An 1880s Victorian Mansion in the Colorado Rockies: The Estemere Estate at Palmer Lake

by Edwards, Daniel

  The Third-Floor Sitting room. The carved trim around the hearth was made by Nikki Sheridan.

  The owls, swallows, and bats on the mantel. The tiles are 30 inches long.

  The Observatory

  Oral history says that Mrs. Thompson used the “Observatory” for her plants. The ceiling of the observatory originally had five-pointed gold stars in a symmetrical pattern on a pale blue background. The roof had obviously leaked over the years resulting in damage to the painted ceiling. Somewhere along the line someone had repaired the lower part of the ceiling and had painted foliage and flowers along the lower part of the ceiling, as can be seen in the photos below. [Delgado also mentioned this.]

  When we re-roofed the Observatory, a few more cracks appeared in the domed-ceiling. Mark Thomasson repaired the cracks and smoothed the ceiling. Our vision for the ceiling of an “observatory” was a sky at dusk with stars, constellations, and whispy clouds on the horizon. So, after four or five different people worked on the ceiling, Kim and Roger painted stars on it with fluorescent paint. The result is shown below.

  During one of our tours for the Palmer Lake Historical Society, a lady asked if Roger if he knew why the colored glass glazing had been replaced with colorless glazing in one of the windows of the observatory. He responded in the negative; she said that when she was a small girl she attended a slumber party in the observatory (perhaps 30 years prior) and she became angry and threw a chair through that window!

  The Observatory in 2010. Note the original colored glazing in the upper half of the windows.

  Stairs to the Widow's Walk in 2010.

  The Widow’s Walk

  Before the Tower was added by Dr. Thompson prior to 1890, the Widow’s Walk had 10 windows. Thompson removed one window (eventually replaced with a plywood door) to provide access to the new tower he was having built. Until 1998, one had to step on a wooden box, open the plywood door, and walk across a plank to enter the Tower. In the bottom photo, below, one can see the new access to the Tower.

  The Tower

  For over 100 years the roof of the Tower had leaked off and on and had been repaired many times. Water had ultimately rotted the floor of the Tower. Additionally, since the Tower had never been finished, and was difficult to access, it was a mess. The floor was littered with carcasses of dead rodents, flies, and other debris. Old electrical and telephone wires were scattered about. The walls were open stud-bays with nails from the outer shingles penetrating through. The old flagpole (seen in many of the old photographs and postcards) was leaning up against the wall [we placed it behind the Shed]. A long, rickety wooden ladder was protruding up through the attic access door in the ceiling above. Through that door was an even more rickety wooden ladder to take one up eight more feet to a very small door onto the roof.

  The Widow's Walk in 2010.

  The Tower is approximately 14 feet across.

  A number of visitors requested visiting the Tower—after all, it is the “crown” atop the house. So, completing the Tower became one of our early projects. After consulting with an engineer, structural members were added to the walls where they attached to the roof below. IcyneneTM foam was added to the stud-bays for insulation. Four inch (10 cm) tongue-and-groove beetle-kill pine was installed on the walls. The sub-flooring was replaced and ash floors installed in a “spider-web” pattern. Stairs were added around the chimney to reach the access door leading to the small attic above the Tower room. A sturdier ladder was added from the attic to a new skylight on the roof. The roof was totally stripped and new roofing materials were installed. We left a small section of the original 1890 roof and siding intact so that one may see the original color of Estamere. Later, storm windows were added.

  The Tower in 1998—three views.

  The Tower in 2010.

  The Two-Car Garage Loft

  The loft above the Two-Car garage had never been completed. So, with the help of Jeremy Jackson, we made small bookcases to insert into the eaves. Then, beetle-kill tongue-and-groove beetle-kill pine was applied to the walls. Then, Roger smoothed the concrete floor (it had been walked in while still uncured) and had carpet installed. The results were a nice little office space for his quartz memorabilia.

  The Loft above the Two-Car Garage in 1997 and 2010.

  The Loft in 2010.

  The Cottage

  It is difficult to properly date the construction of the Cottage. There are no direct photographs of that area of the Estate until the days of the RMSS. However, one can just make out the Cottage over the top of the left-end of the rock wall in the high-resolution 1893 photograph on the DVD. Thus, we know that the Cottage was built by Finley Thompson.

  In 2009, we expanded the kitchen of the cottage by enclosing the western porch and we modernized the kitchen.

  The remodeled and expanded kitchen in 2010.

  The Cottage's living room in 2010.

  Special Thanks

  Because of the Tower project, we met Rob Gilbreath, a master woodworker and jack-of-all-(construction) trades. Kim and Rob got along well—Rob would listen to Kim and offer critical advice on the Tower restoration. So we hired Rob to be our main restoration coordinator. Rob was acquainted with most of the local craftsmen, and he often brought them in to assist with the many projects. Rob wound up working for us 18 months straight, then returned over the years for many more projects. Some of the local craftsmen who worked on restoring Estemere were: Rob’s sons Sean and Scott, Jeremy Jackson, Doug Wilson, Bill and Ben Boggan, Dave Jack and Mark Kazek, Jordan Patrick, Larry Stromer, Roy Holms, Mark Thomasson, and Rich Harding. There were many others—please forgive me for not mentioning everyone!

  Many special thanks to all of the people who helped us restore Estemere to her rightful position as the “Crown Jewel” of Palmer Lake! We couldn’t have done it without you.

  Roger, Mark Thomasson, and Rob Gilbreath—2008.

  More items related to this chapter are on the DVD.

  This building is now O'Malley's Irish Pub. If Kim and Roger had not stopped here for lunch that faithful day in 1997,

  they probably would not have found Estemere!

  Chapter 14

  Visitors from the Past and Open Houses

  Eben Smith Era

  Julia Moore Mynett

  David Forsyth was able to locate several of Eben Smith’s relatives, some of whom still live in Colorado and had no knowledge of their famous ancestor. One of them is Julia Moore Mynett of Colorado Springs, Eben’s great-great-granddaughter. After learning of Eben’s former ownership of Estemere, Julia visited us on 03 August 2005, and we shared our limited knowledge of Eben Smith with each other.

  Julia Moore Mynett visits Estemere.

  David also unearthed photos of Eben’s estate in Los Angeles. This estate appears to have been located on an entire city block of land near downtown Los Angeles. Today, a large hotel and convention center occupies the site. Imagine what that land is worth today!

  Ashton Rollins II

  In 2001, the great-great-grandson of E.H. Rollins, Ashton Rollins II and his wife Victoria came by to check out Estemere. E.H. Rollins and Sons [its Denver office headed by Edward W. Rollins] were the note holders on Estamere when it was owned by Ada and William Finley Thompson. E.H. Rollins and Sons later sold Estamere to Eben Smith. Ashton had seen our web page www.estemere.com and wanted to see if we had any more information about his great-great-grandfather. Ashton and Victoria live in Morrison, Colorado.

  RMSS Era

  Clara Richter Euhus

  On 31 August 2000, Clara Euhus (nee Richter) and her sons Milton and Keith Euhus visited Estemere.

  Clara was a student at the Rocky Mountain Summer School in 1928 and 1929. Clara graduated from Hoxie, Kansas, high school in 1927. Clara was a school teacher in Hoxie and had to take college classes to continue teaching. Clara worked serving and washing dishes at RMSS to pay her room and board of $8 per week. Clara roomed with Christina Schlicher and Olive Thompson. They stayed in the “Carnation Room,”
which is the bedroom in the NW corner of the second floor of Estemere. Clara sat on the bed, smiling and eyes glowing, as she recalled her wonderful months at Estemere. Clara recalled the big occasion when enrollment reached 100 students. Several of the students lived at Estemere, but many lived in the town and in the Glen. About five male students lived in the Cottage (Twin Pines Lodge back then). She remembered that most of the furniture was birdseye maple. It was a big deal to her that there was running hot and cold water in the Kitchen for doing dishes in large dish pans and that the water was poured down the drain. Hoxie must have been pretty primitive in 1928!

  On Sundays, Clara and Olive would pack sack lunches for the students, who would hike, sit around, or drive to Denver for the day. Clara was born in 1908. Clara recalled that she still had her annual from the RMSS and promised to look for it. A couple of months later a package arrived containing her original 1929 annual The Estemere in mint condition. Many of the pages contained notes and autographs from her fellow students and some of the professors and staff. What a wonderful piece of Estemere history—special thanks to Clara Euhus and her sons for this donation.

  Milton, Clara, and Keith Euhus at Estemere 31 August 2000.

  Nininger’s Daughters

  Two of H.H. Nininger’s daughters lived at Estemere while the RMSS was functioning—Margaret Huss and Doris Banks. They are pictured in the front row in the photo on page 18 of the 1929 The Estemere.

  Margaret has many recollections of Estemere, including falling down the step on the west side of the house and getting a four inch splinter in her leg. She says she still carries a piece of it in her!

  On 13 September 2000, Margaret and Doris, and Doris' husband John Banks, visited. They have a brother who is two years older than Doris. Doris was born in 1919, so she was 11 years old during the last year the Rocky Mountain Summer School was held at Estemere. Margaret was born in 1925. Doris and John live in Sedona, AZ, in the house built by Professor Nininger in 1957-1959. John was City Attorney for Denver until his retirement in 1975. Doris mentioned that what is now the Chapel was the “carbide” plant that provided acetylene gas for lighting Estemere prior to electricity coming to the house. [Okay, I give up—perhaps it really was the Carbide House!] Doris also recalled that she and Margaret found an old, rusty “sword” in the Tower. The Tower had always been a ‘scary’ place for them to visit, but finding the sword made it even scarier!

  Doris and Margaret Nininger (seated on the grass left and center) at the RMSS in 1929.

  John Banks with Margaret Nininger Huss and Doris Nininger Banks in 2000 at Estemere.

  Margaret brought her original 1929 and 1930 RMSS yearbooks in mint condition. She and Doris were kind enough to allow me to photocopy them. What a treasure! From these yearbooks one discovers, among other things, that: Dr. Thompson decorated one small room of the Estemere with Indian curios he brought from Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico; there were only carbide gas lights in 1930; and the RMSS had 150 students [total for three sessions] in 1930.

  Margaret visited Estemere several times after that first visit. On one visit, she and Doris gave us a copy of Nininger’s 1973 book, Find a Falling Star.

  Charlene Clark McCall

  Charlene Clark McCall, one of the socialites with Roberta Graham in 1933-34, and daughter of Charles Clark who was the owner of a Palmer Lake grocery store in the early 1900s, attended the Estemere Open House 24 July 2010.

  Charlene Clark McCall, one of the socialites with Roberta Graham in 1933-34.

  Estemere Lodge Era

  Winnie Metzler and Bernice Vessey Brenner

  Winnie Metzler and Bernice Vessey Brenner are the daughters of C.I. Vessey. Winnie was born 02 February 1913. [Note: Winnie passed away in 2004.]

  Winnie Vessey Metzler and Bernice Vessey Brenner at Estemere.

  John Kelley and Family

  Below is a picture of John Kelley (Oliver Adams’ great-grandson) and his wife Elizabeth; Oliver’s great-great-granddaughters, Clara and Elizabeth Kelley; and Oliver’s granddaughter Mary Jane Adams sitting on the same steps as their relatives (Chapter 7) 68 years and one week later. Mary Jane wonders how many more than the five generations of Adams ultimately will be photographed sitting on these steps?

  Oliver Adams descendents visit Estemere 23 July 2007.

  Reverend Mason Brown

  The report of a Colorado Baptist Church Camp being held at Estemere about 1942, was confirmed by Reverend Mason Brown, who visited Estemere in May 2000. Mason attended the “Colorado Baptist Church Camp” at Estemere around 1942 when he was 12 or 13 years old. He stayed in a second floor bedroom on the east side of the main house. The campers played “barnyard golf” on the lawn, which was a combination of croquet and golf. They used croquet mallets and balls that were a little larger than croquet balls—made from bowling pins. They used coffee cans sunk into the ground and numbered like a golf course. Reverend Brown said that the Colorado Baptist Group is now known as the Black Forest Baptist Camp and Conference Center, and that Baptist Road is named after them.

  The Blietz Children

  On 15 August 2002, Don, Gail, and David Blietz stopped by Estemere to visit. Some of their tales and photographs of their days at Estemere are incorporated into Chapter 7.

  Don, Gail, and David Blietz at Estemere, 15 August 2002.

  Estemere deteriorates Era

  Dan Dees

  Per a 07 July 1999 communication from Dan Dees (grandson of Helen Dees and son of Ronny Dees, who lived in Estemere in the 1950s) of Lakin, Kansas: A huge painting of the “End of the Trail” hung in Estemere when Helen Dees first bought Estemere. Dan’s mother was Wanda Krueger, whose brothers were Andy, Harry, and Ronnie Krueger. [Some of the Krueger family still lives in Palmer Lake.] Dan said there is a book, “Palmer Lake Memorial,” that has info on Estemere.[190]

  Niki, Marc, and Aisha Delgado

  Deane Delgado’s ex-wife Niki and son Marc visited Estemere around 2002. They pulled up to the house one day and Marc asked if he could see the ceiling his dad had painted back in the 60s. Roger said, “Oh, you must be Deane Delgado’s son. Of course, come in!” Unfortunately, he did not take their photo.

  On 19 July 2010, Aisha (Delgado) and her husband Tom Perkins visited Estemere to see the mural her dad had painted on the Billiard Room ceiling 46 years earlier. [Aisha may be the only new-born to have lived at Estemere.]

  Aisha (Delgado) and her husband Tom Perkins.

  Public Tours of Estemere

  Shortly after we bought Estemere, people began showing up asking for tours of the house. Many said they had lived in Palmer Lake their whole lives and had never been allowed on the grounds. We always agreed to show them around.

  Since there seemed to be so much community interest, in 1999 we decided to have a mid-restoration open house. [Little did we know that this was far from the middle of our restoration period.]

  Estemere is on the official Walking Tour for the Palmer Lake Historical Society’s (PLHS) list of historical Palmer Lake sites.

  In 2002, the PLHS had an official guided tour of Palmer Lake. They asked us and Mary and Larry Meyer, who own the “Pillsbury House,” if we each would open our homes for the tour. We both agreed. Estemere turned out to be of such great interest that, in 2003 and 2004, the PLHS asked us to host an open house as a fund raiser for them. Again we agreed. The tours raised several thousand dollars and were such a success that the PLHS asked us to continue the tours each summer. Many of the same visitors came each year to see the status of our renovations. Since the renovations were nearing an end (we thought), after the 2004 tour we decided to go to an every-other-year schedule. So tours were held in 2006, 2008, and 2010. In 2010, about 725 people toured Estemere. [Thanks to Mike Maddox, who lives in the Carriage House loft with debi, his wife. Mike persuaded the Denver Times to put a short article about the Estemere Open House in their Saturday morning paper. Many Denverites, looking for something to do that day, traveled down to Palmer Lake to tour Estemere.]

  ha
lloween

  In 2006, Kim, working with a dozen or so Serteens (kids that have a relationship with the local Sertoma Club) and several friends, decorated Estemere for Halloween. An event for the Palmer Lake Elementary School kids was held the two afternoons prior to Halloween on Sunday and Monday (the school is across the street from Estemere). Then, on Halloween night all kids were welcome. The event was very well attended—kids think of Estemere as a “Haunted House.”