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George Beckwith House
207 Bowen Street
Landmark Designation: 1985
Construction Date: Late 1880's
Architectural Style: Italianate
George L. Beckwith and his wife, Emily, built their farmhouse at 207 Bowen Street, when it was considered outside the city limits and they could farm the adjacent land to the southwest.
George was the fourth son born to Lawson and Eleanor Fenton Beckwith on January 20, 1842 in Unity, New York. After the economic panic of 1857 and because railroads had caused his father's turnpike tavern business to fail, Lawson Beckwith sent his older son, Fred C., to investigate business possibilities in the West. The Beckwiths corresponded with the Chicago-Colorado Colony's locating committee. The minute books of the St. Vrain Pioneer Association state: "It was largely through the efforts of Fred Beckwith that the Chicago-Colorado Colony was located on the present site of Longmont." Fred also wrote articles and letters that were published outside the state as a means of bringing settlers into the area. In 1860, the entire Beckwith family came to what is now Longmont making the trip over in a traditional covered wagon.
While his brothers were active in other areas, (Elmer and Fred established the first area newspaper, The Burlington Free Press) George homesteaded the 160 acres near the Beckwith House and dug the first ditch to take water from the St. Vrain River for irrigation purposes.
In 1864, George enlisted in Troop D Third Colorado Cavalry. Once he had completed his military term, he returned to Longmont to resume farming.
Reference
HPC 1985-7