Neighborhood Profile: Cory-Merril
Cory-Merrill History:
The Cory-Merrill neighborhood was originally named Coronado by S. Allen and Henrietta Long. The couple platted the land in 1883. Coronado was then part of the town of South Denver. The Long family, with help from John Babcock, persuaded school district #35 to open an academy in their area. Babcock was instrumental in the development of the University Park neighborhood and by 1886 he had erected the Coronado School. Babcock would also serve as the head of the school board but the Coronado school would start to fade by 1904.
At the turn of the century the neighborhood was annexed to Denver. A majority of the land was farms and orchards. In 1906 St. Thomas Aquinas Theological Seminary was founded on 60 acres of land. Backers of the seminary liked the fact that it was so secluded with a lot of open space. Sponsors hoped it would “restore the health of those aspiring to the priesthood” and “redress the way tuberculosis ravished many hopeful theologians.”
In the 1940’s, farmland was donated to Denver Public Schools by Mr. Armstrong. To replace aging facilities, the school district built Cory Elementary and Merrill Junior High School. Both schools were named after influential Denver educators, John J. Cory and Louise A. Merrill. Developer, Les Tremblay purchased plots around the school at the same time. He built tract homes to house soldiers coming home from WWII. The single story homes became known as, Les Tremblay small houses. Soon after the neighborhood would become the Cory-Merrill neighborhood.
Cory-Merrill Today:
Cory-Merrill is one of the most sought after neighborhoods in Denver and has become quite popular with young families. The seminary is still thriving and the namesake schools, still going strong. Many of the Les Tremblay houses have been scrapped for larger and more modern homes.
Where:
Cory- Merrill is bounded by E. Mississippi Avenue to the north, I-25 to the south, S. University Boulevard to the west, and S. Colorado Boulevard to the east.
Who Lives There:
The population is 48% single, 37% married, and 21% of households have children. The Annual Residential Turnover is 28.13%.
Retail Areas:
Colorado Boulevard
Median Sales Price:
$743,000 for a single family home (2017)
Main Attractions:
A quiet neighborhood, close to the light rail, close to Washington Park, strong community involvement
Common Complaints:
Cory Merrill is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Denver
Schools:
Cory Elemetary School
Merrill Middle School
College America
St. Vincent De Paul School
Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missonary Seminary
Public Transportation and Bike Lanes:
Buses servicing the neighborhood: 11 (Mississippi Avenue), 24 (University Blvd.), and 40 (Colorado Blvd.)
There are three shared bicycle routes: D13 (Steele Street), D18 (Florida Avenue), and D16 (Mississippi Avenue)
Annual Events & Resources:
Lights of Love “Luminaria” (Nov./Dec.)
Cory Merrill Neighborhood Association: http://www.corymerrill.org
Phil Goodstein. The History of South Denver: The Haunts of Washington Park
Published by New Social Publications, Denver, CO.
2009. Print.
“Cory-Merrill Neighborhood History”
Cory Merrill Neighborhood Association
http://www.corymerrill.org/wp-content/uploads/cmn_takreda_allred_history.pdf
Copyright 1998, The Piton Foundation. Web.6/2017.
Statistical data collected from Metrolist, Inc. RE Colorado – powered by Matrix.
