Kohl House - 924 20TH ST

 Print Listing Historical Name - Edith & Ida M. Selberg House
Style - Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Tudor Revival
Built Year - 1930
State ID - 5WL4658

Description - This house at 924 20th Street is situated on the south side of the thoroughfare, between 928 20th Street to the north and an east-west oriented alley to the south. A planted grass yard with mature landscaping surrounds the structure. Oriented to the north, the house rests on a concrete foundation with one-over-one light, double-hung sash windows. A red brick veneer, which clads the exterior walls, extends downward, covering the foundation to its junction with the ground. Most windows are one-over-one-light, double-hung sash, with green-painted wood frames, and tan-brick sills and lintels. Two, small, one-light awning windows appear on the east elevation. Protruding from the asymmetrical front (north) façade is a small, front-gabled porch with round, brick arches. It is accessed on its east side via a curved stairway, which leads to a flagstone walk. East of the porch is a prominent, engaged hearth and chimney, with decorative brickwork. A concrete ram, with a brick wall, provides access to a doorway on the west elevation. The doorway hosts a one-light, glass-in-wood frame door. A bay protrudes from near the center of the west elevation. Another doorway opens low on the south end of the west elevation. Above the doorway is a green-and-white-striped metal awning. On the east elevation, windows appear in pairs and one set on three. Brown asphalt shingles cover the steeply pitched, cross-gabled roof. The gables feature false half-timbering, and the rafter ends are exposed.

Historical Background - In July 1887, James M. Freeman platted Arlington Heights. The area was also known as Freeman's Subdivision and consisted of a large area extending south from downtown Greeley. The subdivision was not immediately divided into lots but by the early 1930s, many parcels were established in the northern part of the Arlington Neighborhood, including this one at 924 20th Street. Local tax assessor records indicate that the current home was constructed in 1930. Edith and Ida M. Selberg were apparently its first residents and occupied the home between 1931 and 1944. Edith Selberg was born on May 28, 1897, in Ranea, Sweden. She came to the United States with her family in 1900, and they settled in Colorado. She attended elementary school at the Cheltenham School in Denver and a rural school near Greeley. Selberg also attended secondary schools in Greeley and graduated from Colorado State College with a bachelor's degree in 1924 and a master's degree in 1926. After receiving her master's degree, she joined the faculty at her alma mater and taught science there through 1962. In 1963, she moved to San Jose, California, and was an instructor at San Jose State University until her retirement in 1971. She apparently returned to Colorado after retiring from teaching and died on October 25, 1987. Dr. Carl R. Benzel and his wife Ellen owned the property between 1946 and 1963. Mr. Benzel was born on April 16, 1902 in Longmont. He moved to Scottsbluff, Nebraska with his family at the age of five. After graduating from the Palmer School of Chiropractics in Davenport, Iowa, in September 1928, he returned to Colorado and settled in Greeley where he spent the rest of his life as a practicing chiropractor. He married Ellen Peterson on April 17, 1932. Mrs. Benzel was born on November 2, 1902, in Idaho Springs, Colorado. She moved to Greeley in 1916 and attended College High School and Business College. Mrs. Benzel worked as a bookkeeper for both J.B. Byers Company and J.C. Penney. Mr. And Mrs. Benzel attended Immanuel Lutheran Church and had three children including two daughters, Lauretta and Delores, and a son named Clifford. Mr. Benzel died on June 14, 1962, and his wife passed away nearly 37 years later on June 2, 1999. Kent F. Nehrboss owned the property between 1965 and 1970. Alan R. and Joann Middaugh purchased the house and lot sometime before selling it to Henry H. Brunner in 1974. Craig B. Farr purchased the property in 1977 and sold it one month later to Edwin L. and Wanda M. Stromberger. Many students resided here between 1977 and 1982. The Christian Student Fellowship used the house for its activities between 1983 and 1988. Ownership transferred to Ron A. and Debra Ann Kohl in 1995. The Board of Trustees at the University of Northern Colorado currently owns the house, which retains the name "Kohl House." The structure hosts Asian Pacific American Student Services and Native American Student Services.