Project Update: Harry C. James Residence

By Colorado Preservation, Inc. | Published: December 22, 2020

The James Residence (Dana Crawford House) Now Listed on National Register of Historic Places

The Harry C. James Residence received its official listing on National Register of Historic Places on Dec. 15. Colorado Preservation, Inc. and Historic Denver partnered to nominate the James Residence located at 685 N Emerson Street in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, aka Dana Crawford’s family home, to the National Register. Grants from the State Historical Fund and National Trust for Historic Preservation support this project. Deon Wolfenbarger of Three Gables Preservation led the task and successfully drafted the nomination.

The James Residence was built in 1900 during the beginning of Denver’s City Beautiful movement and is exceptional for its representation of the late 19th and 20th century Revival/Italian Renaissance residential style architecture. The James Residence was first home to Harry C. James, an early Colorado banker and smelter magnate, who commissioned the home’s construction but was later sold to Dr. John H. Tilden in 1933. The home cycled through other prominent Denver owners, the most notable being Dana Crawford. Dana, with her husband, John W.R. Crawford III, as life and business partners along with their four sons, lived in the home starting in 1967. The house was a family home for them until John’s death in 1985 and has stayed in the family since.

Crawford is nationally recognized because of her successes and ethos related to the development and preservation of Denver’s historic downtown core, including saving Larimer Square, Denver’s first historic district. Dana is also the namesake of Colorado Preservation, Inc.’s annual Dana Crawford Awards. We are honored to have that affiliation with her and to aid in the special recognition of her long-time family home here in Denver. Due much to Dana’s long-term care, the home retains a high degree of historical integrity both on the interior and the exterior. Congratulations, Dana!

For more information on this and other Colorado Preservation, Inc managed projects, contact Jane Daniels, project manager, and preservation services director at Colorado Preservation, Inc.

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