1236 Clarkson, along with two neighboring homes (1242 and 1248 Clarkson), was constructed in 1905 by the Pence Building and Investment Company. Kingsley Pence, the founder and president of the Pence company, moved to Denver by 1894. He initially worked in insurance and investments in Denver, but by 1901 had turned his efforts to real estate. At the time of the construction of 1242 Clarkson, the Pence Building and Investment Company was active in the Denver market, building and selling "fine modern homes on easy payments" throughout the city. Kingsley Pence was active in the Denver community, serving as chairman of the committee that induced Denver to establish the Denver Mountain Parks system. Pence Park, at the top of Bear Creek Canyon, is named after Kingsley Pence.
The first owners of 1236 Clarkson were Mr. Reuben A. Powell, a wholesale merchant of the Powell Brokerage and Commission Company, and his wife, Violet Brierley Powell.
