History

The two block long City Park Esplanade was designed in 1905-1906, first planted in 1907, and fully embellished by 1918. The 1917 Sullivan Memorial Gateway (a gift to the city from John Clarke Mitchell) provides a point of beginning for the City Park Esplanade. This composition reflects familiar classical techniques used for the creation of inviting entryways for palaces and gardens. Two roadways entering from East Colfax Avenues curve inward to the main north-south axis of the esplanade, creating a half circle island. In the center of the island, the Dolphin Fountain sits in a basin in the form of a scallop shell. The fountain, with its shell motif and dolphin volutes, is reminiscent of the Neptune Fountain similarly located in the center of the south exedra at Villa Maser.

Edward Herbert Bennett (the Chicago architect who designed the classical Grant Park in Chicago and who contributed to the design of Denver's Civic Center) designed the gateway features. The gateway consists of two free standing piers, one on either side of the motor way. Each pier consists of three freestanding Doric columns and a fourth square pillar. Large figures sculpted in New York by Leo Lentelli are mounted on the entablature of the piers. The figures on the east side are of two miners; and on the west side the figures are of two pioneer women. These tall piers are flanked with pedestrian entryways, the larger of which are arched with wrought iron and low capped walls (backed by a linear planting of spruce) which follow the curve of the roadways and then turn to face East Colfax Avenue for several meters. A lion head sculpture is mounted on each wall facing East Colfax Avenue. Water pours from the mouth of the lion into a series of basins at the foot of the wall.

Historical Evolution

Over the years, City Park Esplanade has seen many changes, and felt the impact of growth on its bounds. The gateway, which defines the entrance from Colfax, has deteriorated greatly. The tree lawn has been violated by construction of and additions to East Denver High School. The median no longer reflects the original intent of the designers.

The gateway, once an entry of unequaled style and majesty, has been pounded by the effects of time. Overgrown vegetation hides the walls facing Colfax. The wrought iron once defining the piers has disappeared. The sculptures on top of the piers have lost their definition and show their age. The fountain is currently being restored. The plan includes the widening of the Colfax sidewalk and the addition of street trees, tree lawn and site furniture.

Missing from the tree lawns on either side of the parkway are seventy street lamps. The lamps, about 12' in height, glowed in the night, making the parkway safe and inviting at all times of the day. A layering of plant material rises from the street edge. Tightly spaced Downy Hawthorne occur at a 3:1 ratio inside what has become a hodge podge of canopy trees. American Elms, which once provided an overhead canopy for a sidewalk, have since been replaced with Silver Linden, American Linden, Swamp White Oaks, and Common Hackberry.

A hidden cross axis was created with the 1924 completion of East Denver High School. A drop off circle creates a strong axial focal point to the school along 16th Avenue, however, the absence of trees and a sidewalk relocation affected the linear progression of the parkway. Some sidewalks have been eliminated from the original layout, including a unique walkway within the median flanked by shrubs and historic pedestrian lamps.

The median has lost much of its original character. Sidewalks once connected the space lengthwise, a feature unique in Denver's parkways. Symmetrical plantings of shrubs were located adjacent to the walk, in between ornamental pedestrian lighting. Currently, views along the esplanade are kept unobstructed, long and focused. No tree or shrub planting has occurred within the median, focusing one's attention on the fountains at both ends. Further deterioration within the median occurs where trash receptacles and bicycle racks have been set.