Bradford Perley House
Year Listed: 2002
County: Jefferson County
Status: SAVED
Context: Residential
Date Constructed: mid 19th c.
Significance:
Residence of Major Robert Boyles Bradford, a prominent Denver pioneer who founded the Bradford Wagon Road, a principal route in the 1860s from Denver to Leadville and South Park. Located in present-day Ken Caryl Ranch, a subarb southwest of Denver. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Threat When Listed:
A fire destroyed the interior of the mansion in 1967, vandalism and exposure to the elements caused significant deterioration.
Since Listing:
Previously considered an eyesore in the midst of a spectacular open space park, increased knowledge of the site's significance created support for its preservation. The Ken Caryl Ranch Master Association and the State Historical Fund helped fund development of a site assessement and plan. In 2004, the Ken Caryl Ranch Master Association, the State Historical Fund, the Gates Family Foundation, the John B. and Mildred Holmes Foundation, the Boettcher Foundation, and others funded the structural stabilization to develop the site as an outdoor theatre and interpretive education center. In the meantime, the site had been used as a laboratory for archaeology students from Metropolitan State College, the Colorado School of Mines, and the University of Denver. The project earned the Stephen H. Hart Award for excellence in preservation from the Colorado Historical Society in 2004.
Related Links:
Ken-Caryl Ranch Master Association
Jefferson County Historical Commission
Last Update:
July 2006