O'Kane House in Lakewood, Colorado

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O'Kane House in Lakewood, Colorado

Satellite photos and one street view courtesy Google Earth.
Some text courtesy jeffoc.us/placenames.
Some text courtesy citymtnviews.com/neighborhoods/lakewood/okane_park.html.
Edited by David Barth 4 April 2014. Surface photos by David Barth.

O'Kane House.
Satellite view courtesy Google Earth.

The land for O'Kane Park came from the O'Kane farm. In this photo, the house, built in 1897, sits in the middle of the park on the near side, at the blue dot. It is at 6795 W. First Avenue.

O'Kane House.
Satellite view courtesy Google Earth.

In this closer satellite view, the street in the foreground is opposite the O'Kane driveway. The house sits in the trees to the right of the drive.

O'Kane House.
Street view courtesy Google Earth.

Based on the color of the tree leaves, it appears that this Google photo was taken in the autumn, perhaps September. The two overhead satellite views appear to have been taken during the summer. The other photos, which I took, were taken in March 2014 before the trees began to leaf.

O'Kane House.

O'Kane House.

O'Kane House.

O'Kane House.

O'Kane House.

O'Kane House.

The O'Kanes were pioneer families in the area whose farm house is at 6795 W. First Avenue. The O'Kane children attended the Washington Heights School, about five blocks east, at 6375 W. First Avenue. A portion of the O'Kane farm became O'Kane Park, west of the house.

Courtesy jeffoc.us/placenames:
"Named for the O'Kane family. Barney, Elizabeth and Betsy. Betsy, a daughter, still lives at First Avenue and Pierce Street. They had a dairy called the Harp Dairy. Mr. O'Kane died in 1918 and Mrs. O'Kane died in recent years. Barney O'Kane was Jefferson County District Attorney and State legislator and is still practicing." [last update to this entry: August 11, 1994].

Courtesy citymtnviews.com/neighborhoods/lakewood/okane_park.html:
"It began when Bernard and Elizabeth O'Kane moved from Ireland via Denver to Lakewood in 1895. They operated a five-acre dairy farm north of First Avenue between Teller and Newland streets. Their home still stands proudly near 28-acre O'Kane Park and the Washington Heights Arts Center, which began as a one-room rural school in 1898. Today [2014], the Arts Center is an adjunct of the Lakewood Cultural Center with plenty of classes from dance to pottery. Stretching north and west is Washington Heights Park with ballfields named after the O'Briens, also 19th Century settlers, and a several-acre field owned by the city where soccer fields might be built some day. The O'Kane family home is a major landmark in Lakewood and was occupied by family members until 1998.

The O'Kane Neighborhood Association was formed in the late 1990s by Debbie Koop, and Barbara and Ed Heckle, who attended countless neighborhood planning meetings with city staff to help establish the "North Alameda Area Plan." After one of those meetings, Koop said to the Heckles, "We really should organize a neighborhood association." Ever since, the three have been a dedicated, energetic trio, working with the help of other volunteers to improve their community. Koop was the first president and the Heckles produced the newsletter for the OKPNA for seven years.

O'Kane Park was the invigorating force for defining the area. "We wanted a clean and safe neighborhood," said Barbara Heckle. "When my children were little, there were 100 neighborhood eyes watching them." When the association was first formed, "the park was filled with litter," she said. "Now, we see walkers in the park picking up tiny pieces of trash. Our association gave people pride in their neighborhood."

Beginning in 1998, volunteers participated in a speed watch with a radar gun on First Avenue. They wiped away the area's graffiti from public property and signs. During two days of the first clean-up in the North Alameda area, neighbors collected 50 dumpsters of trash, 11 dumpsters of recyclable scrap metal, 1,040 tires, and more than 50 large appliances. At that time, the amount of trash collected was unprecedented for any of Lakewood's neighborhood clean-ups.

In 1999, corporate and individual donations and city grants funded the Rainbow Playground which fulfilled the desire for fun for the children and more safety for everyone at O'Kane Park. Today's hard-working residents are as dedicated as the original settlers 100 years ago.

Organized: O'Kane Park Neighborhood Association of 480 homes.

Real estate values: Condos, $75,000 to $250,000; Single-family homes, $199,000 to $400,000. [As of 2014].

Traditions:

Holiday decorating/lighting contest

neighborhood yard sales

block parties

annual summer picnics

which include sack races

O'Kane House lighting party

Pet Fair

periodic cleanup of the park and the neighborhood

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