1600 Emerson St
Denver, CO, USA

National Register of Historic Places - Bouvier-Lothrop House (See Also:Swallow Hill Historic District)

Statement of Significant:

The Bouvier-Lothrop House is significant for its architectural features which make it one of the best and most interesting buildings on Capitol Hill in Denver. The structure is also significant because many of its owners and inhabitants were prominent businessmen or public-spirited citizens in the Colorado of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Robert G. Balcomb and Eugene R. Rice, the architects of the home, were popular and prolific designers during Denver's boom period of the late 1880s and early 1890s. While not as original in style as some of Denver's architects, their buildings are nevertheless important in that they reflect so well the taste of Denverites of the period. If eclectic in style, so Denver residents were eclectic in taste. The home at 1600 Emerson displays a control of its many elements which makes it among the best examples of their work. The rich details, particularly its lavish use of leaded glass, make it outstanding.

The home's history is unusual in that it never had a permanent resident, fascinating in that it is connected with so many important names, and poignant because Denver's devastating depression after the Silver Crash of 1893 played such a large part in its story. The home was built on speculation during Denver's boom period, by the firm of Flower and Patterson. They built many houses in the area, several using Balcomb and Rice as designers.

Of the two builders, John S. Flower is the better known. He was president of the Denver Real Estate Commission, founded the Colorado Realty Association, and served as first president of the Denver Planning Commission. A close friend of Mayor Robert W. Speer, the man who is given the most credit for the attractive elements in the Denver landscape, Flower had a vital role in the conception and construction of these improvements. It was at his instigation that the Pioneer Monument at Civic Center was erected, and he also led the fight for a civic auditorium.

Less is known about John B. Patterson's contribution to Denver history. However, he did sell 1600 Emerson to an uncle who was absentee landlord from 1891 until 1921. The uncle was Michel Charles Bouvier of New York, the most important member of his family during his generation the second for the family in America - a millionaire stockbroker and real estate speculator, who made enough money to keep the Bouvier family comfortable for the next two generations. Michel Bouvier was a bachelor, most of his money devolved upon the descendants of his brother John Vernou Bouvier. Among these was a grandniece of Michel Bouvier's Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.

In the meantime, 1600 Emerson was rented or leased, sometimes to a single family, sometimes to multiple residents. The first family to occupy the home was that of Wilbur C. Lothrop. Mr. Lothrop was active in political and school affairs from the time of his arrival in Denver in 1865. As Territorial Superintendent of Schools from 1870 to 1873, he helped establish the public school system in Colorado, and in 1887 he was among the group who took the initial step toward the founding of Colorado Woman's College. He made his money in real estate, and was probably forced to leave 1600 Emerson because of the Crash.

The next residents, the George W. Bailey family, were also victims of the Crash. Bailey came to Colorado in 1882 after a career as a college professor in Illinois. He made a fortune in real estate speculation which enabled him to build a splendid mansion at 1600 Ogden. After having lost everything in the Depression, he and his family in 1896 moved to 1600 Emerson which they ran as a boarding house. Mrs. Bailey, according to a descendant, died there of overwork.

The lives of two of the confirmed boarders of the Bailey's were also affected by the Silver Crash. Alonzo Rice, an early day Denver pioneer and yet another real estate speculator connected with the house, had lost most of his property during the De- pression, much of it in an attempt to help friends. The second boarder, William Alexander Platt, was a newspaperman, particularly an editorial writer for several New York papers before continuing his career in Colorado Springs because of his health. The year 1899 found him living at 1600 Emerson while he executed his duties as the appointed receiver for two national banks that had failed in Denver. He was noted in later years as having helped to establish the first newspaper bureau for any political party during a national campaign.

From 1900 until 1905 the home was occupied by the William R. Owen family. Owen was one of the founders of the Denver Dry Goods Company and a large contributor to that store's success during its early years.

When Michel Bouvier sold the property in 1921, the next owner converted it into a twelve-unit apartment. It had many owners over the next half century, including Max and Mary Bezoff, parents of Democratic leader and mayoral advisor Ben Bezoff; and Eric Crabtree of the Denver Broncos. The home has been allowed to deteriorate over the years, but has been given a new lease on life with its present owners.