Thomas-Hazell House
In April 2013 the Denver Community Planning and Development Department issued a Certificate of Nonhistoric Status for the Joseph Adolphus Thomas-Hazell property, concluding it did not meet the significance criteria qualifying it as a Denver Landmark. Front Range principals Tom and Laurie Simmons believed the property met all three criteria for Landmark designation and joined in a letter to Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, predicting the decision "will lead to the destruction of one of the most important African American landmarks in Denver" and noting that "few buildings that recognize the important contributions of the African American community are designated as Denver landmarks." As Professor George Junne commented in a 6 April Denver Post article, “It would be nice if they could preserve the house, along with items about the community and its life, making it a monument to a very important man who was a minister, a rancher, and an investor.”
The house was subsequently demolished and the property re-developed. The property could have served as an ideal living history museum within the city, teaching our children about the important contributions of African-American pioneers and early agriculturalists. Tom and Laurie informally documented the property with photographs (below) and created this posting discussing the property's significance.
Historical Significance
The Thomas-Hazell property is significant for its substantial association with Joseph Adolphus Thomas-Hazell, an African American minister and farming pioneer who purchased the homestead in 1909 and owned it until his death. Thomas-Hazell was a homesteader in the historic black agricultural colony of Dearfield, in Weld County, a group attempt at dryland farming following the teachings of Booker T. Washington. The fragile nature of the buildings at Dearfield has left only decaying remnants of that important colony effort. As the Denver Post article cited above indicated, “The community was part of the black colonization movement started by African Americans after the Civil war to promote self-sufficiency.” There Mr. Thomas-Hazell started the first church, owned the community grocery store and boarding house, and operated a ranch. As noted in the article, he was “a pioneer of the most famous black agricultural community in the United States.” Mr. Thomas-Hazell also served as the pastor of the People’s Presbyterian Church in Denver from 1909 to 1922 and 1943 to 1949. The house in Denver is the most enduring link to Adolphus Thomas-Hazell, who purchased it before his efforts at Dearfield and is certainly one of the most important pioneers of the black community in Colorado.
Architectural Significance
The Thomas-Hazell House embodies the distinguishing characteristics of late nineteenth and early twentieth century farmhouses in the Denver area in its brick construction and simple design with a gabled roof and arched windows. Many farmhouses of the era were vernacular in design, reflecting no formally-recognized architectural style. Rather, they were simple, functional buildings such as this. History Colorado and the National Park Service both recognize buildings of vernacular design as potentially significant for their architecture. It is important that the City of Denver recognize buildings representative of the lives of minority members of the community and those of working-class citizens, which may be of modest construction. The Hazell-Thomas House displays a substantial level of historic physical integrity with few alterations, as required by the revised Denver Landmark Ordinance.
Geographical Significance
The Thomas-Hazell property is an exceptional resource within the Cory-Merrill neighborhood as a rare surviving example of the historic small farms once prevalent in the area. Here, Mr. Thomas-Hazell had a small orchard and raised cows. As Rachel Parris of Colorado Preservation commented: “The fact that the home and tiny farm survived so long amid high rises and strip malls is extraordinary.” The property helps us understand and appreciate the efforts of our ancestors in the city to make a living and establish communities.
The house was subsequently demolished and the property re-developed. The property could have served as an ideal living history museum within the city, teaching our children about the important contributions of African-American pioneers and early agriculturalists. Tom and Laurie informally documented the property with photographs (below) and created this posting discussing the property's significance.
Historical Significance
The Thomas-Hazell property is significant for its substantial association with Joseph Adolphus Thomas-Hazell, an African American minister and farming pioneer who purchased the homestead in 1909 and owned it until his death. Thomas-Hazell was a homesteader in the historic black agricultural colony of Dearfield, in Weld County, a group attempt at dryland farming following the teachings of Booker T. Washington. The fragile nature of the buildings at Dearfield has left only decaying remnants of that important colony effort. As the Denver Post article cited above indicated, “The community was part of the black colonization movement started by African Americans after the Civil war to promote self-sufficiency.” There Mr. Thomas-Hazell started the first church, owned the community grocery store and boarding house, and operated a ranch. As noted in the article, he was “a pioneer of the most famous black agricultural community in the United States.” Mr. Thomas-Hazell also served as the pastor of the People’s Presbyterian Church in Denver from 1909 to 1922 and 1943 to 1949. The house in Denver is the most enduring link to Adolphus Thomas-Hazell, who purchased it before his efforts at Dearfield and is certainly one of the most important pioneers of the black community in Colorado.
Architectural Significance
The Thomas-Hazell House embodies the distinguishing characteristics of late nineteenth and early twentieth century farmhouses in the Denver area in its brick construction and simple design with a gabled roof and arched windows. Many farmhouses of the era were vernacular in design, reflecting no formally-recognized architectural style. Rather, they were simple, functional buildings such as this. History Colorado and the National Park Service both recognize buildings of vernacular design as potentially significant for their architecture. It is important that the City of Denver recognize buildings representative of the lives of minority members of the community and those of working-class citizens, which may be of modest construction. The Hazell-Thomas House displays a substantial level of historic physical integrity with few alterations, as required by the revised Denver Landmark Ordinance.
Geographical Significance
The Thomas-Hazell property is an exceptional resource within the Cory-Merrill neighborhood as a rare surviving example of the historic small farms once prevalent in the area. Here, Mr. Thomas-Hazell had a small orchard and raised cows. As Rachel Parris of Colorado Preservation commented: “The fact that the home and tiny farm survived so long amid high rises and strip malls is extraordinary.” The property helps us understand and appreciate the efforts of our ancestors in the city to make a living and establish communities.
