Elyria and Swansea have their own unique history yet both neighborhoods share common historical features. In the mid-19th century, Denver was a miners’ town and therefore settlements began to form
around it. The Elyria/Swansea area was the site of two of these early settlements.

The two neighborhoods were favored due to their proximity to the South Platte River and their flat terrain. Such natural resources and topography, while unappealing to some,were highly valued by industry and commerce. Among those attracted by the expanding economic opportunities were the Slavic immigrants who settled in Swansea and Elyria in the mid-19th century when the two neighborhoods were part of Arapahoe County.

Research indicates that the Swansea neighborhood was apparently named by early settlers after the mining seaport town of Swansea in Wales. Swansea was established around 1870, after the Kansas Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads were completed. At that time, a demand for smelter facilities arose.
Methods for extracting gold from ore had previously been perfected at the smelter in Black Hawk, Colorado.

To satisfy demand, a company was organized and a sizeable parcel of land in the area now called Swansea was acquired at the junction of the two railroads. Apparently, due to the mismanagement and misapplication of the Black Hawk smelter process, the Swansea smelting process works was shut down and abandoned.

About 1875, the Village granted H.G. Bonds, Mein Fisher, and Charles Ruter a right-of-way for a “steam railroad” in Swansea. However, the proposed railroad was never built and the right-of-way grant was repealed by the Swansea Town Council in 1881. Although the annexations of this area are complicated, the area generally identified in this assessment as Swansea was annexed to Denver in 1883 and 1902.

Elyria demonstrated a substantial amount of political savvy in addressing the issues of the day. Leaders and residents debated the enforcement of gambling ordinances as opposed to the taxing of earnings. In fact, five of the taverns frequented by Denverites were annexed into Elyria’s boundaries between 1898 and 1900. The Elyria Town Hall was also a cultural center,where both nationally known and local artists performed. In February of 1940 the former Town Hall was demolished, after it was no longer needed as a fire station.

Elyria was platted on March 29, 1881 by A.C. Fisk and C. F. Liner, President and Treasurer of the Denver Land and Improvement Company. Elyria was named by Mr. Fisk after his hometown of Elyria, Ohio. The Elyria residents voted in favor of incorporation as a village on August 2, 1890. Elyria’s focal point was the Town Hall, built in 1894 at the corner of East 47th Street and Brighton Boulevard. Elyria was annexed to Denver in 1902.

Elyria demonstrated a substantial amount of political savvy in addressing the issues of the day. Leaders and residents debated the enforcement of gambling ordinances as opposed to the taxing of earnings. In fact, five of the taverns frequented by Denverites were annexed into Elyria’s boundaries between 1898 and 1900. The Elyria Town Hall was also a cultural center,where both nationally known and local artists performed. In February of 1940 the former Town Hall was demolished, after it was no longer needed as a fire station.

Prior to the turn of the 20th century, 23% of the residential blocks in the Elyria/Swansea area were at least half developed. However, most of this early growth was established in Elyria. By 1901 Elyria had 1,881 residents. Frank Hall, in his History of Colorado (1901) praised the village as being “one of the fine suburbs of Denver…quite populous,well-built, and progressive.” By 1929, most of Elyria’s housing units had already been developed.

Aside from its large amount of industrial and commercial development, the greatest influence on the Elyria/Swansea area environment has been Interstate 70, which was constructed directly through both neighborhoods in the early 1960s despite the concerns and warnings of area residents and business owners. The viaduct was opposed based on the contention that it would be a significant visual detraction and would decrease neighborhood property values.

Despite Interstate 70’s construction and its major impact upon Elyria and Swansea, the physical character of both Swansea and Elyria has remained basically stable since the end of World War II. Small sections of well maintained single family homes have been interspersed with larger areas of commercial and industrial development.

Elyria-Swansea is a neighborhood of contrasts, with both significant opportunities and challenges. It has many advantages and benefits for redevelopment, including a comparatively close in location attractive to many employers and residents, good access to I-70 and I-25, and is located in the path of planned major rail transit facilities (40th Street and 40th Avenue transfer station). The area contains large and significant amounts of land designated Areas of Change in Blueprint Denver. It is also home to the National Western Stock Show which has major plans for far-reaching buildings and capital improvements.

For years, Elyria-Swansea has been home to many employers and has given employment opportunities to many residents of Elyria-Swansea and surrounding neighborhoods.
Despite these and related opportunities, Elyria-Swansea has various challenges that must be overcome
before its potential can be achieved. The neighborhood contains many salvage yards and landfills that are not only economically unproductive but make the area unattractive to prospective employers and developers. Given the area’s long history of heavy industrial uses, environmental contamination is a reality that must be addressed. Infrastructure needs include unpaved and discontinuous streets, and both residential and non-residential areas cut up by railroads. The residential enclaves in the neighborhood continue to be threatened by surrounding industrial uses. There are many instances where are no adequate buffers between residential and non-residential uses.

Elyria-Swansea has a variety of significant transportation projects on its horizon. The Regional Transportation District’s FasTracks vision includes the rail transit transfer station at 40th Street/40th Avenue that will significantly expand the transit access to and from Elyria-Swansea. The I-70 East Corridor Environmental Impact Statement has recently being started by the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Provided by www.denvergov.com