Haunted Platt Park - The Fleming Mansion

Keep an eye out. There are ghosts roaming the halls, rooms, lobbies, restaurants, basements and parks throughout the DU/Platt Park neighborhoods. Indeed, you don't have to look far to find stories of ghosts and hauntings in South Denver. Last year we talked about the spooky specters that haunt the University of Denver. This year we delve a bit deeper into the local disembodied spirits, with a trip to Deckers Library and the adjacent Fleming mansion.

Incorporated in 1886, the Town of South Denver stretched from South Alameda to Yale, from Colorado Boulevard to Pecos. In 1882 James Fleming, the town's first and only mayor, built a rusticated stone mansion at 1510 S. Grant for his home, ultimately donating it to the town in 1891. It became the town hall, library and temporary home to criminals when the basement was converted to a jail. Legend has it that one of the very large trees on the grounds of the home saw more than a few hangings.

Still known as the Fleming house, the building next to the Decker Library in Platt Park, is allegedly haunted by the pounding of the walls of prisoners from the days when it housed the South Denver jail. The adjacent Platt Park is a shining star during the day, but has a melancholy feeling after dark.

The Fleming house has been underutilized in recent years. A few pool tables sit in the main room, and another room on the main floor was at one time converted to a wood working shop that is rarely used and is something of a hazard. The upstairs is mostly used for storage and is only accessed by an existing servants' stair. The interior is in desperate need of repair and refurbishment, something that will not happen given the budget constraints on the Parks and Recreation Department.
 

Currently, The Park People non-profit group is working to rehabilitate the Fleming House. The first floor will be upgraded into a beautiful community space, available for a variety of meetings, events, and special gatherings. A reconstructed central staircase to the second floor will be installed where the original existed years ago; a bearing wall that was removed circa 1914 will be relocated to its original location. The second floor will be renovated for use by The Park People for their headquarters. Offices, work spaces, a break room, and a bathroom will all be updated using the existing layout of the top floor. Throughout the house, the floors and windows will be replaced and refurbished, along with updated electrical and plumbing to allow for the building’s expanded use. Where ever possible, fixtures and finishes will reflect the idea of a modern use for a historic structure. This project will breathe new life into this building, creating a public amenity for the Platt Park neighborhood and giving The Park People a larger home for its growing list of activities. The renovation will preserve this important historical structure going into the future, and The Park People’s presence will ensure that the Fleming House will receive the tender loving care that it deserves.