Wilson, Blanche A., House
a.k.a. Centennial House;5AM173
1671 Galena St., Aurora, COThe Blanche A. Wilson House is considered to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A in the area of settlement. This was the first house built for developer Donald Fletcher in the town of Fletcher (later renamed Aurora) which he founded, along with the financial participation of others, at the beginning of Denver's turn-of-the-century suburban movement. Fletcher was a prominent real estate developer with related investments in local water companies and streetcar lines. He was president of the Denver Chamber of Commerce in 1888 and later became president of the group that founded Fairmount Cemetery. The town he founded eventually grew to become Colorado's third-largest city.
The Wilson House is also considered to be eligible under Criterion C. It has the distinctive characteristics of the Queen Anne style. Fletcher built a large number of two-story Queen Anne style houses in Aurora. Of the eleven houses that remain, the Wilson House best retains its historic exterior architectural integrity.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.