Designed by Roland Wilson and developed by Jack Skinner and Neil Wynkoop in the mid-1960s, the Polo Club was among the first truly luxurious high-rise condominium communities in the American West.
When completed in 1967, the Polo Club offered an extraordinary collection of amenities and attracted prominent members of Denver’s social, civic, and business communities. Philanthropists, corporate presidents, physicians, judges, cattlemen, and other notable Coloradans purchased residences in the building.
Between 2021 and 2026, Polo Club residents invested more than $2 million in an extensive renovation of the building’s shared spaces. Professional design and architectural firms, including Davis Partnership Architects, helped guide the transformation.
The improvements extended from the soaring 21-story atrium to the party rooms, pool patios, garden areas, and other community spaces.
Today, the Polo Club brings together its distinctive mid-century history, thoughtfully updated amenities, expansive views, and an exceptional location adjacent to Cherry Creek and Washington Park.
Over the decades, the Polo Club has been home to an impressive group of residents who helped shape Colorado’s legal, political, business, cultural, and philanthropic history.
Colorado Supreme Court Justice Leonard Sutton and his wife lived in Residence 1908. A graduate of the University of Denver, Sutton served on the Colorado Supreme Court from 1956 to 1968 and was Chief Justice for two years.
After leaving the court, he was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to lead the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission and later contributed to international human-rights work. He also used Residence 902 to house his art collection.
Charles Brannan, a Quaker and liberal Democrat, served as United States Secretary of Agriculture from 1948 to 1953 under President Harry S. Truman.
He was best known for proposing the “Brannan Plan,” which sought to support farmers’ income while allowing the free market to determine commodity prices. Brannan and his wife were original purchasers of Residence 1801 in 1966.
Bill and Dorothy Harmsen, founders of Jolly Rancher candy, purchased Residence 2001 in August 1971 for $82,500.
Their now-famous hard candy was first made at their farmhouse on Ward Road and sold through their ice cream shop, The Jolly Rancher, in Golden. During Halloween, their candy giveaways reportedly created traffic jams along Interstate 70 near the factory.
After selling the company to Beatrice Foods, the Harmsens became devoted collectors of Western art. They later donated more than 3,000 works to the Denver Art Museum.
Retired Naval Commander James Woodruff and his wife, Hazel Rhoads Gates, made their home in Residence 2006.
Hazel was the daughter of Charles C. Gates Sr., founder of the Gates Rubber Company. James owned Woodruff World Travel and had an accomplished military career that included service at Pearl Harbor.
The Gates family’s philanthropic legacy continues through the Gates Family Foundation, which has contributed millions of dollars through grants and endowments benefiting communities throughout Colorado.
Colorado Governor John Love lived in the Wynkoop residence while the Governor’s Mansion was being renovated during his final term, from 1970 to 1973.
Colorado’s 36th governor, Love signed the nation’s first law liberalizing abortion restrictions in 1967. In 1973, he resigned as governor to become the country’s first Director of the Office of Energy Policy—often referred to as the nation’s “energy czar”—under President Richard Nixon.
3131 E Alameda Ave, Denver, Co 80209