Congress Park

Congress Park

A Neighborhood History

Following the Pike's Peak gold rush, young Denver bustled with nearly 5,000 people in 1859. City founders sited Mt. Prospect Cemetery on a prominent hill, two miles west of the city center. Today, that area encompasses Cheesman Park, the Morgan Addition, Denver Botanic Gardens, the Denver Water Board Reservoirs, and Congress Park.

During the 20 years after the coming of the railroad in 1870, the city's population boomed to 107,000. Throughout the 1880s, Denver's polluted air drove wealthy residents to the outskirts of Denver, such as Capitol Hill, for cleaner air and reclaimed mountain views. With the expansion of public transit in the late 1880s and early 1890s, the eastern reaches of Capitol Hill became more accessible to the middle class. Between 1887 and 1888, our neighborhood was completely platted into more than 10 subdivisions of various sizes. On March 11, 1889, the area was incorporated into Denver as part of a larger annexation by the city.

The area was generally referred to as Capitol Heights because of its proximity to Capitol Hill's high point, "Cemetery Hill" (currently the Water Board reserviors and Denver's Communications Center north of Congress Park). Capitol Heights Presbyterian Church and Capitol Heights Pharmacy commemorate this old reference. The name "Congress Park Neighborhood" was introduced by the Denver Planning Office in the 1970s for planning purposes.

Between 1890 and 1908, Denver's population doubled to 213,000. Congress Park Neighborhood's primary development between 1890 and 1924 was stimulated when the City constructed water reservoirs, converted the unkempt cemetery to a neighborhood park, and paved the area's streets.

Many of the neighborhood's historic structures were built during this period, e.g., George W. Clayton School in 1900 (later Stevens School and now Stevens Condominiums), Fire Station #15 in 1903 (now a private residence and Denver historic landmark), and Capitol Heights Presbyterian Church in 1911. Teller Elementary was built in 1920 to relieve overflowing Stevens School.

From 1903, and 20 years after, the park site housed the City Nursery, and during WWI and the 1920s it boasted the largest victory garden in Denver. In 1927, the Young American League organized ball games for youth on that site. The Federal WPA improved the field areas, built the terraced stone walls and planted trees in the 1930s. In 1949, after residents demanded the area be landscaped, the neighborhood's new park was officially renamed Congress Park. The pool was built in 1955 when Denver's population had grown to over 415,000, after years of considerable neighborhood controversy.

Congress Park nieghborhood's commercial centers evolved in response to neighborhood growth and the development of transporation systems. Horse-drawn streetcars carried downtown commuters along both Colfax and 12th Avenue in the 1900s. Around streetcar stops, small commercial centers flourished, still present at 12 & Clayton/Elizabeth and 12th and Madison. As technology advanced, horse-drawn cars were replaced by electric trolleys (1920s-30s), electric buses (1940s), and diesel buses (since 1956). Also, by the late 1930s, automobiles became more affordable and popular. Detached garages were constructed along the alleys of existing homes, and garages were included in building plans for new homes beginning in the 1920s.

Congress Park neighborhood began as a streetcar suburb. A classic model for new urbanism, it remains a stable residential community for those attracted to city life, parks, neighborhood shopping and quiet, tree-lined streets.

About our association

Congress Park Neighborhood Association

Congress Park Neighbors has about 300 members, including households and businesses located within our boundaries. The Congress Park Neighbors Board of Directors is made up of 12 to 15 volunteers who meet the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm at National Jewish Hospital. Meetings are open to anyone, as is participation in our committees, which include Crime Action, Outreach, Zoning and Newsletter.

The neighborhood newsletter is published quarterly and distributed to all homes and apartments within the neighborhood. In each issue you will find crime statistics and tips, stories about the people and blocks which make up our neighborhood, information on the Neighborhood Barter Program, where you can trade your skills with others, news about what's going on in Congress Park, and even historical perspectives of the neighborhood.

Congress Park Neighbors has a Neighborhood Plan which details our neighborhood values and goals for the future. CPN sposnors an Ice Cream Social each August at Congress Park and supports community events like City Park Jazz. Our Grants Committee accepts grant applicaitons for any project benefitting our neighborhood in amounts up to $2000.

The Crime Action Committee is very active and works in cooperation with the Ditrict 3 police. This committee has set up several programs, including a system of neighbor notificaiton to alert you to the occurrence of crimes on your block and an effort aimed at educating landlords about how to find and keep responsible tenants.

The strength of Congress Park Neighbors is in its people, and the commitment we have made to maintain the diversity and safety of our neighborhood through cooperative efforts with our educators, police department, businesses and government.

Congress Park Neighborhood Association