Neighborhood History

Southern Hills is a unique neighborhood in Denver characterized by primarily ranch-style homes, with a few two-story and tri-level styles. Although each house has a similar exterior styling, no two are exactly alike and each interior floor plan is different. The area's borders are South St. Paul St. on the east, University Boulevard on the west, E. Flora Place on the south, and E. Yale Avenue on the north. A rough estimate indicates about 570 homes in the boundaries.

Maps in the Denver Public library from 1899 and 1913 show the area was owned by an individual named Jay Morton. Little more is known about Mr. Morton, but it would be interesting to continue to research this early history. Unfortunately, a land transfer record in the Rocky Mountain News from April, 1897, citing this name, now on microfilm at the Denver Public Library, is illegible.

The land south of E. Yale Avenue was part of Arapahoe County until parcels were gradually annexed by Denver between 1945 and 1957. There are six filings for development, and five of the six filings were platted by 1957. The first filing to be developed was Filing 2 bounded by Dartmouth (S) to Bates (N) to Clayton (E) to University (W). The last filing to be developed was probably platted in 1960-1961. In 1959, this filing was still not plotted on maps of the area.

Yale Avenue was not a through street in the early 50s. It was called Yale Way to the east, from Colorado Boulevard only to S. Steele St, and Yale Avenue to the west from University Boulevard only to S. Fillmore St.

The homes in Southern Hills were built in the late 50s and early 60s. Entities known as Consolidated Homes and Paramount Homes were the original filers for the area. The name Sam G. Russell appears as a general partner for Paramount Homes in 1960. Contractor Aubrey Harrison apparently purchased some of the lots and, according to his grandson, built many of the houses in the neighborhood as well as other parts of Denver from 1955 to 1980. Aubrey’s son, Lynn Harrison, built homes in Greenwood Village and Cherry Hills Village, and grandson Scott Harrison is now a third generation custom home builder in the metro area.

Slavens Elementary School was built at the same time as the neighborhood was being developed in the mid 1950s. As demographics changed, Slavens was closed for several years,  but later reopened and in recent years was expanded to include students through 8th grade. It is considered a top quality DPS School and an asset to the neighborhood that draws in young families.

On the north side of Yale is McWilliam’s Park, which is named for a resident of the neighborhood to the north, University Park. Robert Hugh McWilliam’s had a long judicial career, graduating from South High School and the University of Denver, first serving in WWII in naval intelligence, then as District Attorney in Denver, and eventually serving as Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court. He died in 2013 at age 97. The park was dedicated and designated in 1967. The park is also known as “Dinosaur Park”, although, the Denver artist who designed the signature play sculpture has said that the sculpture is in fact a dragon. A 2020s refresh to the park modernized all of its play equipment while preserving the "dinosaur."

There was an active Garden Club in Southern Hills in the 60s until the early 90s. They placed the Southern Hills wrought iron signs, originally green with gold script, now black. They also donated several trees to Slavens Elementary. Several homeowners planted Bechtel Crabtrees along Dartmouth and trees also in McWilliam’s Park. Scrapbooks and memorabilia from this club has been donated to and archived by the Denver Public Library.

University Hills Shopping Center is also part of the neighborhood to the east. It was originally built in 1953 as an open air shopping center with the department story May D & F (subsequently Foley’s and now Macy’s) as the anchor department store. May D & F had 3 floors, with a restaurant on the top floor, known as the Leadville Room, no doubt acknowledging the origins of the department store in Leadville during the silver rush in 1877. There were several popular, family-owned businesses in that shopping center, Yarbro Drug Store, Hested’s (five and dime), Dave Cook Sporting Goods, Fashion Bar, The Boy’s Store, and Lou’s Music Box. In 1975, as was the architectural fashion at that time, it was enclosed, but in 1983 a fire consumed 40% of the structure. It was reopened the next year and May D & F remained there until that location was closed as the store in Cherry Creek Mall opened in 1990. The land continued to be owned by May Centers, Inc, but was eventually acquired in 1996. It was redeveloped as an open air shopping center with King Soopers, and was completed in 2001. In the 2020s, a small-format Target is the main draw to the plaza.