History

The design for the esplanade was unique in Denver. Simple elements of design were blended into a remarkably sophisticated composition: terraces which serve as formal platforms for the picturesque landscape, formal north-south double row or allee of Cockspur Hawthorne, an informal open meadow aligned itself with the allee, bold evergreens buffer the traffic at the north and south perimeters; and the refined use of limited numbers of plant species.

F.L. Olmstead, Jr. was engaged to do design work for the district in which the esplanade was located, but there is no documentation to verify that he had a hand in the design of the esplanade. Further, the style and the selection and use of plant material suggests strongly that the esplanade was the work of DeBoer, who was the City's Landscape Architect when the first plantings were completed. If this was the case, then the work of two of Denver's masters can be seen in close juxtaposition and complementary harmony--DeBoer's work in the design of the Cheesman Park Esplanade and Scheutze's work in the design of Cheesman Park.

Historic Evolution

Two linear plantings of Colorado Blue Spruce and Douglas Fir mark the north perimeter of the esplanade. An opening occurs where the terrace rises from the hawthorne allee. The opening once framed a splendid view of the pavilion in Cheesman Park. A similar, almost mirror image of this composition is repeated at the south perimeter of the esplanade. Today, spruce, which may have been intended as smaller accent trees, have outgrown the elms and block views up and down the parkway.

The north and south terraces acted as anchors to the hawthorne allee. Although replacement members of the hawthorne allee have not been correctly aligned, the result is still a grand axis to Cheesman Park with the Cheesman pavilion serving as a focal point. Views into the park are totally screened by large street trees and various spruce and pine plantings. Rows of elm define the High Street and Williams Street perimeters, with a second row of more recent plantings along High Street.

Masses of shrubs were planted including forsythia and viburnum, parallel to East 7th Avenue Parkway and just north of the south terrace. These groups help define the open mid-block meadow. Many of the original shrubs have outgrown their bounds. Human scaled elements have been lost within the parkway, as shrubs have grown into small trees.