The Buchtel Bungalow sits on a tree-lined street at 2011 South Columbine Street east of the DU campus near Observatory Park. The modest structure was designed and built by F. T. Adams as a Craftsman-style bungalow in 1906-1907 for Henry Augustus Buchtel.  It served as the Governor’s mansion from 1907-1909 while Buchtel served as governor of Colorado and also while Buchtel presided over the University of Denver from 1899-1920. Currently owned by DU, the house received a major facelift in 2011 but was at the center of a Denver City Council vote on a newly configured historical district.

A recently approved proposal by the Denver City Council created a non-contiguous historical district – not bound by any one start or end point. It includes several properties separated by many blocks east of the campus, including University Park and the Chamberlin Observatory. The new ruling requires the exterior of designated buildings within the district be maintained in perpetuity, preserving the historic development of the neighborhood. While DU supported the Chamberlin Observatory’s inclusion in the proposed district, the University opposed the inclusion of the Buchtel Bungalow. All in all, 19 properties are included in the district.

In a letter to the Council, the University of Denver stated, “Please understand that the University supports the creation of the non-contiguous district. One of the university’s properties, the Chamberlin Observatory is included for landmark designation,” it reads. “The University, however, believes it to be in its best interest to exclude (Buchtel Bungalow) from landmark designation at this time.”

Former Chancellor Henry Augustus Buchtel took the reins at DU (1899-1920) with a break to hold the Governorship of Colorado. He assumed the Chancellorship of a struggling institution, $175,000 in debt, with the University teetering on the brink of insolvency. Under his guidance, DU built five new buildings for $1,750,000 and he generated additional funds to make the University solvent again. His passion for education and community engagement guided his efforts to save DU  and enrich the school’s coffers but, ironically, he died a poor man in debt according to news reports of the day.

While DU lost its fight to exclude the home from the new historical district, it’s still wonderful that it will be preserved as a living monument to a former Colorado governor and a key figure in saving and growing the University of Denver.