Two separate bids to designate the homes of some of Denver’s most prominent Black leaders are advancing through the landmark designation process — a move that would ensure their memory was protected in the city’s quickly changing neighborhoods.
Former Denver mayor Wellington Webb and his wife, former state representative Wilma Webb, are seeking historic status for the Whittier foursquare home they purchased in 1971.
Another home, at 3535 E. 26th Ave. Pkwy., across from the City Park Golf Course, is also up for preservation. It was built for Denver’s first known Black landscape architect Frank Harris and his wife Nora and later was the home of real estate developer Charles Cousins and his wife Dorothy.
The Webb House
Historic Denver, Inc., History Colorado and the Webbs have filed for landmark preservation status.
The argument: the Webb House at 2329 Gaylord St. is an architecturally significant example of a Foursquare residence with Classical Revival detailing, emblematic of early twentieth-century architecture in the neighborhood.
More notably, it’s the longtime home of Wellington and Wilma Webb, “two individuals whose leadership significantly influenced the civic, political, and cultural development of Denver, the State of Colorado, and African American history in Colorado,” states the application.
Wellington Webb was a giant in Colorado and Denver politics, one of the most significant mayors in the city’s history. He’s credited with delivering Denver International Airport, ensuring the Denver Nuggets had a permanent home at Ball Arena, rescuing the city from the oil and gas bust of the 1980s, and turning Denver into a welcoming place for new immigrants. He was also instrumental in recent years with the conversion of the Park Hill Golf Course into a park.
Wilma Webb, who served multiple terms in the state House of Representatives, was a powerhouse behind the creation of the annual Marade, one of the largest Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations in the country. She also founded the Denver Art, Culture and Film Foundation in 1994.
The Webbs’ purchase of the home also signaled a historic shift away from segregation toward African American homeownership in Northeast Denver, according to the application.
“As the place where key decisions were made during the formative and most influential years of their careers, the property retains a direct and meaningful association with the lives and public service of Wellington E. and Wilma J. Webb,” the application stated.
The Harris-Cousins House
Renee Cousins-King, who owns the house at 3535 E. 26th Ave. Pkwy, and Tatanka Historical Associates, Inc., filed the application for landmark status.
The application argues the home is significant because it was owned by Nora and Frank Harris and Dorothy and Charles Cousins, all major players in the city’s Black community.
Frank Harris was a prominent landscape architect. Nora served as the claims department manager at the American Woodmen Association and sat on the Denver NAACP board of directors.
Meanwhile, Charles Cousins was a significant real estate developer and owner of multiple Five Points businesses, including the 715 Club and the Cue and Cushion Billiard Parlor. Both Dorothy and Charles were involved in the Owl Club of Denver, Manual High School, Cole Junior High School, the American Red Cross, Friends of the Denver Public Library, and the Church of the Holy Redeemer.
“While Charles was often more visible in the business world, Dorothy was his partner in
many of those endeavors and according to their daughter Renee, ‘much of the success he attained in business would not have been possible without Dorothy’s conscientious assistance,’” the application states.
The building is also an example of the post-World War II ranch homes built by prominent architect William J. Boorman.
What happens next?
The Webb House will be discussed in the city council Community Planning and Housing Committee next week and by the full city council on June 22.
The Harris-Cousins House has made its way through committee and will be discussed by the full city council on June 1.
Neither is expected to be opposed.
