Welcome to Harvey Park, Denver’s Quintessential Mid-Century Subdivision
If you love mid-century homes, whether traditional or mid-century modern in design, this is the place to be! With around 4,300 homes, the Harvey Park subdivision is the single largest mid-century subdivision in the Denver city limits, and offers a variety of housing options, from 2-bedrooms, 1 bath starter homes, to rambling lakefront homes on the subdivsion’s two private lakes (the only two private lakes within the Denver city limits). This is a great neighborhood to buy into for the long term, a place where you can start small and move up, and a neighborhood that has a long history of price stability compared to other parts of Denver.
And if you love mid-century modern homes, Harvey Park is Denver’s most mid-century modern neighborhood! Roughly 10% of Harvey Park's homes are mid-century modern, giving it more mid-century modern homes in a single neighborhood than anywhere else in the Denver area. This includes the well-known prefabricated Cliff May Homes and the Carey “Holiday Homes.” Most of the homes in Harvey Park have brick veneer exteriors, and some of the homes even have “double masonry” construction, meaning that instead of a wood frame, they are constructed of concrete block with plaster interiors and brick veneer exteriors - talk about sturdy!
A Master-Planned Community
Harvey Park is one of the earliest examples of a “master-planned” community in the Denver area. This means that a “master developer” bought and subdivided the land, which it sold in parcels to “vertical developers” (i.e. homebuilders) to construct the homes. There were over 10 firms that built homes in Harvey Park, which gives it plenty of architectural variety, lots of options for the home buyer, and even a choice of several hundred mid-century modern homes.
Some of Denver’s largest home builders constructed homes in Harvey Park, including Hutchinson Homes, K. C. Ensor Construction, Burns Construction, Carey Construction, Frederics Bros., Westcraft, Shirleyvale, C.C. Ford, Craner, and more. If you live in Harvey Park and are curious about who built your home, take a look at my map of builders and model homes below, or write me with your questions.
The Cliff May Homes
In recent years, the story of the mid-century modern Cliff May Homes have put Harvey Park on the map! These prefab homes were designed in California by Cliff May and Chris Choate, and 170 of them were built here in Harvey Park by D. C. Burns Realty & Trust (Burns Construction). There were 7 models offered, from a 2-bedroom, 1-bath starter home to a 4-bedroom, 2-bath rambler. These homes are designed to emphasize informal indoor-outdoor living, and are among the most sought-after homes in the neighborhood.
Learn More About the Cliff May Homes in Harvey Park
The Carey “Holiday Homes”
The Carey “Holiday Homes” are a line of mid-century modern homes offered and built by Carey Construction Co. (under the direction of JJ “Lou” Carey) starting in 1954. These brick mid-century modern homes can only be found in Harvey Park, and were designed by Denver architect Norton Polivnick. They were built in two phases, with the first models being modest in size and high in design with optional vaulted ceilings and optional basements. They were followed by the introduction of a set of “executive models” that offered considerably more space, generously sized kitchens, walls of glass, optional basements, and some views of Riviera Circle Lake, one of two private lakes in the Harvey Park neighborhood. There are a total of 133 Carey “Holiday Homes” to choose from in Harvey Park.
Learn More About the Carey “Holiday Homes” in Harvey Park
The Burns Moderns
Burns Construction (D. C. Burns Realty & Trust) under the direction of Franklin L. Burns, was the builder of the Cliff May Homes in Harvey Park . . . but in an interesting twist, the Cliff May Homes were not the only mid-century modern product they offered in the neighborhood. In a curious move that left Burns competing against itself, Burns Construction built another set of similarly designed homes just a block away from the Cliff May Homes. These homes were also post-and-beam construction, offered vaulted ceilings, glass gables, deep roof overhangs, and even a strikingly similar roof pitch to the Cliff May Homes - but also added brick veneer exteriors, optional basements, and a tri-level model - all at a lower price than the Cliff May Homes. They were a value alternative for those buyers who couldn't afford a Cliff May Home, but wanted to live in a mid-mod home.
The Hutchinson Homes
Over half of Harvey Park was built by Hutchinson Homes - Denver's largest home builder when Harvey Park was built, and for several years thereafter. Hutchinson originally offered a single floor plan, ultimately expanding to 5 different plans in the later phases. Hutchinson Homes are practical and thoughtful, with all- or nearly all-brick exteriors, and standard full basements. While the homes all generally follow the same practical design, variety was created along the street by varying brick colors and elevations (some all brick, others partial brick), roof options (gable, dutch gable, and hip roofs can be found among them), and more. Since they were built, they have offered the most living space for the dollar in the neighborhood.
Homes for Sale in Denver’s Harvey Park
See the Full Curated List