Creswell Mansion (Marijuana Mansion)

Prominent businessman Joseph Creswell built this historic home in 1889. Denver-based architect John J. Huddart, who was born in England, designed it combining elements of the Queen Anne and Richardsonian Romanesque styles. It was built of rough red sandstone and features arched windows, two porches (one of which is a semi-circle), gables, and carved stonework. The house is now known as Marijuana Mansion for its association with Colorado's marijuana industry. Vicente Sederberg LLP, one of the law firms that authored Colorado Amendment 64 which legalized cannabis in the state, moved into the house in 2013 and helped develop the policies to implement the new law. An organization called the National Cannabis Industry Association moved in as well. The house is now a cannabis-themed museum and private event venue.

Joseph Creswell was one Denver's leading businessmen of the late 19th century. He served as president of the Colorado Marble and Mining Company, which mined and produced marble products. He was also president and treasure of the Davis-Creswell Company, which manufactured and installed steam heating equipment in Denver and between Chicago and San Francisco. Creswell promoted Denver as a manufacturing hub and became the president of the Manufacturer's Exchange.

It appears various businesses occupied the house until 2013 when the law firm that helped write the marijuana law, Vicente Sederberg LLP, moved in. Colorado voters approved the law on the November 6, 2012 election day and it became an official amendment in December. Governor Hickenlooper created a task force to devise the policies regulating marijuana production and consumption. Vicente Sederberg LLP was a member of the task force. Residents could begin using, selling, cultivating and processing cannabis on January 1, 2014.

In 2018, the city denied a request submitted by a cannabis lobbyist to open the house into a marijuana-themed spa since it would have been too close to a childcare facility. The current owner bought it in 2019 and converted it into its current iteration. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Merry, Berneice R. "Creswell Mansion." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. November 25, 1977. https://www.historycolorado.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2018/5dv184.pdf.

"Marijuana Mansion History." Marijuana Mansion. Accessed August 28, 2023. https://www.mjmansion.com/home/history.