According to Denver assessor records, 1763 Williams Street was constructed in 1891. Denver building permit records indicate it was designed by architect Robert Roeschlaub for owner David D. Seerie, of the construction firm Geddis and Seerie. Roeschlaub was the architect behind some of the most historically significant buildings and structures in the city, including the Emerson School, the Chamberlin Observatory, and Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church. In addition to this house, permit records show that Roeschlaub designed a house immediately to the north of this one, for Seerie’s business partner William F. Geddis.
While it appears that Seerie only lived in the home for two years, he is worth noting here. According to his 1917 obituary, David Duff Seerie was born in Scotland in 1862 and was in Denver by 1880. Seerie worked as a stonecutter before forming a construction company with William F. Geddis in 1885. Geddis & Seerie was responsible for the construction of several of Denver's most prominent buildings, including the state capitol, the Brown Palace Hotel, and Trinity Methodist Episcopal church. Although research did not definitively reveal the builder of the house at 1763 Williams Street, the well-crafted stonework is a strong clue that it is the work of Geddis and Seerie.
John C. Gallup purchased the home sometime prior to 1893, and the 1893 and 1894 Denver city directories list John C. Gallup as residing there. Gallup was a prominent Denver realtor, and served as president of the Denver park board for several years. Gallup sold the property in 1894 to David K. Lee and his wife Anna. City directories show Lee variously as the president of the Golden Fleece Mining & Milling Co, and the Colorado Ore Sampling Company. According to his 1917 obituary, Lee came to Colorado in 1872 and worked in a variety of capacities in the mining and smelting industries. He was also a member of the group that framed the charter for the city and county of Denver. After his death in 1917, Anna and the couple’s children (Mary, Ralph, and Naylor) continued to live in the home.
