Platt Park History

Platt Park was part of the area that was incorporated in 1886 as the Town of South Denver. The Town
was originally formed to restrict the creation of more saloons and roadhouses, which were seen as a
threat to the residential areas. The Town instituted numerous ordinances to cover every possible type of
nuisance and misdemeanor, including a liquor license that cost $2500, a huge sum in those days.
The first and only mayor of South Denver was James Fleming, an oil man from Pennsylvania who came
to Colorado to try his luck in mining and real estate. The home he built on his South Denver estate in
1882 is still standing at South Grant Street and Florida Avenue and is now a designated Denver landmark.
His estate covered the entire block and included an orchard known as Fleming’s Grove. In 1891 he sold
it all to the Town and his home was converted into the town hall, jail and library.
After the Town of South Denver was annexed to the City of Denver in 1894, the Fleming Mansion
continued to be used as a library until the Decker Branch library at 1501 South Logan Street was built in
1913. In 1957, the City began using the building as a recreation center for dances, pool and senior
center activities. Soon the demand for leisure time activities and classes outgrew the space available.
When federal Community Development Act funds became available in 1974, a new and larger facility,
now the Platt Park Senior Center, was built between the old town hall and the library. The old Fleming
mansion still stands.
The Platt Park neighborhood takes its name from the 4.4 acre park in the center of the community. The
park was named in honor of James H. Platt, founder of the Platt Paper Company and another early South
Denver leader. The neighborhood itself was named in the late 1860s as “Platte Park,”with an “e.” It is
unclear whether the neighborhood was supposed to be named after Colonel Platt, like the park was, and
the neighborhood name was misspelled, or whether the name for the neighborhood actually came from
the South Platte River (spelled with an “e”). The current practice is to follow the spelling used for the
park and the official name of the neighborhood is Platt Park.
A sizable Dutch community settled in the area and established the First Christian Reformed Church. The
3
Decker Library
INTRODUCTION
church was dedicated in 1908 and still stands at the corner of Colorado Avenue and Emerson Street.
Another significant institution nearby is the University of Denver, which began as the Colorado Seminary
in 1864. It closed three years later, then reopened in 1880 under the new name of the University of
Denver. DU moved to its current site in 1890 where it was joined by the Iliff School of Theology. The
collaboration between the institutions continues today. DU is considered a neighborhood amenity by
Platt Park, although the campus is not within the Platt Park boundaries.
◗ Old South Pearl
South Pearl Street between Mississippi and Evans Avenues provides a pleasant shopping atmosphere
complete with quaint neighborhood homes, sprawling mature trees and renovated retail and office space.
Beginning at the 1300 block of South Pearl, a six-to-eight block stretch of small, independent retail shops
and an eclectic mix of restaurants attract residents from all of Denver. The homes along Pearl Street are
mainly a mix of 1930s and 1940s bungalow design and turn-of-the-century Victorian style architecture.
Although the streetcar system that originally led to the creation of the district has long vanished, this
destination area is still served by bus transit and pedestrian links to the surrounding residential areas. The
Old South Pearl Merchants’Association sponsors a farmers market on Sundays from mid-June to midOctober on the 1500 block of South Pearl.
◗ Antique Row
A major grouping of antique shops, sometimes called “Antique Row,” in the 1300-1600 blocks of South
Broadway is known throughout the region. Many of the stores are cooperatives and approximately 400
dealers share space in a few dozen buildings along South Broadway. Many of the antique store owners
have renovated their shops and the area is more attractive as a result. Some business owners are unable
or unwilling to invest in renovation of their structures, so renovated shops are mixed in with some
unattractive stores, used car lots, parking lots and other mixed uses.