Golden Hill Cemetery
Satellite photos and Google street view courtesy Google Earth.
Some text courtesy jeffco.us/placenames.
Edited by David Barth 1 April 2014. Surface photos by David Barth.
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
This telephoto picture from the cemetery shows downtown Denver in the distance and an American flag.
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
| Golden Hill Cemetery. |
 |
Golden Hill Cemetery.
Satellite photo courtesy Google Earth. |
The Golden Hill Cemetery for Jewish persons is at the right of the building with the white roof. The gate is at the upper left
(northwest) corner of the cemetery on Colfax Avenue.
The main cemetery is below (south) of the diagonal road that runs from the lower left to the upper right and connects to Colfax
Avenue. It is well-manicured compared to the Jewish section to the north of the diagonal road.
 |
Golden Hill Cemetery.
Satellite photo courtesy Google Earth. |
 |
Golden Hill Cemetery.
Satellite photo courtesy Google Earth. |
This satellite photo shows the gate at the northwest corner of the Golden Hill Cemetery on Colfax Avenue.
 |
Golden Hill Cemetery.
Street View photo courtesy Google Earth. |
This Google Earth street view shows the gate opened.
The Hill Section of Golden Hill Cemetery is at 12433 W. Colfax Avenue, on a hill that slopes southward from west Colfax
Avenue.
The West Side Benevolent Society (WSBS) purchased the Golden Hill Cemetery in 1908. It served as a burial ground for the many Jewish
tuberculosis patients who came to Colorado for a cure. Most were patients from the Jewish Consumptive Relief Society (JCRS) which was
located on the northeast corner of Colfax and Pierce Streets. According to Jewish law, men and women were buried separately.
The Hill section was set aside for indigents whose families were unable to afford proper burials. The entrance to the Hill section is
marked by a gate at the northwest corner of the cemetery that was donated by Mr. and Mrs. J. Azine on August 6, 1911.
There were approximately 700 graves identified by metal markers with the names of the deceased written on cards that were inserted into
the markers. Some of the metal markers still exist, but the cards are long gone.
Over the years, the Hill section was neglected and fell into disrepair compared to the rest of the cemetery, which was well manicured
and south of the hill, across the road in a flat area. Recently, there have been efforts to improve the section’s appearance.
The Hill Section has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It represents the efforts of the Jewish community to
provide a dignified burial site for its poorer members.
Many of the head stones have rocks on top of them. The Messorah (Tradition) says that when Yaakov (Jacob) buried Rachel, each of his
sons took a stone and placed it on her grave. Yaakov then took a large stone and placed it on top of all the other stones. Thus was
formed the first monument on her grave. This is one of the reasons for the custom of placing a stone upon a grave after visiting
it.
Courtesy jeffco.us/placenames:
"In the mid-nineteenth century, independent Jewish mutual aid societies began to found cemeteries and provide funeral arrangements for
their members. The West Side Benevolent Society was formed in 1906 to meet this need. In 1908, the WSBS purchased a rural parcel of
land on West Colfax Ave. which opened as Golden Hill Cemetery. Bisected by the former road to Golden, the two sections of the cemetery
were very different in character and use. The lower, southern section of the cemetery is the larger of the two, and is well landscaped,
well maintained and still in use. The upper, northern section in steep, rocky and neglected. Essentially the northern section
(containing 746 grave sites) was reserved for the indigent buried at community expense, for suicides (restricted from the other
graves by Jewish custom) and the numerous tuberculosis patients from Jewish Consumptive Relief Society. The victims of tuberculosis
were also restricted due to the belief that persons visiting the cemetery could contract the disease through the deceased. Many
graves are unidentified and still others have not been maintained over the decades. The Hill Section of the cemetery was added to the
National Register of Historic Places in 1995 (5JF975)."
| LAKEWOOD HISTORICAL SOCIETY SITES |
|---|
NUMBER
KEY | IDENTIFICATION | ADDRESS | YEAR
BUILT | REGISTRY |
|---|
| 1 | Cason Howell House | 1575 Kipling Street | 1874 | State Registry |
| 2 | Washington Heights School | 6375 West First Street | 1889 | State Registry |
| 3 | Stone House | 2900 South Estes Street | 1886 | National Registry |
| 4 | Peterson House | 801 South Yarrow | 1880 | National Registry |
| 5 | Davies Chuck Wagon Diner | 9495 West Colfax Avenue | 1957 | National Registry |
| 6 | Schupp House | 1275 Ames Street | 1908 | |
| 7 | Ward House | 2261 Estes Street | 1928 | |
| 8 | WWII Memorial Monument | 7655 West 10th Street | 1947 | |
| 9 | Golden Hill Cemetery - Hill | 12000 West Colfax Avenue | 1908 | National Registry |
| 10 | Mercy Grove House | 1980 Garland Street | 1935 | |
| 11 | Cline House | 7020 West 13th Street | 1939 | |
| 12 | Rose Cottage | 1800 Dover Street | 1918 | |
| 13 | Panoramic Park | 12655 West Colfax Avenue | 1961 | |
| 14 | Addenbrooke Fireplace | 9100 West Center Avenue | 1953 | |
| 15 | Isaac Solomon Synagogue | 1600 Pierce Street | 1904 | |
| 16 | Schnell Farm | 3113 South Wadsworth Boulevard | 1888 | National Registry |
| 17 | O'Kane House | 6795 West First Street | 1897 | |
| 18 | Kellogg House | 2080 Klein Street | 1888 | |
| 19 | Everett Farm | 300 South Garrison Street | 1922 | |
| 20 | Denver & Intermountain Car 25 | 500 Kipling Street (Federal Center) | 1911 | State Registry |
| 21 | Mile High Church | 9079 West Alameda Avenue | 1973 | |
| 22 | Heavenly Paradise House | 975 Reed Street | 1952 | |
| A | Building 710 (Federal Center) | 10000 West Alameda Avenue | 1960 | National Registry |
| B | FEMA Building | 10000 West Alameda Avenue | 1969 | National Registry |
| C | JCRS Historic District | 1900 Pierce Street | 1900 | National Registry |
| D | Bonfil-Stanton Outbuildings | 797 South Wadsworth Boulevard | 1920 | State Registry |
| E | Country Club Garden Apartments | 1160 Pierce Street | 1962 | State Registry |