The ten oldest surviving Denver landmarks date from 1859 to 1875, according to 303Happenings. Four Mile House sits at the early end of that span and the Crawford Building at the late end. Each date below is tied to the source that states it, and Four Mile Historic Park is the place on this page where a visit is laid out, with a living history farm museum on the grounds.
Surviving Structures From Denver's First Two Decades
The 303Happenings landmark guide names the ten oldest surviving landmarks as running from 1859 to 1875. That span opens with Four Mile House, built in the gold rush years, and closes with the Crawford Building, completed in 1875.
Pairing the two ends shows how much the list covers. One is a farmhouse on the edge of the early settlement. The other is a Second Empire building from the end of the span. The sections below take them in date order, so a reader looking for the oldest buildings in Denver can start with the earliest date and work toward the latest.
Four Mile House and the 1859 Stage Stop
The Museum of Denver traces Four Mile House to a farmhouse along Cherry Creek and the Smoky Hill Trail, begun in 1859. That is the date that places it at the start of the 1859 to 1875 span.
The city's Landmark Preservation list records the house at 715 S. Forest Street, with an estimated construction date of 1859. The same list gives 1968 as the year it was designated a Denver landmark. Taken together, the museum and the city list agree on 1859, which is why the house anchors the early end of the span.
Four Mile Historic Park Hours and Admission
The Museum of Denver describes the grounds as what is now a seven-acre living history farm museum, which is the reason to go: the farmhouse that anchors the span sits inside a working museum setting rather than behind a plaque. Four Mile Historic Park runs the site today.
The hours and admission page lists the park as open 10am to 4pm, and notes that seasonal hours may vary. Admission is required, and members are admitted free. Special events may have separate pricing.
Because seasonal hours can change, check the park's hours and admission page before heading out, along with weather and parking. A morning arrival is the safer plan when the posted hours may shift with the season.
The Crawford Building and the 1875 End of the Span
The Crawford Building was completed in 1875 and has a Second Empire façade, according to 303Happenings. It marks the late end of the 1859 to 1875 span, sixteen years after the Four Mile House date.
Where Four Mile House is a farmhouse that became a stop on the Smoky Hill Trail, the Crawford Building is defined by its architecture. Both appear on the span the guide describes, and both dates come from named sources rather than from memory. For anyone curious about the Crawford Building in Denver, the Second Empire façade is the detail the guide singles out.
For a wider look at designated buildings across the city, the Denver Historic Landmarks Map 2026 page on this site collects them in one place.
Sources Behind Each Fact
- The 1859 to 1875 span, the 1875 completion and the Second Empire façade come from 303Happenings.
- The farmhouse origin on Cherry Creek and the Smoky Hill Trail, begun in 1859, and the seven-acre living history farm museum come from the Museum of Denver.
- The 715 S. Forest Street address, the 1968 designation and the 1859 estimated construction come from the Denver Landmark Preservation list of landmarks.
- The 10am to 4pm hours, seasonal variation, admission and member access come from the park's hours and admission page.
Updated 2026-10-15: removed season-by-season hours, prices, tour limits and parking lines that no listed source states, added the Four Mile Historic Park hours from its hours page, and merged the span context into the Crawford Building section.
