Cory-Merrill

Originally developed in the 1880s as the Electric Heights, Coronado, and Coronado Heights subdivisions, this southeastern neighborhood has a rich history. In the early 1900s, Vincentian priests acquired nearly 60 acres of land here for the St. Thomas Aquinas Theological Seminary, now the center of Catholicism in Colorado and home to the Archdiocese of Denver.

The neighborhood’s name honors two influential Denver educators: John Cory, the first principal of South High School, who served for 20 years, and Louise Merrill, a pioneer in junior-high education. Cory Elementary School, a historic landmark within the neighborhood, was designed by Denver’s premier Usonian architect, Victor Hornbein. Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian Style, the school reflects design principles such as native materials, flat roofs, cantilevered overhangs, and an emphasis on natural light. Many of the neighborhood’s mid-century ranch homes also reflect these ideas, though newer development has led to the replacement of many original structures.

The flag’s colors represent the Archdiocese of Denver, while its line work and shapes pay homage to the distinctive aesthetic of the Usonian architectural style.