Sep 10, 1979
National Register of Historic Places - Guerrieri-Decunto House
Statement of Significant: The Guerrieri-DeCunto House is an interesting example of a small, middle-class home of the 1890s. It is significant for its architectural features which are unique for Denver, for the interest it adds to a block that has been almost stripped of its original elements over the years, and for its associations with the Guerrieri and DeCunto families, two of the more successful families in the early period of Italian immigration to Colorado. Frank Guerrieri was part of a large family that emigrated from Paladello, Italy, via St. Louis, to Denver in 1876. He and his brothers became successful wholesale liquor dealers, often using their homes as warehouses, and sometimes as retail establishments. It was in 1895 that Frank and his wife Maria bought a lot at 1650 Pennsylvania Avenue in Denver and erected this townhouse. Although the architect remains unknown, the Guerrieris clearly had the main facade designed to resemble the Italy they had known many years before. In 1902, however, the Guerrieris sold the property to Frank DeCunto, a well-known acquaintance and fellow Italian immigrant. For the previous thirty years DeCunto had prospered as a dealer in domestic and imported wines, liquor, and groceries as a partner in the firm of DeCunto, Barra & Co. DeCunto and his wife lived in the structure until 1919 when they sold it to David Serafini, another Italian immigrant with mercantile interests. What is particularly interesting about the Guerrieris and DeCuntos is that even though they were Italian immigrants, they chose not to live in Denver's Little Italy, but rather on Capitol Hill where there were few, if any, other people of that ethnic group. So far as is known, the Guerrieri-DeCunto House is the only property remaining associated with these two families. From an architectural perspective the house is the only one of five townhouses remaining on this block in Denver, the others having fallen to the wrecker. The structure itself represents the last vestige of how this block appeared during the early twentieth century--a block of small rectangular homes for the middle classes. Yet what makes the structure particularly interesting and virtually unique in Denver is the main facade with its Italianate details and lineage, reflecting the Guerrieris' attempt to recreate in Denver a style they had known many years before in Europe. day the house stands in Denver as a pleasant island in Capitol Hill.
National Register of Historic Places - Guerrieri-Decunto House
Statement of Significant: The Guerrieri-DeCunto House is an interesting example of a small, middle-class home of the 1890s. It is significant for its architectural features which are unique for Denver, for the interest it adds to a block that has been almost stripped of its original elements over the years, and for its associations with the Guerrieri and DeCunto families, two of the more successful families in the early period of Italian immigration to Colorado. Frank Guerrieri was part of a large family that emigrated from Paladello, Italy, via St. Louis, to Denver in 1876. He and his brothers became successful wholesale liquor dealers, often using their homes as warehouses, and sometimes as retail establishments. It was in 1895 that Frank and his wife Maria bought a lot at 1650 Pennsylvania Avenue in Denver and erected this townhouse. Although the architect remains unknown, the Guerrieris clearly had the main facade designed to resemble the Italy they had known many years before. In 1902, however, the Guerrieris sold the property to Frank DeCunto, a well-known acquaintance and fellow Italian immigrant. For the previous thirty years DeCunto had prospered as a dealer in domestic and imported wines, liquor, and groceries as a partner in the firm of DeCunto, Barra & Co. DeCunto and his wife lived in the structure until 1919 when they sold it to David Serafini, another Italian immigrant with mercantile interests. What is particularly interesting about the Guerrieris and DeCuntos is that even though they were Italian immigrants, they chose not to live in Denver's Little Italy, but rather on Capitol Hill where there were few, if any, other people of that ethnic group. So far as is known, the Guerrieri-DeCunto House is the only property remaining associated with these two families. From an architectural perspective the house is the only one of five townhouses remaining on this block in Denver, the others having fallen to the wrecker. The structure itself represents the last vestige of how this block appeared during the early twentieth century--a block of small rectangular homes for the middle classes. Yet what makes the structure particularly interesting and virtually unique in Denver is the main facade with its Italianate details and lineage, reflecting the Guerrieris' attempt to recreate in Denver a style they had known many years before in Europe. day the house stands in Denver as a pleasant island in Capitol Hill.
Sep 10, 1979
Posted Date
Jul 28, 2023
Historical Record Date
Sep 10, 1979
Source Name
National Register of Historic Places
