1079 Downing St
Denver, CO, USA

National Register of Historic Places - Caroline Bancroft House

Statement of Significant:

The Caroline Bancroft House is being nominated under criterion B for its literary significance in association with Caroline Bancroft, a nationally recognized and widely read author of Colorado history. Bancroft, who wrote and published the popular Bancroft booklets, was born in the house and wrote her books there. The house is nominated under Criterion exception G because the period of significance extends from 1929, when Bancroft first began writing history up to 1968 when her last book was published. Bancroft was the first Colorado history author to write for broad, popular appeal and brought Colorado's history to hundreds of visitors to the state and countless Colorado residents.

Miss Bancroft was born on September 11, 1900 in this house located at 1079- 81 Downing Street Denver, Colorado. Miss Bancroft made her home in this house until 1975. It contains the sunroom where she did her writing.

Tracing the family history of the Bancrofts and their contributions to Colorado's history in the nineteenth century, it becomes clear that as a Bancroft in Denver Caroline was bound to be noticed. Caroline's grandfather, Dr. Frederick J. Bancroft was a pioneer physician. History has it that Frederick J. Bancroft had served in the Civil War as the jailor/doctor for Jefferson Davis. Soon after the war was over, Dr. Bancroft travelled by ox wagon to settle in Denver. Dr. Bancroft was the organizer and charter member of the Denver Medical Society. More importantly for the historical community in Denver Mr. Frederick J. Bancroft was the founder and president of the Colorado Historical Society. George J. Bancroft, Caroline Bancroft's father, was a mining engineer involved in projects throughout the United States and Europe. George Bancroft was involved in such local projects as building a mountain lake reservoir system and in trying to divert water to the Denver area. He was also the editor for Mining Science Magazine and the mining editor of the Rocky Mountain News. But Miss Bancroft was not noticed exclusively because of her family name. It was her self-assurance, popularity as a noted author, her eccentricities and generosity that made her one of Colorado's most colorful characters in the twentieth century.

In 1923, Miss Bancroft graduated from Smith College an all-women’s college in Northampton Massachusetts and taught school in New Canaan, Connecticut. Upon her return to Denver Miss Bancroft convinced her former neighbor, Frederick G. Bonfils, publisher of The Denver Post, that the Post was in need of a book review section. When Mr. Bonfils agreed that there might be such a need, Caroline promptly joined the staff of the Post as the head of that project, in 1928. In 1929 Miss Bancroft was asked to write a five-part serial for True Story Magazine on the "rags-to-riches" story of Baby Doe Tabor. Baby Doe Tabor was the second wife of silver mining magnate H.A. W. Tabor. The Tabor's were among the most prominent people in nineteenth century Colorado history. At the time that Miss Bancroft wrote about Baby Doe Tabor, in conjunction with her book column and literary page that she edited, she began to include popular interviews with Colorado pioneers.

As Miss Bancroft became more interested in Colorado's history, she decided to further her education. She attended the University of Denver and obtained her Master of Arts degree. During her studies Miss Bancroft specialized in independent research projects in Colorado history topics and folklore. Her master’s thesis was on Central City, Colorado. Given her academic background, and obvious interest in history, it is not surprising that the body of work that she created gained her the 1969 Colorado Author's League Top Hand Award for non- fiction.
The Bancroft House is being nominated for its association with Caroline Bancroft who achieved exceptional significance in Colorado literature. Caroline Bancroft is most commonly known as the author of the so-called Bancroft booklets. These were inexpensive, chatty books dedicated to giving the tourist or, the non- historian the flavor of Colorado and its history. Titles such as; "Six Racy Madames", "The Unsinkable Molly Brown", "Silver Queen, The Fabulous Story of Baby Doe Tabor" and "Colorful Colorado" tell of just a few of the subjects Caroline wrote about. She wrote two full length books, and twenty-four of these booklets and made a living from the royalties, a truly unbelievable feat and evidence of her popularity! Caroline Bancroft should be remembered as one of the greatest contributors to Colorado's folklore, as an author, and an individual.