Molkerei (Montclair Civic Building)

Baron Walter von Richthofen—uncle of World War I flying ace Manfred von Richthofen—arrived in Denver in the 1870s and became one of Montclair's principal land developers. In 1888 he constructed the Molkerei (German: 'milkhouse' or 'dairy') at East 12th Avenue, promoting what he called the 'Swiss milk cure' for tuberculosis: patients would drink fresh, unpasteurized milk directly from cows stabled on the building's lower level, while inhaling barn vapors through floor grates on the upper dining and sleeping levels. Von Richthofen unveiled this treatment on September 15, 1888.

The milk cure's scientific basis was dubious, and when effective antitubercular treatments emerged, the Molkerei's medical mission ended. The structure subsequently operated as an asylum for a period roughly between 1902 and 1906, representing early and controversial psychiatric practices of the era. Walter von Richthofen died in 1898, before the asylum phase.

In 1908, the City of Denver acquired the property as an addition to Montclair Park, turning it over to the Montclair Improvement Association as Denver's first community center. After Montclair's annexation to Denver, the city remodeled the building in 1909, designating it the Montclair Civic Building. A complete restoration and rehabilitation was completed in 2003–2004.

The building is designated a Denver Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of Montclair Park. Von Richthofen's nearby castle—built 1887 at 7020 E 12th Avenue—still stands as a private residence, and local legend holds that underground tunnels once connected the two properties, though this has not been archaeologically confirmed.