5, 7 and 9 South Fox Street were hand-built by Henry Roth in the Bungalow or Craftsman style of architecture. He made ingenious use of cobblestones from the South Platte River, metal barrel-lids from canisters of railroad spikes, and other found materials. He built the houses from 1927 to 1941, during the time of the Great Depression. This was also the time when tourist camps and motor courts spread throughout America. The orientation of these cobblestone houses in conjunction with the sheds on the property represents the typical grouping of cabins in a motor court. The landscaping is reminiscent of tourist camps located near rivers, where fast growing trees like elms and honey locusts are prevalent. Common lilacs provided a sense of hospitality.
The house at 5 South Fox Street has the typical arrangement of rooms for a bungalow. The house was completed in 1928. The front door opens into a long combined living and dining room, with a kitchen beyond. Cobblestones are used for the foundation of the house and the front porch, with its natural open-beamed ceiling. This house was made to fit into its environment, on a sloping lot that might have proved difficult to other homebuilders. Henry Roth saw its potential. He claimed that the house cost him $100.
The property at 5, 7 and 9 South Fox Street stands in marked contrast to the Baker Historic District, which borders the property. Whereas Baker contains many classic Victorian houses built in the late 1800's, most on standard city lots, the three buildings at West Ellsworth and South Fox Street were built in the Bungalow style, and take full advantage of the outdoors and expanse of land that they share. Henry Roth built these houses and sheds using materials that he found and recycled. Not only are the houses some of the only cobblestone structures in Denver, but the vernacular landscaping is unique in the metropolitan area.
