200 Cherry St
Denver, CO, USA

National Register of Historic Places - Cranmer House (Kerwin House; 5DV9199)

Statement of Significant:

The Cranmer House is significant in categories identified in the Multiple Property Documentation Form "The Architecture of Jules Jacques Benois Benedict in Colorado." The house is associated with the historic context "The Architecture of Jules Jacques Benois Benedict in Colorado, 1909-1942." Under this context, the building is an example of a "Domestic Building" designed by Benedict. The period of significance extends from the dwelling's completion in 1917 through 1947, the end of George E. Cranmer's tenure as Denver Manager of Improvements and Parks.

The Cranmer House is significant under Criterion C for its representation of the work of master architect J.J.B. Benedict, who asserted that this was "one of his masterpieces." Construction of large houses for wealthy clients was one of the principal components of the architect's practice, reaching its zenith in the 1920s. The style selected for the Cranmer residence was a favorite of the architect, although there are only three known extant examples of such houses Benedict designed before 1920. In this instance, the architect employed the style to enhance the owners' interests by taking full advantage of the site and its magnificent views and incorporating elements such as excellent acoustics for musical programs and decorative embellishments reflecting the owners' enthusiasm for the arts, education, and culture. Many of the features of the house became Benedict trademarks for residential design, including the use of quality materials in an elegant manner, elaborate ornamentation of the main entrance as the focal point of the façade, and the inclusion of finely crafted interior features, such as vaulted ceilings, decoratively painted wood, stone fireplaces, views of exterior courtyards, and interior fountains.

The Cranmer House is also significant in the field of architecture for its representation of the Italian Renaissance style. The style, employed almost exclusively for architect-designed landmark residences in metropolitan areas in the period before 1920, is reflected in the substantial construction of brick with stucco cladding, the hipped tile roof with widely overhanging eaves with modillions, the light-colored stone trim with elaborate carving around the doorway, the classical motifs of the stone frontispiece, and large arched first story windows and smaller, less elaborate, second story windows. Other features representative of the style includes the arched entrances, the arcaded loggias, and the columns in classical orders. Significant interior features reflecting the rich materials and superior craftsmanship include the mosaic tile floors, the limestone fireplace with elaborately carved mantle, the leaded glass windows, a variety of metal hanging light fixtures, the vaulted ceilings, and the walnut door and window surrounds with hand-painted ornamentation.

The house is also significant under Criterion B for its association with George Ernest Cranmer, Denver Manager of Improvements and Parks from 1935 to 1947, and with his wife, Jean Louise Chappell Cranmer, a prominent cultural leader in Denver. Under George Cranmer's bold and innovative tenure as manager, Denver constructed Red Rocks Theater, acquired the Winter Park Ski Area, built parkways, made improvements to the channels of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River, and developed or improved parks within the city. Jean Cranmer, who studied violin in Germany, was a moving force in Denver's cultural community. She was president of the Civic Symphony Society in 1930 and was one of three founders of the Denver Symphony Orchestra in 1934. To help defray costs for the fledgling orchestra, visiting artists often stayed in the Cranmer home and performed in the dwelling's large, vaulted living room. Denver historians Thomas J. Noel and Barbara S. Norgren called George Cranmer a "visionary." Colorado Poet Laureate Thomas Hornsby Ferril referred to Mr. Cranmer as "our first citizen" and to Mrs. Cranmer as "our first lady."