Fans of jaw-dropping real estate, look no further than Compass agent Jeff Hendley’s newest listing.
Located at 2401 East 5th Avenue in Cherry Creek, the property boasts a history as storied and colorful as its stained-glass windows; on the outside, it presents as a sanctuary, complete with a stained-glass rose window keeping watch over a towering arched entryway. Inside, however, is a home that is palatial in size and elegant in design.
Hendley, a founding agent at Compass Denver, describes the history of the property:
“Originally constructed as a church and rectory in 1902, the property was redeveloped in 2008 with the idea of creating a high-end, low-maintenance community in the heart of Cherry Creek North.”
The community, St. John’s Gardens, consists of nine condominium units in three structures: the six single-story units of The Flats, the two multi-story units that make up The Rectory, and, finally, the original church, which is a maintenance-free condominium that lives like a single-family home.
Encompassing one-fourth of a city block on the corner of Josephine and 5th, the community even boasts a secure underground parking garage that offers private access to each of the nine homes.
When it came to converting the sanctuary into a home, renowned architect Don Ruggles carefully maintained the architectural character and charm of the original construction while capitalizing on the cavernous beauty of the space.
The result? A masterful marriage between historical architecture and modern luxury and comfort.
The home’s staircase, a work of art in its own right, mirrors the original arched architecture found throughout the home. The curved, suspended Travertine marble tread staircase floats between the home’s three levels, a jaw-dropping visual in the context of the main floor’s soaring 30-foot ceilings.
Beneath the home’s grandiose trusses, the main floor features a guest bedroom suite, an executive office, several sitting areas, as well as a dining and hearth room perfect for entertaining. Down one level, the basement plays home to an exercise room, a second room and ¾ bathroom, a laundry room, a mechanical room, and a wine area complete with beautiful built-in bottle storage.
For a breath of fresh air, a patio along the side of the home provides more than enough space to enjoy the breeze beneath a set of sparkling string lights.
An open-air loft area-complete with a limestone fireplace and an expansive bathroom suite-serves as a unique and inspiring master retreat. The sanctuary’s rose window stands sentry above the space, exuding rays of light courtesy of the home’s southern sun exposure.
“The colors that emanate from the stained glass are something that must be seen in person to appreciate," says Hendley. "They are nothing short of spectacular.”
As for his personal favorite part of the home, Hendley says, “The sheer surprise of it all. The first time I entered, I was speechless.”
His main takeaway from the property is its broad appeal to a large pool of buyers.
“This home is great for buyers who desire maintenance-free without sacrificing elegance, size, or comfort of home, for curators of fine art as there are tremendous walls everywhere, or for those who love to entertain.”
Aptly nicknamed "The Church," the property is more than a home: it is, quite literally, a sanctuary.