Because Denver's history has taken so many twists and turns--including a gold rush, a silver rush, epic storms, and a big, big fire--Denver's rich tapestry trickles down to its architecture. Most homes utilized a brick construction because the threat of fire was still a very real concern even forty years after the Great Denver Fire of 1863. However, a relatively small inventory of brand new custom homes have been built in the older neighborhoods of Denver; the original home on the lot is remodeled or completely rebuilt from the ground-up.

Among the streets and alleys of Denver's fine homes are many an architectural style. All in one city, you'll find examples of all these:

• Art Deco--Found in the Bonnie Brae and Hilltop neighborhoods, and at the Cruise Room at The Oxford Hotel.
• Beaux-Arts--The Richard C. Campbell Mansion at 909 York Street and The Weckbaugh Mansion on 450 East 9th Avenue, along with some of the homes in the Country Club neighborhood.
• Bungalow--Found in the Washington Park, Congress Park, Park Hill and the West Highlands neighborhoods.
• Colonial Revival--Found at The Thomson Henry Residence at1070 Humboldt, The Tears McFarland House at1200 Williams Street, The Governor's Mansion, the Phipps Mansion, and more.
• Dutch Colonial Revival--Found at the Pearce-McAllister House at1880 Gaylord Street, and in the Cheesman Park neighborhood.
• Denver Square--Found practically everywhere, but particularly in Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, City Park and West Highlands.
• Spanish Colonial Revival--Washington Park, Polo Club, and Capitol Hill neighborhoods.
• Queen Anne--Found throughout the Curtis Park neighborhood, and at The Molly Brown House at 1340 Pennsylvania.

Other styles found in Denver include:

• International
• Italian Renaissance Revival
• Mission Revival
• Neoclassical
• Prairie Style
• Pueblo
• Tudor and English Revival
• Victorian

The good news is that it's not too late to find your own unique piece of Denver history in one of these Denver neighborhoods. Or in any of these other popular Denver metro areas:

• Washington Park - the community park is filled with fit, young professionals and families of all kinds.
• Park Hill - up and coming neighborhood with a lot of redevelopment activity.
• Cherry Creek - Cherry Creek Mall and world class restaurants are a short walk or bike ride away.
• Stapleton - new construction with a new urbanism theme. Denver proper's newest neighborhood.
• Highlands - less expensive than Wash Park and a great place for the urban professional looking for a single family home.
• Lowry - redeveloped earlier than Stapleton and a bit closer to downtown.
• Bonnie Brae - like to walk to latte AND ice cream? This is your neighborhood.
• Hilltop - hub of building activity, scrape offs, and new custom mansions.
• Crestmoor- right next door to Hilltop in East Denver, this is the hot neighborhood for stately custom homes.
• Country Club - architecturally significant homes on wide tree-lined streets in a central location.
• LoDo- Nightlife out your door, hip urban loft living.
• Capitol Hill - neighborhood of single family homes closest to Downtown Denver and in the center of Denver's live music scene.
• Polo Club - Typical prices 2 - 4 million....enough said.

Happy hunting, and don't forget to stop and smell the many varieties of Denver roses. (But that's another article.)

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These Stapleton homes are also available in three distinct exterior styles: Katonah, Skylands and Lily Pond. Katonah is a fresh approach to traditional Colonial style, highlighting Stewart's favorite Colonial details like front pillars, decorative molding and unique window shapes. Skylands, which is named after Martha Stewart's 1925 stone home on the coast of Maine, offers modern convenience with the rustic charm and natural beauty of stone facades and rich fireplaces. Lily Pond, with the endearing shingle-style and colorful trim options, summons images of Martha's beach cottage on the eastern shore of Long Island.

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