Father Mucha's Retirement

In 1970, Father Jan Mucha stopped in Denver while visiting relatives in the United States - a visit that would change the course of his life and that of St. Joseph’s Polish Catholic Church in Globeville. Parishioners liked the young Polish priest and asked him to stay. Mucha accepted their invitation, assisting the pastor, Father Fraczkowski, and assuming the pastorate in January, 1974, after the death of Fraczkowski.

Under Father Mucha’s care, the parish has embraced its Polish heritage and traditions, with Sunday Mass in both English and Polish. Mucha also encouraged the practice of Polish customs associated with Christmas and Easter, and brought back the celebration of Corpus Christi with its procession through the neighborhood. The revitalization of the parish contributed to an improved self image for the Globeville area at a time when the neighborhood was under attack from both industry and Denver city planners.

Father Mucha completed a full restoration of the church in time for the parish’s 75th anniversary in 1977 and presided over the 100th anniversary of the parish in 2002.With the fall of Communism, the parish has become home to a new generation of Polish immigrants and a center for Polish activities. The church has been restored, and the front entrance proudly bears the church's name in Polish, a striking sight to those who pass the church each day on Interstate 70.

“When I came the parish was in danger of being closed,” Father Mucha told the Denver Catholic Register. “There was a small number of people who came here for Mass. Today we have many people, many youth. Our church has three choirs. It’s a wonderful community, one I will miss very much.”

Good Time in Globeville

The photos say it best - Globeville knows how to throw a great festival. Father Alex Vallens of Holy Transfiguration of Christ Orthodox Cathedral gave a brief history of the church and explained the iconostas, or icon screen, originally built by parishioners in 1904 in the late 19th century Russian style. Outside, vendors offered ethnic foods from Eastern Europe, Russia, Italy and Mexico, as well as crafts, gifts and an icon demonstration. Sunday's entertainment included Planina, singing songs of Eastern Europe, and enthusiastic performances by children in native dress from the Science, Art & Sport Center for Children. Grupo Folklorico Sabor Latino explained the meaning and construction of each part of their costumes and the meaning in each dance.

Mark the third weekend in July for next year's festival.

Celebrating Globeville

Begin the weekend of celebrating Globeville's rich history at Riverside Cemetery for Walk-A-Bout: "The Other Side of Riverside" at 9:00 am Saturday, July 17. Historian Jeff Stoffel will honor Riverside's Globeville residents with a special focus on the Orthodox section of the cemetery. The walk begins at Riverside's office at 9 am and will conclude at 11 am. Bring water, wear sunscreen and your walking shoes. Remember that there are no facilities at Riverside. This event is free, but will be limited to 20 people, so make a reservation at events@friendsofriversidecemetery.org

Then follow the aroma of roasting lamb to the 7th Annual “Orthodox Food Festival and Old Globeville Days” on Saturday, July 17 and Sunday, July 18 at Argo Park, 349 E 47th Avenue (at Logan Street) in Denver. Sample food from Russia, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, Eritrea, Greece, and Mexico while enjoying live music, activities for the children, entertainment and dance. Visit with your neighbors in the shade of the canopy, tour the craft booths or see a demonstration of iconography. Don't miss an opportunity to tour the beautiful 112-year-old Orthodox Cathedral, a historic landmark.

Saturday festivities will run from 11:00 am until 10:00 pm; on Sunday, the festival is open from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is free.

For information, visit http://orthodoxfoodfestival.wetpaint.com/ or www.transfigcathedral.org or call 303-294-0938

Top photo, the beautiful Orthodox section of Riverside Cemetery

Second photo, lamb roasting at the 2009 celebration

Third photo, crafts and food from the 2009 evvent

Fourth photo, Fotia from Hellenic Dance Academy of Denver. All photos by Mary Lou Egan

Ironton School

The Ironton School at 36th and Delgany Street was designed by architect John J. Huddart, a native of England who moved to Denver in 1882. Built in 1890, the school served children of workers at the Grant and Globe Smelters and the Union Pacific shops, who were mainly German, Swedish, Scotch, Irish and Slavs. As more industry moved into the neighborhood, families moved out of the area, the school was closed and students transferred to Garden Place School in 1937. The building then served as a temporary home to students of Annunciation Catholic Parish for two years while repair work was being done on the parish school. Ironton found new life as a WPA Sewing Center for several years and was then purchased by a private party and converted into apartments. This handsome building was demolished in 1955 and the site is now home to one of Denver's auto impound lots.

Photo of Ironton School, Denver Public Library

Photo of impound lot, Mary Lou Egan

The Globeville School

Three large smelters, the Boston and Colorado, the Omaha and Grant and the Globe, operated in Globeville between 1878 and 1889 and workers moved to the town seeking jobs. As the population grew, the region evolved from a rural outpost to an industrial village and the small country schools that dotted the area became inadequate. The Globeville School was built on the corner of 51st and Washington in 1890 on land belonging to the Globe Smelter, replacing a one-room country school that had been on that site since the 1870s. The community continued to expand and a new and larger Globeville School was completed in 1925 at 51st an Lincoln. However, the increase in the population reached its high point in the 1920s and declined afterward. With a dwindling enrollment, the Globeville School closed in 1943 and the remaining students were sent to Garden Place School.

In 1948, the building was given new life when Joseph and Elizabeth Calabrese created Laradon Hall, an organization that offers support, guidance and training to children with developmental disabilities.

Top photo, Globeville School at 51st and Washington, 1890, photo Denver Public Library

Second photo, Sam's Vintage Parts occupies the remains of the 1890 school, photo Mary Lou Egan

Third photo, new school 51st and Lincoln 1923, photo Denver Public Library

Fourth photo, Laradon Hall today, photo Mary Lou Egan

Argo School

At the time of Globeville’s incorporation in 1891, four elementary schools, Argo, Ironton, Globeville and Garden Place, served the area's children. The Argo School was built in 1890 for the children of the company town known as Argo, home of the Boston and Colorado Smelter. The school was richly endowed with funds from the smelter and the railroads and embodied all that was modern in its day: toilets that flushed, a basement, and a furnace. The school also housed the office of the superintendent, who was responsible for all four schools.

After a fire destroyed the Boston and Colorado Smelter in 1906, the population of the town diminished, the smelter was dismantled, and the school torn down in 1916. The convergence of interstate highways known as the "Mousetrap" occupies the site of the once-massive smelter, and the Plaza Hotel (now the Quality Inn) at 48th Avenue and Broadway occupies the site of the Argo School.

Photo of the Argo School about 1891 courtesy of Nora Landberg Duryea.

Photo of Plaza Hotel, Mary Lou Egan.

Calling all students of Holy Rosary

Holy Rosary Parish at 4688 Pearl Street in Globeville would like to reach out to all former students and graduates of Holy Rosary School, which was in operation from 1929 to 1969. The parish is creating a photographic history of the former school that will be available on a DVD.

The building was heavily damaged when water pipes broke in November of 2008 and work is underway to restore and reopen the school as a parish center for meetings, celebrations, receptions, classes and pancake breakfasts.

Call the parish at 303-297-1962 or email at holy.rosary@live.com.

Or as the sisters would say, you could join us for Mass, 9 am weekdays, 5:30 pm on Saturday, 8 and 10 am on Sundays, 11:30 am Sunday Spanish Mass (starting in May).

Top photo, the school in April, 2010 by Mary Lou Egan

Bottom photo, graduating class of 1938, from June Jackson Egan

Back row, left to right: Frank and Harold Krasovich, Leo Pollock, John Marolt, Bill Mauser, Joe Shaball, Mark Davidovich, Anthony (Nixie) Mencin

Front row, left to right: Mary Drobnich, Mathilda Horvat, Dorothy Kvas, June Jackson, Monsignor Judnic, Eileen Butler, Anne Horvat, Betty Ann Zalar, Sophie Pacheco.