The house started as a modest 2-story Dutch colonial farmhouse, built in 1921. In 1924, that farmhouse, and its 160 acres were bought by famous big-band leader Paul Whiteman for his parents as a place to live in their retirement. Whiteman's father, Wilberforce, then retired as director of music at Denver Public Schools, created the “Black & White Ranch” (like piano keys) on the property, raising all manner of black and white farm animals. He kept the ranch until 1936 when his wife passed away, and he moved back to the city.
The next owner, Henri de Campiegne, an oilman from France hired Denver’s great architect Burnham Hoyt (famous for having designed Red Rocks Amphitheater and other great works in Denver) to facelift the original farmhouse and GREATLY expand its size to what it is today. Completed in 1938, the home has changed very little since that renovation and expansion, even after having passed through the hands of several families, include Arthur “Tex” Harvey, the namesake for the Harvey Park neighborhood. The current owners, the Allison Family have owned the home since purchasing it from Tex Harvey 1962.
From a historic standpoint, the home has extraordinarily high architectural integrity to the Burnham Hoyt design, and is nearly indistinguishable from photos taken of the home in the late 1930s when his additions were completed.
