Barney Ford was a successful African American businessman in early Denver. Ford and his wife Julia arrived in Denver in 1860, and opened a barber shop on Blake Street, the success of which enabled him to purchase the building. He later built 1514 Blake St, a two-story building that included the glamorous People’s Restaurant. By the 1870s, he was well known as a prominent businessman and was nominated to the Colorado Territorial Legislature, where he served one term.
This home was purchased by the Fords in 1890, and they owned it until 1902, when it was sold to his daughter, Sarah. Barney continued to live in the home until his death later that year. His legacy is part of our city’s earliest history, and he is honored with a stained-glass window in the Colorado State Capitol.
