A Neighborhood Shaped by Lakewood’s Growing Years
Meadowlark, often identified more formally as Meadowlark Hills, is one of those Lakewood neighborhoods that feels established without ever feeling stuck in the past. Its ranch-style houses, gently rolling streets, mature trees, and easy connection to parks and schools tell the story of a community built during one of the most important periods in Lakewood’s history: the years after World War II.
Today, Meadowlark is generally associated with the area east of the Denver Federal Center, south of U.S. Highway 6, and between Carr and Garrison streets. Its homes are part of the broad postwar landscape that transformed Lakewood from a semi-rural collection of farms, dairies, and small settlements into a fully developed suburban city. ([codot.gov](https://www.codot.gov/projects/US6wadsworth/assets/docs/appendix_c/historic-resources-survey.pdf?utm_source=openai))
The neighborhood’s history, however, reaches back well before the first ranch houses appeared. Like much of Lakewood, this part of Jefferson County was once open agricultural land divided into large parcels. Early residents raised crops, kept livestock, and relied on irrigation ditches and roads that connected them with Denver and Golden. Lakewood’s street grid and broad parcels made the land especially suitable for farming and later subdivision development. ([lakewoodco.gov](https://www.lakewoodco.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/planning/comprehensive-planning/pdfs/historic-preservation/pre-1920s-survey-june-2020-final.pdf?utm_source=openai))
How Meadowlark Got Its Name
The name Meadowlark Hills reflects the mid-century preference for neighborhood names that suggested nature, open space, and a pleasant suburban lifestyle. The subdivision was first platted on June 1, 1953, when the property was owned by Charles Gore and Daniel Kellogg. Developers then began transforming the land into a planned residential community. ([codot.gov](https://www.codot.gov/projects/US6wadsworth/assets/docs/appendix_c/historic-resources-survey.pdf?utm_source=openai))
There does not appear to be a single recorded person or event responsible for the name “Meadowlark.” Instead, it likely came from the landscape and marketing language of the period. “Meadowlark” evoked Colorado’s open fields and familiar songbirds, while “Hills” suited the neighborhood’s gently undulating terrain. The name also distinguished the development from the older farms and rural properties that had occupied the area.
This kind of naming was common in postwar Lakewood. Developers wanted prospective buyers to imagine fresh air, sunlight, growing families, and a little distance from the city—even as new highways and federal employment made suburban living increasingly practical.
The Federal Center and the Postwar Housing Boom
The most important force behind Meadowlark’s development was the Denver Federal Center. Established during the 1940s, the federal complex became a major source of stable employment and helped attract workers and their families to Lakewood. As federal jobs continued through the postwar decades, employees sought nearby homes, and subdivisions such as Meadowlark Hills provided a convenient answer. ([codot.gov](https://www.codot.gov/projects/US6wadsworth/assets/docs/appendix_c/historic-resources-survey.pdf?utm_source=openai))
U.S. Highway 6 added another advantage. Running along the northern edge of the neighborhood, the highway offered a direct route into Denver and made commuting much easier than it had been for earlier generations. A location that once required rural roads and patience could now connect residents with downtown jobs, shopping, schools, and regional destinations.
The first Meadowlark Hills houses were designed primarily in the late 1940s and 1950s, with additional homes filling open lots during the 1950s and 1960s. Hillcrest Homes was among the builders involved, and the company promoted the neighborhood through the Denver Area Parade of Homes in 1956. A model home at 400 Dover Street showcased Ranch-style houses priced between $20,000 and $40,000—a relatively high range compared with many Lakewood homes at the time. ([codot.gov](https://www.codot.gov/projects/US6wadsworth/assets/docs/appendix_c/historic-resources-survey.pdf?utm_source=openai))
Those houses reflected the ideals of the era: one-story living, attached garages, practical floor plans, picture windows, and yards large enough for children to play. Many homes have since been remodeled, but the basic character remains visible along streets such as Dover, Decatur, Carr, and Garrison.
Streets, Parks, and Everyday Landmarks
One of Meadowlark’s most recognizable landmarks is Meadowlark Park at 8601 West Second Avenue. Listed by the City of Lakewood as one of its oldest parks, the park includes a playground, swings, picnic facilities, and a popular sledding hill near McIntyre Gulch. For generations of local families, it has been less a formal destination than an extension of the neighborhood—a place for winter sledding, summer play, and casual conversations between neighbors. ([lakewoodco.gov](https://www.lakewoodco.gov/Local-Government/Departments/Community-Resources/Parks-Forestry-and-Open-Space/A-to-Z-Park-List/Meadowlark-Park?utm_source=openai))
South Lakewood Elementary School has also played an important role in the surrounding community. The school and its grounds helped anchor family life as Meadowlark matured, while nearby classrooms later known as the Meadowlark Cottages served changing educational needs. Built in the 1960s as supplemental elementary classrooms, the cottages eventually became space for preschool and early-childhood programs. ([lakewoodtogether.org](https://www.lakewoodtogether.org/cottagepark?tool=survey_tool&utm_source=openai))
The Meadowlark Cottages stood at 110 South Cody Street until the site was redeveloped as Cottage Park. The city acquired the property in 2000, and after the aging buildings were removed in 2019, a new neighborhood park opened in July 2021. The story is a good example of how Meadowlark has evolved: older civic spaces are not simply forgotten but reimagined for today’s residents. ([lakewoodtogether.org](https://www.lakewoodtogether.org/cottagepark?tool=survey_tool&utm_source=openai))
The Denver Federal Center remains another important nearby institution. Even residents who never worked there have felt its influence through family connections, commuting patterns, neighborhood growth, and the steady presence of federal employees who helped give Meadowlark its middle-class stability.
From New Subdivision to Established Community
During the 1960s and 1970s, Meadowlark changed from a new development into a settled neighborhood. Children who had grown up on its streets became adults, while new families moved into houses that were now surrounded by mature trees and established schools. Lakewood itself incorporated as a city in 1969, bringing together many distinct neighborhoods that had previously developed as separate communities. ([lakewoodtogether.org](https://www.lakewoodtogether.org/Lakewood50/news_feed/fifty-years?utm_source=openai))
By the late twentieth century, the neighborhood’s appeal had shifted. Meadowlark was no longer valued for being brand-new; it was valued for its location, familiar streets, solid homes, and sense of continuity. Residents could reach downtown Denver, the Federal Center, Belmar, the foothills, and regional trails without giving up the quieter rhythm of a residential neighborhood.
Like many older Lakewood communities, Meadowlark has also seen gradual reinvestment. Original Ranch homes have gained additions, updated kitchens, energy improvements, and new landscaping. Some houses have changed hands several times, while others remain connected to families who have lived in the neighborhood for decades. The architecture may be modest, but its consistency gives Meadowlark a strong visual identity.
What Makes Meadowlark Special Today
The enduring appeal of Meadowlark lies in the way its history remains part of daily life. A walk along Dover Street or near Meadowlark Park can reveal several generations of Lakewood development at once: former farm country in the broad layout of the land, postwar optimism in the Ranch-style homes, civic investment in the schools and parks, and modern adaptation in renovated houses and renewed public spaces.
Meadowlark is not a neighborhood built around a grand monument. Its heritage is quieter and more personal. It lives in the familiar curve of a street, the sledding hill near McIntyre Gulch, the old classroom site on Cody Street, and the many homes first purchased by families connected to the Federal Center.
That combination of ordinary places and lasting memories is what makes Meadowlark Hills special. It is a neighborhood that grew with Lakewood, weathered the changes of suburban life, and continues to offer something increasingly valuable: a strong sense of place.