National and State Register

Speer Boulevard

Denver County

This key 1.1-mile diagonal transit way, designed by the nationally-known planner George Kessler, symbolizes and commemorates, in planning, design, construction, embellishment, and planting, the City Beautiful movement in Denver.  It also conveys the political leadership and citizen support which made the Denver park and parkway system the city’s historic design legacy. 

A view of a bridge from the right bank of a river, with snow covering the bank and a leafless tree coming out of the right corner.

Speer Boulevard

Embellishments, in addition to the street tree and median plantings, include the historic Cherry Creek (set within retaining walls in the median of the boulevard), a number of bridges which cross Cherry Creek, and several triangular grassed and treed areas (called the Speer Boulevard triangles) adjacent to the boulevard.  Construction took place between 1906 and 1918.  The design is credited to both George Kessler and Saco R. DeBoer.  The property is associated with the Denver Park and Parkway System Thematic Resource.