Harvey Park’s Cliff May Homes, the set of 170 pre-fabricated mid-century modern homes located on the 2300-2500 blocks of Lowell, Meade, Newton, and Osceola, continue to garner attention both inside and outside Denver. As part of their ongoing “Modernism Series,” the Denver Architecture Foundation hosted a walking tour of the Cliff May Homes in May, led by Harvey Park historian Atom Stevens. Demand for the tour was so high that a second day was added to accommodate all of those who were interested.
The tour walked the streets of the Cliff May Homes, visiting the Nielsen home on Lowell Blvd — a house that is in very original condition and still owned by the original family — and ended with a talk in the courtyard of another home by Cliff May’s daughter, Hillary Jessup, who made a road trip to Denver to see this enclave of her father’s homes for the first time.
Cliff May’s pre-fabricated homes, designed in California in association with architect Chris Choate, can be found in cities around the country. The development in Harvey Park is noteworthy for being the largest collection of May’s pre-fabricated homes outside of California. These houses represent a small part of May’s career, most of which was spent designing extravagant modern ranch homes for the rich and famous nationally and internationally. One of his more notable projects is the design of the Mondavi Estate in Napa Valley, which included both the home and winery buildings, which are still in use today.
As part of her visit, Hillary also participated in a meet-and-greet for neighborhood residents. During her talks, Hillary talked about who Cliff May was, with stories about his passion for the saxophone (while in college he led a band called the Cliff May Orchestra), flight (he owned and piloted his plane for business and pleasure), and horses . . . and of course his passion for designing homes; including stories about growing up in the unique and often experimental homes that he built for his family. She noted that she loves visiting the homes that her father designed around the country, not only to see the legacy that he left behind, but because she loves to meet the unique people who live in them. Hillary said that she “had a ball” during her visit to Harvey Park.
If you are interested in learning more about the Denver Architecture Foundation, visit their website at DenverArchitecture.org.