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1700 7th Avenue
 Print Listing
Historical Name -
Dickerson House
Style -
Bungalow
Built Year -
1910
State ID -
5WL.5866
Description -
The west-facing Bungalow at 1700 7th Avenue has a rectangular plan, sandstone foundation, asphalt composition hipped roof with exposed rafters, and brick siding. Typical of Craftsman homes, the partial width, open front porch dominates the home’s façade. The porch is recessed under a gabled roof that has a small, rectangular fixed window and square wooden shingles under the gable end; two squared columns rest on massive piers that flank the porch. Six concrete steps with wrought-iron railing lead to the centered front door, and large one-over-one windows (likely replacements) are on either side of the door. Windows on the façade, north, and south elevations are one-over-one with sandstone sills; however, the rear elevation has three pairs of windows – a pair of one-over-one with a sandstone sill, a pair of fixed, four-light windows, and a pair of small, single-pane, fixed windows. The plain wooden back door is a likely alteration to the rear elevation. The north elevation of the home also has a separate basement entrance as well as two brick chimneys.
Historical Background -
Weld County Assessor’s Records state 1700 7th Avenue was constructed in 1910; however, Greeley City Directories list H. and Rosella Timothy as the home’s first occupants in 1913. Hiram, an employee of Great Western Sugar Company, and his wife, Rosella, lived in the home with their children from 1913-1926.
In 1928, Dr. Oliver M. Dickerson, a professor of history and political science at Colorado Teacher’s College, and his wife Eleanor lived in the home. Dr. Dickerson was born in Jasper County, Illinois, on September 8, 1875. He received a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D from the University of Illinois, graduating in 1906. A lifelong educator, he taught in the country schools of Jasper County from 1894-1897, served as principal of the Macon, Illinois, public schools from 1898-1901, was a teaching fellow at the University of Illinois while obtaining his degree, and also taught history and civics at Illinois State Normal University during the summers of 1903, 1905, and 1906. From 1906-1913, Dr. Dickerson was a professor of history and social science at Western Illinois State Normal School in Macomb, Illinois. From 1913-1919, he was a professor of history at the State Teacher’s College in Winona, Minnesota; he became the president of Moorhead State Teachers College, also in Minnesota, from 1920-1923. Dr. Dickerson and his wife moved to Greeley in 1923. He served on the university faculty from 1923 until his retirement in 1941; he was chair of the Division of Social Studies at the time of his retirement. During his tenure in Greeley, he gained national recognition as a historian of the American Revolution. When he retired in 1941, his colleagues and former students presented him with a book of appreciation, testimonials of the impact of his work and inspiration as a teacher. Upon his retirement, he was declared professor emeritus of history and political science.
As a historian, Dr. Dickerson was a recognized expert in the field of the American Revolution; he was selected to revise the article on the Revolution in Encyclopedia Britannica in 1959. Dr. Dickerson also published several books, including The Navigation Acts and the American Revolution (1951), and many professional articles. He was a member of the American Historical Association, the American Academy of Political and Social Science, the Mississippi Valley Historical Association, the Colorado Historical Society, the Colorado-Wyoming Science Association, and several other historical associations.
In addition to his career in education, Dr. Dickerson also served his country and his community. He served in World War I, commanding the 35th Machine Gun Battalion of the 12th Division from May 1917 to June 1919. He continued to serve in the Army reserves for 32 years until retiring from the reserves in 1952. He served on the northern Weld Selective Service Board during World War II, the Weld County Savings Bond Committee for 19 years, the Greeley City Charter Commission, and the Greeley Civil Service Commission.
Dr. Dickerson married his first wife, Eleanor, in Illinois on November 10, 1906. She died at Weld County General Hospital in November of 1954. In May 1956, he married Alma M. Jenson, a member of the adult education staff at Phoenix College in Phoenix, Arizona. They resided at 1700 7th Avenue until retiring to California in 1960. Dr. Dickerson died in California in November 1966 at the age of 91. Upon his death, Colorado State College (now the University of Northern Colorado) received over $23,000.00 to establish the Eleanor S. and Alma J. Dickerson Scholarship, a $500 award given to two students per year based on scholarship, personality, and the promise of future growth. Additionally, Dickerson Hall (Student Family Apartments, Unit D) was named after Dr. Dickerson.
By 1962, William M. and Catherine Brogan lived in the home. The couple moved to Greeley from Haxton, where Mr. Brogan had farmed for 28 years, and Mrs. Brogan had taught school. Upon moving to Greeley, Mr. Brogan retired, but Mrs. Brogan continued to teach home economics, English, and history in Weld County. Beginning in the 1960s, City Directories reveal that the Brogans rented out rooms (possibly the basement) in their home to students. Mrs. Brogan passed away on June 25, 1988. Mr. Brogan continued to live at 1700 7th Avenue until 1992, when he moved to Eben Ezer Lutheran Care Center in Brush for health reasons. Mr. Brogan passed away on December 9, 2000.
City Directories reveal little about the home’s occupants from 1992 through the present. The home is currently owned by 1700 7th Avenue Land Trust out of Kittredge, Colorado, and likely used as a rental property.
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