Jul 03, 1979
National Register of Historic Places - Richard Crawford Campbell House
Statement of Significant: The Campbell House is significant for several reasons. It is associated with Richard Crawford Campbell and Elmer G. Hartner, important businessmen in the area; it is associated with Jules Jacques Benoit Benedict, a major architect in Colorado; and it is distinguished for its fine architectural features which reflect the romantic mood of Benedict's style. Richard Crawford Campbell had a varied career. He was born in Wheeling, West Virginia; studied at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire; worked for a time in Alabama; and then came west to make his home in Denver. He married the only surviving daughter of Senator Thomas M. Patterson, served as business manager of the Rocky Mountain News (the state's oldest newspaper then owned by his father-in-law), and founded the Campbell Investment Company. He also became a prominent yachtsman who was chiefly responsible for bringing the Sir Thomas Lipton Cup to Grand Lake. Late in life Mr. and Mrs. Campbell had J. J. B. Benedict design this house. They moved in with great fanfare in 1927, but lived only a few more years. About 1930 the house was purchased from the Campbell Estate by Elmer G. Hartner, president of the Western Seed Company. He lived there for thirty years as he ran his business from his Denver offices. Not surprisingly, Hartner had a gardener and kept a small greenhouse. He added a lily pond on the southwest lawn and a very large garden. In part because of Hartner's botanical and horticultural work, the Denver Botanic Gardens purchased the structure in 1958. It now houses a library, serves as the center for the extension service of Colorado State University, and acts as the center for the Colorado Federation of Garden Clubs. The architectural style of the house has received many names. Some call it Mediter- ranean, others Normandy, and still others Romantic Revival, but the architect himself, J. J. B. Benedict, called it Beaux Art, a combination of his own drawn from many classic forms. His work is generally known for its exquisite detailing, romantic flavor, and use of high-class materials such as travertine marble. A native of Chicago, Benedict received his education at the Boston School of Technology, the Chicago Art Institute, and the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris (from which he drew the name of his style). He began his career in New York, but soon came to Denver where he became prominent as the architect of homes for the elite. Among his works are the Sunken Gardens and Kerr Home at East 7th and High Streets, the Weckbaugh Home on East Cedar, the Woodbury Branch of the Denver Public Library, all in Denver; and the Littleton Town Hall. He also helped design an addition to the Richthofen Castle, now listed in the National Register. The Campbell House reflects many of the characteristic features of Benedict's style.
National Register of Historic Places - Richard Crawford Campbell House
Statement of Significant: The Campbell House is significant for several reasons. It is associated with Richard Crawford Campbell and Elmer G. Hartner, important businessmen in the area; it is associated with Jules Jacques Benoit Benedict, a major architect in Colorado; and it is distinguished for its fine architectural features which reflect the romantic mood of Benedict's style. Richard Crawford Campbell had a varied career. He was born in Wheeling, West Virginia; studied at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire; worked for a time in Alabama; and then came west to make his home in Denver. He married the only surviving daughter of Senator Thomas M. Patterson, served as business manager of the Rocky Mountain News (the state's oldest newspaper then owned by his father-in-law), and founded the Campbell Investment Company. He also became a prominent yachtsman who was chiefly responsible for bringing the Sir Thomas Lipton Cup to Grand Lake. Late in life Mr. and Mrs. Campbell had J. J. B. Benedict design this house. They moved in with great fanfare in 1927, but lived only a few more years. About 1930 the house was purchased from the Campbell Estate by Elmer G. Hartner, president of the Western Seed Company. He lived there for thirty years as he ran his business from his Denver offices. Not surprisingly, Hartner had a gardener and kept a small greenhouse. He added a lily pond on the southwest lawn and a very large garden. In part because of Hartner's botanical and horticultural work, the Denver Botanic Gardens purchased the structure in 1958. It now houses a library, serves as the center for the extension service of Colorado State University, and acts as the center for the Colorado Federation of Garden Clubs. The architectural style of the house has received many names. Some call it Mediter- ranean, others Normandy, and still others Romantic Revival, but the architect himself, J. J. B. Benedict, called it Beaux Art, a combination of his own drawn from many classic forms. His work is generally known for its exquisite detailing, romantic flavor, and use of high-class materials such as travertine marble. A native of Chicago, Benedict received his education at the Boston School of Technology, the Chicago Art Institute, and the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris (from which he drew the name of his style). He began his career in New York, but soon came to Denver where he became prominent as the architect of homes for the elite. Among his works are the Sunken Gardens and Kerr Home at East 7th and High Streets, the Weckbaugh Home on East Cedar, the Woodbury Branch of the Denver Public Library, all in Denver; and the Littleton Town Hall. He also helped design an addition to the Richthofen Castle, now listed in the National Register. The Campbell House reflects many of the characteristic features of Benedict's style.
Jul 03, 1979
Posted Date
Jul 26, 2023
Historical Record Date
Jul 03, 1979
Source Name
National Register of Historic Places
