The 6.7-acre Jefferson Park was created in the early 1900’s when an old city dump was filled-in and landscaped. Shortly thereafter, it was named Jefferson Park in honoring Thomas Jefferson. The annexed Town of Highland became known as “North Denver”. As the area grew, the Jefferson Park neighborhood was separated and named after the park.

Jefferson Park neighborhood was originally home to prominent families that worked in Denver, but wanted to live in “crime-free and morally-correct” Town of Highlands. As the population grew, commuting over the rail-yard and the South Platte River became cumbersome. Many of the prominent families moved to the Capitol Hill neighborhood east of Downtown. By the 1890’s, the primary population growth came from Irish, German, English and Italian immigrants. Rather than building stately manors, small bungalows and houses became the norm. Today, Jefferson Park has architecture and houses dating to the 1890’s, the early 1900’s and the pre and post World War II years.

During the 1960’s, there was an exodus of families to the suburbs and with it a deterioration of the neighborhood. Crime increased and people continued to leave. Businesses failed and buildings were abandoned. Inner city blight began to set-in. 

Fast forward to the 1990’s and the suburbanites were growing tired of the long commute to Downtown jobs. Young professionals preferred living the city urban life. As demand grew, real estate developers converted existing old building and constructed new condominiums. The neighborhood attracted restaurants, cafes, coffee houses and boutique retail. Jefferson Park’s re-birth was underway.

The Jefferson Park United Neighbors non-profit organization was formed in 2000 by the citizens of Jefferson Park to present a united voice in critiquing proposed real estate developments. Jefferson Park residents wanted to promote real estate development that did not compromise the character of the neighborhood and was in-scale with the neighborhood. Working with the real estate developers, Jefferson Park’s renaissance continues as more new condominiums are being built around the park and within the area.