Shoenberg Farm

Shoenberg Farm - W. 73rd Ave. & Sheridan Blvd. (Click for map)

Shoenberg Farm is located at West 73rd Avenue, on the west side of Sheridan Boulevard. Eleven structures remain from what was once an 800-acre dairy and egg production facility. With a fascinating history, interesting architecture, and a location central to new urban development, preservation of Shoenberg Farm is a pressing goal.

History

The Dudley C. Shoenberg Memorial Farm  ("Shoenberg Farms") was designed, built and donated to Denver’s National Jewish Hospital (NJH) by Louis D. Shoenberg in 1912. The farm is historically significant for its association with NJH and its role in the treatment of tubercular patients in the 20th Century. It is believed to be the last intact farm in the Denver area associated with the 20th century sanatorium movement. Learn more about National Jewish Hospital and the sanatorium movement. Read more about the construction of Shoenberg Farm.

The fact that the farm was built by Louis Shoenberg is significant in itself. Shoenberg left a legacy of philanthropy that started in Colorado and spread across the United States. He and the foundation that he established funded major health care research facilities throughout the 20th century. Learn more about Louis Shoenberg .

NJH transferred ownership of the farm in 1921 to Jacob Tepper, who continued to provide dairy and egg products to health care institutions, schools and commercial grocers. Becoming for a time the largest egg distributor west of the Mississippi, the Tepper operation was also known as the headquarters for the Dolly Madison Ice Cream stores, which were in business throughout the Denver area from 1941 until 2001.  Read more about the Tepper Family's operation of Shoenberg Farm.

Historic Architecture

The farm is representative of early 20th century poultry and dairy farms and the built environment that typified the first dairy farms established in northern Jefferson County. The poultry and dairy farm operated from 1911 until August 2000, first as a direct supplier to NJH and later as a wholesale dairy operation that provided dairy products to restaurants, hotels, hospitals, large grocers and institutions. The farm embodies the distinctive characteristics of the dairy farms found in northern Jefferson County in the first half of the 20th century, as well as variations with its distinctive elliptical Quonset structure, wood and concrete silos and bungalow residence.

Adaptive Re-Use of Existing Farm Buildings

All land uses proposed for the existing farm buildings are subject to approval of an Official Development Plan (ODP) by the City of Westminster and may include mixed-use and live-work opportunities, art studios, wholesale and retail businesses related to art, music and audio industries, light industrial fine arts production, service businesses such a recording studio, radio, design professionals, and schools teaching culinary skills, sculpture, metal-working and other creative pursuits that require an industrial setting.
The farm consists of five parcels, all requiring various levels of investment to be used for new purposes. These parcels cover a total of about three acres, creating a close-knit and unique place bounded by West 73rd Avenue and townhomes on the north and neighborhood-scale commercial development on the south.

Map of buildings and proposed art district