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Belmar Estate in Lakewood, Colorado
Satellite photos courtesy Google Earth.
Edited by David Barth 4 April 2014.
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| Belmar Farm. |
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| Belmar Farm. |
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| Belmar Farm. |
May Bonfils purchased this land and Kountz Lake in 1936. She married Charles E. Stanton in 1956 and they formed Belmar Development Company in 1959. With this company, they planned Villa Italia Shopping Center and other building projects in the area.
Mrs. Stanton kept deer which grazed and roamed by Kountze lake. She surrounded portions of the estate with Russian Olive hedges and chain link fences.
After Mrs. Stanton's death in 1962, Mr. Stanton continued to live at Belmar, raising his wife's prizewinning Suffolk Sheep and Angus Cattle. In May of 1970, Mr. Stanton donated the mansion, Belmar, and ten acres of land to the Denver Catholic Archdiocese.
The Calving Barn, Machinery Sheds, Auction Barn and Caretaker's Cottage were all part of the Belmar Farm. Except for the Auction Barn, which originally stood where the Country School is today, these structures are on their original foundations.
Courtesy jeffco.up/placenames:
"Now known as Lakewood's Heritage Center, the Belmar Park and Museum was organized in the early 1970s. The property includes a museum, historic village, walking trails, picnic tables, playgrounds, viewing shelters, flowers, horse trails and open space."
Affluent Denverites, like the Bonfils and Brown families, took vacations and built summer homes in the Lakewood area beginning late in the 19th century.
Frederick Bonfils, an owner of the Denver Post, reportedly rented land on Kountze Lake in today's Belmar Park, and perhaps his daughters. May and Helen, vacationed there too. J.J. and Margaret Brown ("Unsinkable Molly") built a summer home in 1897 which they named Avoca Lodge, at what is now Wadsworth Boulevard and Yale Avenue.
May (Bonfils) Stanton built her year-round home, Belmar, here in 1937. She inherited large sums of money from her parents, and held investments of her own. Besides the cattle and sheep she raised to show, deer and peacocks roamed the estate. Her sheep and cattle won awards at fairs and stock shows.
The Calving Barn, Tractor Sheds, and Caretaker's Cottage stand on their original foundations. The Auction Barn originally stood near where the Country School stands today.
| 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 Hi 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 |