The LeNeve Foster Residence
A William Lang Masterpiece and the Brantigans'
home
The LeNeve Foster Residence was built for Thomas Cathcart in
1890. (City records giving its date of construction as 1892 are
incorrect.) Cathcart was a real estate developer responsible for
several houses in what is now the Lafayette Street Historic
District. His Lang designed residence at 2105 Lafayette Street was
to be the showpiece of his real estate empire. With the repeal of
the Sherman Silver Act in 1893 Cathcart lost his fortune and his
residence as well. Ernest LeNeve Foster, a mining engineer
responsible for much of the Georgetown Mining District acquired the
house and lived there until 1907 when his wife died. The house
became a center for Denver society, and Foster's name became
identified with the property.
William Lang was the finest and most complex eclectic architect
in the
Denver area and was one of the best late eclectic architects
in the United States. During his brief career from 1885 to 1897 he
built over 150 buildings, many of which are still standing. In
contrast to those of his contemporaries, his buildings seem, even
today, to squirm on their foundations as if ready to launch their
owners on a new adventure. This house certainly launched its current
owners on a trail of new adventures.
The LeNeve Foster Mansion was built of the finest available
materials with the best available techniques of construction. Its
simple elegance and effective use of space conveys the same
uplifting qualities of its more ornate brothers. Its recognition by
architects as an outstanding example of the eclectic school of
architecture led to its listing in the National Register of Historic
Places, and its recognition as Denver's best "painted lady" in the
recently published Daughters of the Painted Ladies.
Restoration of the building is nearing completion. The exterior
is complete. The lion head and urn figures on the outside of the
building have been recast from the originals and reinstalled (the
original lion head now graces the front staircase). The interior has
been restored to close to original condition. Plumbing and wiring
have been replaced and the fireplaces rebuilt. Fireplace tiles are
original, and were made by the Low Art Tile Co, of Chelsea,
Massachusetts. This same company made the tiles for the Buckingham
Palace. Photographs of these fireplaces are on display in the
Chelsea Library as prime examples of the work of that company. The
oak woodwork has been restored. missing pieces have been replaced
with identical reproductions. All wallpaper used has been documented
reproductions. The living room frieze is a hand painted copy of the
original. The dining room features Bradbury papers. Missing pieces
of chair rail, with its ornate pattern have been reproduced. The
anaglypta is in its original location but is not the original
pattern. What is left of the original is preserved under the current
layer. The light fixtures are either original to the building or are
period fixtures bought and/or restored by the owners.
The current owners have followed in the tradition of Cathcart and
Lang, using the best possible resources and proceeding in a
deliberate fashion to restore this architectural masterpiece in an
authentic manner. They have tried to combine the best features of
the Victorian Period into a family home. Their efforts were
recognized in a feature on Home and Gardens TV.
www.hgtv.com/hgtv/rm_restoration_homes_areas/
article/0,,HGTV_3787_1387280,00.html
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