Sep 04, 1980
National Register of Historic Places - John S. Flower House
Statement of Significant: The John S. Flower House is significant for its association with John S. Flower, an important real estate developer and civic-minded citizen of Denver. The structure is also significant for its association with the architects, Robert G. Balcomb and Eugene R. Rice, and for its architectural features which display the Queen Anne style. John S. Flower had a long career in Denver. He arrived in 1880 and spent his first years here as a reporter for the Denver Tribune. By 1886, however, he had found that his real vocation in life was in real estate development. Over the years that followed he and members of his firm were responsible for transactions that resulted in the building of some of the most important business blocks and some of the finest residences in town. But while Flower was enriching himself through real estate, he was also enriching the city. As president of the Denver Real Estate Exchange and later as head of the first Denver Planning Commission, he became an intimate friend of Denver's visionary mayor, Robert W. Speer, and was able to play an important role in making Denver a "City Beautiful." He was one of the first to urge a system of mountain parks. He fought for a civic auditorium. He was a member of the Denver Union Depot Commission, the Denver Civil Service Commission, and for the last eight years of his life president of the Denver Planning Commission. The most visible of his accomplishments are the decorative gates at City Park and the Pioneer Monument at Civic Center. The Pioneer Monument was unveiled with much fanfare in 1911, at a time when there were many alive who had been present at the founding of Denver. Flower felt that they should not be forgotten and worked for years to see the monument built. The architects of the Flower House were Robert G. Balcomb and Eugene R. Rice. They headed a firm that was often sought out during the real estate boom in Denver during the late 1880s and early 1890s. Their commissions were extensive and included commercial blocks, apartment houses, office buildings, and terraces, as well as many homes. While. not as original as some Denver architects, they were masters at interpreting and pleasing the taste of their clients. In their domestic architecture they combined elements of many styles into the lavish and flamboyant homes loved by the Victorians. The Flower House is an excellent example of this; other examples may be seen only a block away at 1600 and 1610 Emerson, and possibly 1647 Emerson. Each shows the ability of the two architects to manipulate the many elements that were part of the vernacular of the day into new and surprising combinations. From an architectural perspective, the Flower House displays their characteristic adaptation of Victorian elements. This house is a fine example of the Queen Anne style in the capitol hill section of Denver.
National Register of Historic Places - John S. Flower House
Statement of Significant: The John S. Flower House is significant for its association with John S. Flower, an important real estate developer and civic-minded citizen of Denver. The structure is also significant for its association with the architects, Robert G. Balcomb and Eugene R. Rice, and for its architectural features which display the Queen Anne style. John S. Flower had a long career in Denver. He arrived in 1880 and spent his first years here as a reporter for the Denver Tribune. By 1886, however, he had found that his real vocation in life was in real estate development. Over the years that followed he and members of his firm were responsible for transactions that resulted in the building of some of the most important business blocks and some of the finest residences in town. But while Flower was enriching himself through real estate, he was also enriching the city. As president of the Denver Real Estate Exchange and later as head of the first Denver Planning Commission, he became an intimate friend of Denver's visionary mayor, Robert W. Speer, and was able to play an important role in making Denver a "City Beautiful." He was one of the first to urge a system of mountain parks. He fought for a civic auditorium. He was a member of the Denver Union Depot Commission, the Denver Civil Service Commission, and for the last eight years of his life president of the Denver Planning Commission. The most visible of his accomplishments are the decorative gates at City Park and the Pioneer Monument at Civic Center. The Pioneer Monument was unveiled with much fanfare in 1911, at a time when there were many alive who had been present at the founding of Denver. Flower felt that they should not be forgotten and worked for years to see the monument built. The architects of the Flower House were Robert G. Balcomb and Eugene R. Rice. They headed a firm that was often sought out during the real estate boom in Denver during the late 1880s and early 1890s. Their commissions were extensive and included commercial blocks, apartment houses, office buildings, and terraces, as well as many homes. While. not as original as some Denver architects, they were masters at interpreting and pleasing the taste of their clients. In their domestic architecture they combined elements of many styles into the lavish and flamboyant homes loved by the Victorians. The Flower House is an excellent example of this; other examples may be seen only a block away at 1600 and 1610 Emerson, and possibly 1647 Emerson. Each shows the ability of the two architects to manipulate the many elements that were part of the vernacular of the day into new and surprising combinations. From an architectural perspective, the Flower House displays their characteristic adaptation of Victorian elements. This house is a fine example of the Queen Anne style in the capitol hill section of Denver.
Sep 04, 1980
Posted Date
Jul 26, 2023
Historical Record Date
Sep 04, 1980
Source Name
National Register of Historic Places
