Santos House - 2425 10th Avenue

 Print Listing Historical Name - Eckhardt House; Borgens House; Marlatt House
Style - Ranch Type
Built Year - 1947
State ID - 5WL4958

Description - This modest Ranch style dwelling, with an attached single-stall garage, is made up of two offset rectangular blocks, each covered by side-gabled roof. The main block measures 32' N-S (across) by 24" E-W (deep). The second block (which is built onto the west end of the main block's north elevation) measures 16' N-S by 21' E-W. This second block comprises the garage (which measures 10' N-S by 21' E-W), and additional living space (which measures 6' N-S by 21' E-W). The house is supported by a low concrete foundation, and its exterior walls are clad with undulated asphalt shingle siding. The side-gabled roofs are covered with grey asphalt composition shingles, and the eaves are boxed with painted blue wood trim. There is no chimney. The home's windows are predominantly 6/6 double-hung sash with painted white wood frames and painted blue wood surrounds. One 6/6 double-hung window penetrates the south wall; one 6/6 double-hung window penetrates the north (garage) wall; two 6/6 double-hung windows penetrate the west (rear) wall. The main, 32' by 24' portion of the house features a symmetrical façade which faces toward 10th Avenue on the east elevation. A stained natural brown solid wood entry door, covered by a white synthetic storm door, is centered on the façade. This door is flanked on either side by an 8/8 double-hung sash window, and leads into the house from a 2-step, 6' by 4', concrete porch with a red wrought iron railing. The porch is covered by a metal hood with steel pipe supports. A non-historic wood deck, with a wood railing, extends in front of the façade to the south of the entry porch. The façade windows feature painted white wood frames, painted blue wood surrounds, and painted blue decorative wood shutters. A non-historic horizontal siding glass bypass door enters the west (rear) elevation from a non-historic redwood deck. A painted white wood-paneled door, with one upper sash light, and with a painted white wood storm door, also enters the building on the west (rear) elevation. A painted blue and white overhead garage door provides vehicular access to the garage via a concrete driveway at the north end of the east elevation. A small 6/6 double-hung sash window, with a painted white wood frame, painted blue wood surrounds, and painted blue decorative wood shutters, is located to the north of the overhead garage door. A small canted shed-roofed extension, of recent construction, is located on the south elevation.

Historical Background - Weld County Assessor records indicate that this house was built in 1947, and according to Greeley city directories, it was initially occupied by Benjamin A. (and Dorothy) Eckhardt. The Eckhardt lived here only a brief time, however, as by 1950 they had acquired the property at 2425 9th Avenue (a block to the east) where they built their own house in 1953-1953. The Eckhardts have remained at that location from that time to the present (2006). For further information on the Eckhart family please refer to the inventory form for 2425 9th Avenue, 5WL.4949. The earliest known owners of this property were Reuben and Erma (Vogel) Borgens, who lived here between 1951and circa 1959. Reuben was born at Johnstown, Colorado on March 5, 1907, the son of John and Anna (Bostrom) Borgens. Erma, meanwhile, had been born to John and Elizabeth Vogel on February 20, 1906. Reuben and Erma were married in Loveland on January 26, 1930, and they subsequently farmed in the LaSalle and Kersey areas for several years. Mrs. Borgens also worked weighing sugar beets for the Great Western Sugar Company for many years. The Borgens family moved into this house in Greeley in 1951. Reuben then went to work for the Weld County Road and Bridge Department, while Erma gained employment as a cook with the Greeley-Evans School District. Reuben Borgens passed away on March 12, 1989 at the age of 81. Erma died less than two month later, on May 6, 1989 at the age of 83. They ere survived by their two daughters, Shirley (Robb) and Charlene (McKnight), and numerous other relatives. Following the Borgens family, city directories indicate that this house was owned and occupied by R.W. Gardner in the early 1960s, followed by Reverend Homer C. Marlatt between circa 1963 and 1969. It was then perhaps rented by Russell A. Baxley, circa 1970, before it was again owner-occupied by Joseph H. Dunham during much of the 1970s. At some point in the late 1970s or early 1980s, the property was acquired by George Leinweber (sp.?) and Ed Neville, who were associated with New Horizons Realty. They maintained the property as a rental until selling it to Daniel and Drucilla Santos in 1988. The Santos family has lived and owned here from 1988 to the present (2006). Mr. and Mrs. Santos are both originally from Texas; however, they met and married in Greeley. They raised two sons in this home. Mr. Santos currently works as the warehouse manager at Colorado Kitchens in Greeley.