One of the distinctive homes in the Arapahoe Acres subdivision
BOUNDARIES: S. Franklin St., E. Bates Ave., S. Marion St., S. Cornell Cir.
DISTANCE: Approx. 1 mile
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PARKING: Free on-street parking
PUBLIC TRANSIT: The RTD 12 stops at S. Downing St. near Yale Ave. to the west of this walk; the RTD 21 stops near E. Evans Ave. and S. Franklin St. about 1 mile north of this walk.
While there are midcentury modern design houses sprinkled around Denver, and even small enclaves of modernism, Arapahoe Acres is an entire subdivision of midcentury design. One element important to Arapahoe Acres is the Usonian style, once favored by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright’s Usonian style was developed during the Depression. In practical terms it meant houses without basements, attics, or ornamentation—a simpler version of his Prairie style. There is also an emphasis on natural materials such as stone and wood and an earth tone palette. Arapahoe Acres was the vision of developer and builder Edward Hawkins, who began the project on the edge of the suburb of Englewood in 1949. Hawkins hired architect Eugene Sternberg, who taught architecture and planning at the University of Denver and had an interest in stylish, affordable housing. In eight years Arapahoe Acres was dreamed, built, and embraced by people who also had an appreciation for the simple designs that featured private exteriors and open, flowing interior floor plans, all for an affordable price. This tour takes you through the inner winding streets of this unique subdivision.
All of the homes in Arapahoe Acres are privately owned, so it is not possible to go inside them on this tour. However, sometimes there are fundraising walking tours (for example, proceeds from a tour might go to a neighborhood school) when a few homeowners welcome curious strangers into their homes. Also, open houses when a place is for sale provide an opportunity to see the interiors and backyards of these unique homes.
Walk Description
Begin this walk on the corner of S. Marion Street and E. Bates Avenue. Wooden signs mark the boundaries of Arapahoe Acres, and each one has an orange triangle for the letter A like an arrowhead. This tiny detail recognizes the Arapahoe tribe from which the name comes. 
The house on the corner at 2900 S. Marion Street was the model home for Arapahoe Acres. Diane Wray, Arapahoe Acres resident and cofounder of the Modern Architecture Preservation League, wrote a book, Arapahoe Acres: An Architectural History, 1949–1957, detailing the architectural history of this neighborhood. Her in-depth research and sometimes clinical detail are the basis for this walking tour.
By the time the first model home was ready to show, the first nine houses built in Arapahoe Acres were already sold. Still, about 4,000 people came to the open house in March 1950, Wray writes in her book. Arapahoe Acres is the first post–World War II residential subdivision listed as a historic district in the National Register of Historic Places, states the site, arapahoeacres.org.
According to Wray, of the 124 homes that make up Arapahoe Acres, only 20 homes were built exactly to Sternberg’s plans. Wray describes Sternberg’s initial willingness to partner with Hawkins, “because of his interest in the creation of socially-conscious modern housing combining quality architectural design and economical construction.” Sternberg split with Hawkins over the sale of this model home, Wray writes, for $11,500 over the original agreed-upon price. The Sternberg homes are primarily along S. Marion Street. “Stylistically, Sternberg’s work was related to the International Style,” explains Wray. What is also retained from Sternberg’s work is the overall layout of Arapahoe Acres. “Houses were oriented on their lots for privacy, and to take the best advantage of southern and western exposures for solar heating and mountain views,” explains Wray. “Sternberg’s plan reduced traffic, resulting in a safer, quieter neighborhood.”
Hawkins and his wife, Charlotte Hawkins, lived in the house at 2910 S. Marion Street and others you will see on the tour. From the corner, proceed south on Marion Street.
Turn left on E. Cornell Avenue. Note that the next three streets share the same name. Wray explains the reason for the street names: Bates College in Lewiston, Maine; Cornell University in Ithaca, New York; and Dartmouth University in Hanover, New Hampshire. This reflects the neighborhood’s connection to the University of Denver and its connection to the east.
After Sternberg left, Hawkins took over the design. “Hawkins homes were built within the original Sternberg site plan,” writes Wray. “But to Hawkins, style took precedence over economy.” What this means is you will notice larger and more elaborately designed homes on the rest of the tour.
Turn right on S. Cornell Circle. In 1951, Hawkins hired architect Jerry Dion to work part time and complete Arapahoe Acres. Dion had graduated from the University of Denver’s School of Architecture and Planning and was also a fan of Wright’s work. Dion worked on 35 of the homes, and his own was at 
3059 S. Cornell Circle. Wray writes that Dion took the job with Hawkins “in order to earn a down payment for his own home in Arapahoe Acres.”
Clever signs mark this historical neighborhood.
Turn left as the street ends in a cul-de-sac on the right.
Turn left again as the street ends and curves.
Turn left on E. Cornell Place and walk west. Sternberg’s plans for a private neighborhood park on this street within Arapahoe Acres were later scrapped by Hawkins. The house at 
1411 E. Cornell Place was designed by local architect Peter Looms for use as his own residence.
Turn right on E. Cornell Avenue and walk north to S. Lafayette Drive.
Turn left and cross E. Cornell Avenue to walk north on S. Lafayette Drive. The two-story house at 
2980 S. Lafayette Drive with the red door was the last house constructed in Arapahoe Acres in 1957 and the residence of Edward Hawkins and his wife for 10 years. There are many Japanese touches on this house—the roof, the railing, even the red door and pruned evergreen shrubs. It may still have a backyard in-ground pool that was part of Hawkins’s design. Because he had eliminated all plans for a neighborhood park, Wray states that Hawkins would open his backyard pool to children in the neighborhood on summer Saturdays.
This block is about the highest point on this walk, and the second-story homes get a view of the tips of the Rocky Mountain peaks to the west. You can also get a glimpse of them as you walk here.
In her research Wray learned that a group of Arapahoe Acres homeowners hired Stanley J. Yoshimura to design the Japanese gardens to complement the houses in the 1960s. Yoshimura designed the yard at 
2960 S. Lafayette Drive. Wray also points out a group of three houses “united by a stack bond concrete block wall” for addresses 2923, 2919, and 2915 S. Lafayette Drive.
Turn left as the street bends and walk west.
Turn right and walk north to E. Bates Avenue.
Turn left on E. Bates Avenue and walk back to S. Marion Street.
Note: By turning right on E. Bates Avenue and walking east to S. Franklin Street, then 1 mile north on S. Franklin Street to E. Evans Avenue, you can combine this walk with Walk 23.
Arapahoe Acres
Point of Interest
Arapahoe Acres arapahoeacreshistoricdistrict.org
2900 S. Marion St.
3059 S. Cornell Circle
1411 E. Cornell Place
2980 S. Lafayette Drive
2960 S. Lafayette Drive