A History of The Country Club Gates

Easily the most noticeable landmarks in our neighborhood, and arguably throughout the city, the gates on 4th Ave many of us drive through every day add to the charm and history of our historic neighborhood.

The Fourth Avenue Realty Company hired well-known Denver architect William Ellsworth Fisher to plat the Country Club Place into three wide streets. Each street was to have a parkway down the center, and each would have a distinctive entrance gate along 4th Avenue. The most elaborate gate was built on Franklin Street, which was the entryway to the Denver Country Club until 1957 when it moved to Gilpin Street.

The Franklin Street gate spans the entire street. A 10 by 24 foot wooden platform with sloping, tiled roof with exposed rafters covers the entrance. Supporting this are two large, square, paneled stone columns that connect on either side to Mission-style arches over each of the sidewalks. The gates at Gilpin and High Streets do not cover the whole street but stand as pillars on each side, connecting with the sidewalk
arches. There was originally a four-foot wall along 4th Avenue connecting these gates but it’s been broken up over the years by homeowners.

The gates are a classic example of Spanish architecture with the stucco base and red tile tops. While Fisher designed many buildings in a variety of architectural styles through Denver, many speculate he chose this style because he believed it encouraged a community spirit. Perhaps it is also because Denver and Madrid lie on almost the same longitudinal line, a mere 5,000 miles apart.

You may have noticed that our historic gates are in need of repair. The repairs of these gates are a priority for the CCHN board. We will provide more information on the restoration process in coming months, as well as opportunities to help fund this cause.