John Porter House
History and Exterior
The John Porter House, located at 777 Pearl Street, was built in 1917 by millionaire Denver broker John Porter. Mr. Porter was the son of Henry M. Porter, who founded the Porter Sanitarium. You know it today as Porter Hospital. John Porter built the house for his new bride, Louise Coors Porter, the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Coors. This was the second marriage for Louise Coors Porter. Her first marriage to Dr. Henry Kuegeler produced three children: Henry Jr., Hermann, and Eraine, their only daughter. Dr. Kuegeler passed away in 1914.
Louise’s marriage to John Porter two years later produced a son, John Porter Jr., born in 1918. Unfortunately, Mr. Porter passed away December 16, 1922, once again leaving Louise a widow.
John L. Dower and his wife, May, purchased the home from Louise Coors Porter a decade after the death of her second husband. Mr. and Mrs. Dower then donated it to the Archdiocese of Denver for the purpose of it being used as the permanent residence of Archbishop Urban J. Vehr. Until his retirement in 1967, he lived in the home with three nuns who acted as his secretary, his cook, and his housekeeper. The nuns’ bedrooms were located above the carriage house. It was in this house that Archbishop Vehr entertained prominent mayors, governors, cardinals, and the future Pope Paul VI.
Archbishop Vehr was, at 40, the youngest Denver archbishop. His commitment to Catholic schools led to a tremendous improvement in the number and quality of Catholic schools in Colorado. Within the home, he converted the sunroom off of the library into a private chapel, in which he conducted a daily Mass. During our renovations of the building in 1990, a water fountain was removed from the sunroom. It is believed Archbishop Vehr conducted baptisms there.
The Porter House was designated as a Denver Landmark by the Denver City Council on May 14, 1975. In the book Denver Landmarks and Historic Districts by Thomas J. Noel, the house is described as a rare example of the Jacobean style, a Tudor variant characterized by gables that rise to the parapet and hide the roof behind. The Tudor features include the flattened pointed arches in the prominent entry porch, the triple window groupings, a steeped-pitched roof, and the tall, ornate paired chimneys.
The spacious 30-room, three-story mansion has approximately 14,300 total square feet. Since the retirement of Archbishop Vehr, there have been three owners of the Porter House, including the Denver Employees Retirement Plan. All three owners have taken special care in converting the house from a private residence into office space. A detached carriage house is also located on the property, and until 1990 it still had the original carved oak doors that opened out to 8th Avenue. It is now used as office space.
During his tenure as the Archbishop of Denver, Bishop Vehr was instrumental in cultivating the formal gardens of the Porter House, and even built a worship area in which you can see religious symbols built into the bricks, and a pedestal that used to be the home of a statue of the Virgin Mary. The catalpa tree located in the middle of the garden is estimated to be nearly 100 years old, predating the construction of the home. When it blooms, white flowers with yellow and purple flecks that resemble orchids grace its branches.
From the back yard, you can get a great view of the beautiful tile roof of the John Porter Home. Each tile was handcrafted in Italy and shipped across the ocean. From the coast, the tiles were loaded onto a freight train and shipped to Denver. The tiles are baked clay about an inch thick, glazed with the lovely shades of green you see. When we purchased the house in 1990, the original tile makers were located and commissioned to recreate a supply of tiles that we could use to make repairs as needed.
Interior
The executive director’s office, to the right of the main door as you enter the foyer, is believed to have once been the formal dining room. The office next to it was the staging area for the servants who waited on the Porter family and their guests, used to plate the food to take into the dining room. The kitchen is thought to be the next room over, now used as a media room. According to Bill Coors, his “Aunt Lou” was a phenomenal cook and enjoyed hosting elaborate dinner parties. Bill would come to Aunt Lou’s home often to play with her children, especially young Johnny Jr., who was the cousin closest in age to Bill.
Extensive renovations have been made on the building since we purchased it in 1990. For example, an archway was created to open up the front desk area, making it more conducive to greeting members. Previously that area had been enclosed and had a plain door. It is thought that the room was used as a receiving salon for guests of the family, and it is where they would wait until the family member would instruct the butler to escort them to the library, garden room or formal salon for a visit.
We kept the library as it was when the John Porter House was purchased. You can see the gorgeous mahogany wood work and built-in shelves that are indicative of the architectural design of the early 1900’s. The wall sconces are original, however the lampshades have been recently replaced. The overhead lighting fixtures were replaced during the 1990 renovations as well, when the electrical system throughout the home was updated.
The room directly to the left of the front door as you enter the home is believed to have been the parlor, or sitting room. The family and their guests would have spent time here before being seated in the formal dining room for dinner. The room opens into the library by way of gorgeous mahogany pocket doors.
The second floor of the Porter House consisted of living quarters for the family. It is thought that the two largest rooms were his and her master bedrooms. The layouts of those two rooms are mirror images of each other, although one has a fireplace (with the original tile) and the other does not. Both rooms opened into a large walk-in closet lined with custom made mahogany cabinetry. Unfortunately this custom cabinetry had to be removed during the 1990 renovations to accommodate the second floor printer area.
The twin master bedrooms each had a door opening into the sleeping dormer, which is now used as office space. It is thought that the family used the sleeping dormer when the weather was warm, as it is lined with windows to catch the breeze. However, another theory behind the incorporation of such a room into the architectural design is that doctors during the early 1900’s believed sleeping out in the fresh air at least one night a week could prevent people from contracting tuberculosis.
The rest of the rooms on the second floor were designed as a suite. It’s possible that the suite was used as a nursery for the four children. One of the rooms originally had a smaller version of the sleeping dormer found off the twin master bedrooms. All in all, there were six bedrooms and two sleeping dormers on this floor.
It is believed the third floor contained the staff quarters. Now, that floor houses our legal and investment departments. There are several small former bedrooms and two large bathrooms.
The three-story mansion, with 30 rooms and over 14,300 square feet, has proven to be an ideal location for our staff to serve the needs of our members.