Denver

History

Denver was founded by in 1735, by Hans Bucher, a Swiss immigrant. It was originally known as Bucher's Thal, or "Bucher Valley", in reference to the adjacent Cocalico Creek. The original name is the source of the Pennsylvania German name, . In the mid-18th century, a gristmill was built along the creek, and by 1772 six dwellings had been built. A blacksmith shop and a sawmill were operating by 1820. Early advantages for the settlement were fertile soils and the limestone formations that were mined for the manufacture of mortar, plaster and whitewash. In the 1830s, settler John Bucher became an advocate for using the lime as a fertilizer. Several limestone quarries were in turn operating by the 1850s. During the Civil War, the Reading and Columbia Railroad built a line through town, prompting a name change to "Union Station". With time, residents grew weary being referred to as a train station. After researching post offices in the country, Adam Brubaker found only one named Denver. On November 1, 1881, the town was officially renamed Denver. By the late 19th century, continued growth had some residents considering incorporating as a borough. The tipping point was a major fire at the Denver House, a tavern built behind the train station in 1868. Water from a local well and the nearby Cocalico Creek was insufficient to fight the fire, prompting tobacco merchant Aaron Shirk, physician W.D. Fink and businessman Ephraim Renninger to press for incorporation, so a municipal water system could be created. The trio filed an application for incorporation in April 1900, and by that December, Denver Borough had come into being. It originally encompassed , about a quarter its current size. Bucher's Mill Covered Bridge, south of Denver near Reamstown, was listed on the National…

Geography

Denver is located in northeastern Lancaster County at (40.233859, -76.137088). It is bordered to the southeast by Reamstown and to the southwest by Stevens. Interstate 76, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, passes through the northern side of the borough, with the closest access to the east at Exit 286 (U.S. Route 222). Denver is northeast of Lancaster and southwest of Reading. According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which , or 1.45%, are water. Denver sits in a valley formed by Cocalico Creek to the west and Little Cocalico Creek to the east; the two creeks join at the southern border of the borough. Cocalico Creek is a tributary of the Conestoga River and part of the Susquehanna watershed.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Ephrata SHS
  High · Ephrata · 1,317 students · 13.6:1 ratio
• Cocalico SHS
  High · Denver · 1,008 students · 15:1 ratio
• Garden Spot SHS
  High · New Holland · 926 students · 13.6:1 ratio
• Cocalico MS
  Middle · Denver · 682 students · 11.8:1 ratio
• Ephrata MS
  Middle · Ephrata · 631 students · 11.9:1 ratio
• Ephrata Intermediate Sch
  Middle · Ephrata · 559 students · 13.6:1 ratio
• John R Bonfield El Sch
  Elementary · Lititz · 476 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• Highland El Sch
  Elementary · Ephrata · 468 students · 15.1:1 ratio