An older layer of housing
Montclair lies just south of Park Hill, across East Colfax Avenue. It started as a separate town in the late nineteenth century and was later annexed by Denver, so parts of it carry a layer of housing older than much of Park Hill: Victorian-era houses and early twentieth-century homes, mixed with later bungalows, mid-century houses and apartment buildings.
The oldest houses here may have features rarely seen in newer neighborhoods: tall ceilings, layers of wallpaper over plaster, original pocket doors, multiple chimneys and additions built in different eras. Some larger older homes have been divided into apartments over time, which adds shared walls, shared attics and more than one household to a single fire.
Montclair is also known for a few landmark properties. Whether a particular house is designated, or within a district, should be confirmed with Denver Landmark Preservation before exterior repairs.
Building types and their fire recovery wrinkles
- Building type
- Victorian-era house
- What tends to complicate recovery
- Many additions, multiple chimneys, wallpaper layers over plaster
- What to check
- Smoke in connections between additions; asbestos and lead before demolition
- Building type
- Early 1900s single-family
- What tends to complicate recovery
- Plaster and lath, balloon framing in frame sections
- What to check
- Wall cavities and attic for smoke migration
- Building type
- House converted to apartments
- What tends to complicate recovery
- Shared attics and walls, multiple tenants, later partitions
- What to check
- Smoke spread between units; separate insurance for each household
- Building type
- Mid-century apartment building
- What tends to complicate recovery
- Shared corridors and building systems
- What to check
- Building manager's plan; common area cleaning
- Building type
- Newer infill
- What tends to complicate recovery
- Modern materials next to much older neighbors
- What to check
- Exposure damage to or from adjacent older houses
Who to talk to first
- IfYou own a single-family houseStart with your insurer, then a contractor familiar with very old homes. Confirm designation status before exterior work.
- IfYou rent an apartment in a converted houseNotify the landlord in writing and contact your renters insurer. Ask how other units are affected.
- IfYou own a building with tenantsCoordinate with each tenant, your building policy and any lender. Arrange testing before demolition in shared areas.
- IfExterior features were damagedCheck designation status with Denver Landmark Preservation.
Common questions
How do I find out when my Montclair house was built?
Denver's online property records list a construction year, though it can be approximate for very old houses. Old building permits, the abstract of title and neighborhood histories at the Denver Public Library can help narrow it down.
Are pocket doors worth saving after smoke?
Usually. They are often solid wood with original hardware, and the pocket itself may hold soot that needs cleaning so the smell does not return.
General information for Park Hill, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.