Forster House - 2430 11th Avenue

 Print Listing Historical Name - Miller House
Style - Ranch Type
Built Year - 1950
State ID - 5WL4997

Description - The dwelling 2420 11th Avenue consists of a single-story wood frame residence with an attached single-stall garage at the south end of the house. The residence portion of the building measures 32' N-S (across) by 22' E-W (deep); the attached garage portion measure 15' N-S by 20' E-W. The house and garage are both covered by low-pitched side-gabled roofs; although, the garage roof is slightly lower than that of the house. The entire building is supported by a low painted green concrete foundation, and its exterior walls are clad with painted white horizontal wood siding. The side-gabled roofs are covered with grey asphalt shingles, and the eaves are boxed with painted white wood trim, with a minimal overhang. A single-light fixed pane picture window, with a painted white frame and surround, penetrates the façade wall (west elevation) to the north of the entry door. Otherwise, the home's windows are primarily 2/2 double-hung sash, with painted white wood frames and surrounds, and with painted green exterior wood storm windows. A painted green solid wood front door, with three stepped upper sash lights, and covered by a white synthetic storm door, enters the house on the façade (west elevation). This door leads into the house from a 6' by 4' concrete porch covered by a gabled porch roof which intersects with the house's main hipped roof. The porch roof is supported by curved knee braces, and has a scalloped eave. A rear entry door enters the rear of the attached garage, from a shed-roofed covered patio near the south end of the east elevation. A painted green metal-paneled overhead roll-away garage door enters the garage on the west elevation. Vehicular access to the garage door is via a concrete driveway which extends to the 11th Avenue to the west. Two 4-light hopper windows penetrate the garage on the south (side) elevation.

Historical Background - Weld County Assessor records indicate that this house was built in 1950. Conrad J. Miller is the earliest known owner/resident. Greeley city directories lists Mr. Miller as residing at this address for approximately two decades, from 19052 until the early 1970s. Obituaries for two different person named "Conrad Miller" (no middle initials given) were published by the Greeley Tribune. One of these individuals was born in Russia on June 23, 1899, and died in Greeley on July 3, 1973. The other was born in LaSalle, Colorado on July 17, 1915, and died in Greeley on May 25, 1999. Based on the information contained in their obituaries, it is unclear whether or not either of these Conrad Millers was the Conrad J. Miller who lived in this house. City directories consistently list two members in the Conrad J. Miller household, thus he presumably lived here with his wife. Mrs. Audrey Tipton lived and owned here during much of the 1970s. By 1981, however, the property had been acquired by J.A. Forster, and it has remained with the Forster family from that time to the present. City directories indicate that Mr. Forster resided in the house in the early-to-mid-1980s, and possibly again in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In other years, the Forster family evidently maintained the house as a rental. Presently (in 2006) the house is owned by Donald A. and Pamela R. Forster of Briggsadale. The Forster family has also owned the house next door at 2426 11th Avenue during approximately the same time period. Tenants of this house have presumably included students attending nearby University of Northern Colorado.