n/a - 1722 7th Avenue

 Print Listing Historical Name - Simpson House
Style - Other Style
Built Year - 1926
State ID - 5WL.5876

Description - A west-facing, Colonial Revival home, 1722 7th Avenue has a concrete foundation, and wide horizontal wood siding. The roof of the home has two parallel side gabled roofs with clipped gable ends linked by a roof section; the roof has asphalt composition shingles. Aluminum storm windows cover the home’s original windows. The façade exhibits many Colonial Revival features, including a centered front door (in this case, French doors) with a decorative pediment supported by squared posts and a pair of multi-light windows, covered with metal awnings, on either side of the door. On the façade’s roofline, two small, round dormers are centered above each pair of windows. Pilasters on each end complete the façade. The chimney, which is stepped up on the east side, is a prominent element on the south elevation, which also features a pair of multi-light windows, arched windows on either side of the chimney, a small window under the east gable end, a multi-light window on the east end of the elevation, and four sliders at the basement level. The north elevation includes a carport, another set of French doors on the west end, two pairs of multi-light windows, a single multi-light window, two arched windows, a single window under the west gable end, and four sliders at the basement level. The east elevation has a multi-light back door, a separate basement entrance, a pair of multi-light windows, and a bay window.

Historical Background - City Directories list H.W. and Olive Riley as the first occupants in 1928; Mrs. Riley is listed as a widow in 1931. In 1936, Frank D. Simpson, a manager at HJ Heinz Company, his wife, Myrtle, and their son, Jack, moved into the home. On March 8, 1950, Jack Simpson was found dead in the home as a result of a gas leak from a garbage incinerator that had seeped into his basement bedroom. Tragically, Myrtle Simpson died of shock a few hours later. Mr. Simpson lived at the address until 1959 and later remarried. From 1960-68, Dan C. and Eula M. Straight resided at 1722 7th Avenue. In 1969, Perry and Delores Knowlton purchased the home. They lived there until approximately 1998, and rented out a portion of their home to students. In 2006, Louis and Marilee Bruno of Arvada purchased the home; it currently serves as a rental property.