We moved into Park Hill mainly because we wanted our daughter to attend Park Hill Elementary school. And even though we have “choice” in Denver, there was a waiting list to get in! I believe that because the school is so COOL! (OK, maybe the quality of education, test results, teacher satisfaction, blah , blah, blah, have something to do with it)…But I’m going with the fact that the building is COOL! And historic!
The original building (and it’s a beaut!) was built in 1901. It served 86 kids, 3 teachers and a part time principal. It had outdoor toilets, and a hitching post for horses!
In 1912 an addition was built as part of an experiment in a newly conceived health practice. The newly installed, large south facing windows were kept open year round to encourage a healthy environment for students with “tuberculosis, anemia, and other debilities”.
During the 1920’s Park Hill’s population exploded and the school was revamped and expanded. The outside of the building was made more ornate in keeping with the Spanish Colonial Design that was popular at that time. The entire outside was stuccoed a light pink!
But the building itself is Beaux Arts, which is defined by symmetry, proportion and strategic placement of decoration to achieve a sense of order.
Strangely enough NONE of the rooms inside are symmetrical. Not one is the same size or shape.
In 1969, to keep the building racially integrated, Park Hill added an East and West wing to accommodate over 1000 students! This made it the largest school in DPS! And the west wing housed the first permanent air conditioned classrooms in DPS!
Dr. Tonda Potts and the staff at Park Hill are happy to arrange tours of this beautiful historic building. Contact the office at 720-424-4910.
Oh AND the academics, leadership, scholastic achievement, and teachers, under the direction of Dr. Tonda Potts, make Park Hill a leader in DPS to this day. If you’re looking for a beautiful building, high scholastic achievement, an extremely diverse and committed population, great neighborhood, and parental involvement that is beyond compare, check out Park Hill Elementary at 5050 E. 19th (19th and Elm) in Denver! You won’t be disappointed!