing disposition and contribution to the city. All businesses were closed during his funeral in respect. Gertrude lived until the age of sixty-seven, passing away in December of 1951. Miriam continued to live in Aurora with her husband, Billy Hawkins.

Built in 1892, the Marshall Cowing House denotes class divisions present at the founding of Fletcher. A beautiful Folk Victorian, this architectural form is drastically smaller and less ornate than its Queen Anne counterpart, marking the new middle-class neighborhood of Fletcher. The home was designated a Local Aurora Landmark in 2004 because it illustrates class divisions within the community and embodies the Folk Victorian architectural style. 

Marshall Cowing House

Victor Hornbein:  The lengthy career of Victor Hornbein (1940-1992) included the design and construction of thirty-six homes and eighty public or private buildings. Born in Denver, Victor attended East High School and the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design, Atelier Denver. Heavily influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, Hornbein began designing homes and public buildings in Wright’s Usonian style after returning from the Second World War, most notably the Fredrick R. Ross Branch Library in Denver, which is a sister to the Hornbein Building in Aurora. His career and notoriety continued to grow, and in 1960 he joined forces with architect Richard White. The two designed the Denver Botanical Gardens, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), becoming president of the Colorado Chapter in 1971. He was awarded the Western Mountain Region AIA Silver medal in 1981, and after his death in 1995, his design of the Frederick R. Ross Branch Library was awarded the AIA’s 25- Year Award. Aurora’s First Dedicated Public Library In the economic boom that followed the Second World War, city officials frantically sought to keep pace with the growing population. Along with water and waste projects, city planners proposed a new civic center that incorporated a fire station, city hall, library, and medical center. In 1954, the Hornbein Building opened as Aurora’s first dedicated library. It served as the main branch of the Aurora Public Library for the next ten years, being replaced by the North Branch Library – Hoffman Heights in 1964. No longer in use as a library, the building housed offices for both the Parks and Police Departments for the next fifteen years. As Aurora’s population continued to expand, the Hornbein Building was again called into Library service in 1979, as the Northwest Reading Center. Rededicated as the Martin Luther King Jr, Reading Center in 1988, the building remained a central part of Original Aurora until it closed in 2003. Aurora Public Library In February of 1929, the Aurora Women’s Club opened the first library at the home of Sara Wood on 1516 Dallas Street. The brand-new institution had a collection of 3,100 books, a library table, a rocking chair, and two bookcases. The humble condition of the library served Aurora through the Great Depression. In the 1940s, the military buildup around Aurora brought in an influx of people to the small town, overwhelming the little house. In 1944 the library brought the entire property at 1516 Dallas Street, utilizing the whole house. Yet, community needs were not being met.  The increasing population of the community kept Aurora Public Library on its toes for the remainder of the 20th century. In 1954, the first dedicated library (Hornbein Building) opened at 9901 E. 16th Avenue. Within ten years, the 16th Avenue location reached capacity, as Librarian Mary Brown recounted, “All available space has been filled with book stacks, there were books in the windows and on the floor.”(1) In 1963, a new library opened at 1298 Peoria Street. Constructed in the height of the Cold War, the new library’s design easily allowed building extensions and featured a radioactive fallout shelter on the first floor. Despite the adaptable design, new “Neighborhood Libraries” were established in the 1970s and 1980s: Mission Viejo (1975), Northwest Reading Center (1979), Southwest Reading Center (1980), and Northeast Reading Center (1983).  In 2000, the public approved a new library to be incorporated in the new municipal center on E. Alameda Parkway. The new structure, designed by Michael Brendle, featured 10,000 square feet of library space with additional conference rooms. Dedicated in 2004 as the Martin Luther King Jr Library continues to serve as the central location in the Aurora Public Library system.

Designed by renowned architect Victor Hornbein in 1953 as Aurora’s first dedicated public library, the building is an excellent example of Usonian architecture. Influenced by traditional Japanese design and developed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1930s, Usonian architecture features open interior spaces and natural finishes. The Hornbein Building, with its unique architecture, served the community for fifty-two years. 

Original Aurora Historic Walking Tour

Centennial House

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Backstory and Context

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