The Perrenoud has to be one of the most gorgeous and well preserved turn of the century apartment buildings in Denver. Located at 836 East 17th Avenue in the Uptown area Capitol Hill, The Perrenoud was designed by architect Frank Snell and was built in 1901.
The Perrenoud family arrived in Denver in 1862. The patriarch of the family, John Perrenoud died in Denver in 1900 at the age of 91. Perrenoud had 3 daughters. Together the 3 sisters built the grand and beautiful Perrenoud building in 1901, operating it initially in the style of a private club. The Perrenoud had a kitchen and full time chef, a formal dining room, a ballroom and an on site laundry service. All three of the sisters also lived at The Perrenoud in units 1A, 2B, and 2A. The Perrenoud remained in the family as apartments until 1949. In 1949, the residents of The Perrenoud purchased it thereby becoming one of Denver's first and few co-ops. In 1986, The Perrenoud became condos.
Having been through most of the apartment buildings of this era, I must say that The Perrenoud is possibly the best preserved Historic Building of it's kind in Denver.
Walking into the lobby of The Perrenoud it is like walking back in time. The Italian marble front steps leads you to a mosaic tile floor through a French plate mirror and marble hall, into the spacious lobby that is accented by an atrium. All furniture is period original. One of my favorite parts of The Perrenoud lobby is the original birdcage elevator that is still functional today, and the only one left in Denver, it is GORGEOUS! There is an antique desk in front of the elevator that was used as a switchboard allowing early residents to call one another, or, call for on-site residential services. 
There is a fireplace in the lobby that is made of translucent onyx with stained glass decorating the front. 
There are 3 other pieces of stained glass at The Perrenoud. One piece on the entrance light, another in the window transom above the front door, and the largest and most impressive in the ceiling of the atrium in the lobby. All of them are original pieces installed during construction.
The Perrenoud was built with 6 different wings. This allowed each apartment to be separate from one another and have exterior windows on three sides. Each apartment had it's own dumb waiter so that residents could have food sent up from the kitchen to their apartments. There were maids quarters in the attic of The Perrenoud. Those quarters remain today and are used as storage. There were 4 interior staircases so that servants could manuver from floor to floor and could enter each apartment by means of a backdoor.
Today, the ballroom has been converted into a fitness center. The basement of The Perrenoud features an archive gallery that showcases photos and additional information regarding this very special Historic Building of Denver and the 3 Perrenoud sisters that made it a reality.
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