Congress Park has a long history leading back to the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush and as a result of Denver’s growing population in 1859 city founders sited Mt. Prospect Cemetery on a prominent hill two miles west of the city center.  Today, part of that area is known as “Congress Park”.

With the coming of the railroad in 1870, Denver once again experienced a population boom of over 107,000 growing to over 213,000 by 1924.  As pollution drove wealthy residents out of Denver proper, the expansion of public transit in the late 1880’s and the construction of water reservoirs, the conversion of the unkempt cemetery to a neighborhood park and the paving of area streets gave way to the development known today as Congress Park Neighborhood.

During WWI and the 1920’s “the park” boasted the largest victory garden in Denver and in the late 1920’s the Young American League organized ball games for youths at the park.  It was during this time that residents demanded the area be landscaped and trees be added, which led to the city officially renaming this area to “Congress Park”.

The 1900’s also came with horse drawn streetcars along Colfax and 12^th Avenue which gave way to electric trolleys in the 1920’s & 1930’s, electric buses in the 1940’s and eventually diesel buses in the 1950’s.  You can still find today small commercial centers at 12^th & Clayton and 12^th & Madison originally established nearly 100 years ago. 

Many of the historic sites you can still see today were constructed in the early 1900’s.  George W. Clayton School, later changed to Stevens School is now known as “Stevens Condominiums” and Fire Station #15 was converted to a private residence & Denver historic landmark.  Also found just across the street from the park is Denver’s very own Botanical Gardens, where residents can enjoy horticultural classes, music in the park and children’s education days.

One of the first streetcar suburbs of Denver, Congress Park still remains one of the most stable residential communities in Denver.  The perfect balance of city life, shopping and quiet tree lined streets makes this community a perfect choice to consider when deciding your next place to live.