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

by Edwards, Daniel

  The Hensons retained Rudy Woodruff of Monument as a planning consultant; he was the same man Don Leonard had employed to design the Victorian Village idea 14 years earlier. Henson estimated the mansion needed about $250,000 to $300,000 of work, because the concrete foundation was cracking; the walls were rotting as water was leaking down the inside; five new bathrooms would need to be constructed in the mansion; and the Carriage House needed a bathroom and new furnace.

  The Hensons submitted an amendment to the existing PUD (Planned Unit Development) zoning of Estemere on 27 September 1994. They conceded that

  in order to properly restore and maintain the extensive landscaping and the various existing buildings inside the walled area…it will be necessary for us to generate funds by selling single family home sites outside the wall to the north, and on the portion of bare ground outside the east wall on Glenway Street. Neither of these areas is necessary to the operating of a Bed and Breakfast, nor will [loss of this property] detract from Estemere itself….

  The single family area shall have protective Covenants that call for Architectural styling of a “Victorian” nature, with a minimum square footage of 2,000 [feet] of finished living space and a minimum two car garage….

  A general refurbishing and repairing of the buildings is needed before further degeneration occurs. In addition, the landscaping must be accomplished in the proper season, especially the transplanting of Lilacs and other shrubs….[164]

  According to the Henson plan, the Estemere house would be able to accommodate 14 guests, two in each of the seven rooms. The owner and manager would live in the Carriage House. The cottage would accommodate a family of four to six members, or perhaps it would be converted into three one-bedroom units. Two guests or the caretaker would occupy the small apartment above the garage and the chapel would be used for weddings and photo opportunities. In the second phase of the project, three new structures would be built: (1) a 30 ft by 100 ft open-air picnic pavilion; (2) a 40 ft by 120 ft open-air picnic pavilion; and (3) a manager’s home on lot #7 in the southeast corner of the property. Picnics, barbecues, miscellaneous gatherings, and arts and craft fairs would be held in the pavilions. Accompanying this proposal was a document setting out rules and a contract for the mansion and a declaration of covenants, conditions, and restrictions in which an Architectural Control Authority would be established.

  A town Planning Commission meeting considered the proposal for Estemere on 19 October 1994. Henson believed his plan complied with the existing PUD ordinance but wanted an amendment to the previous Leonard-approved plan that would include six lots on the north end and four lots on the east side along Glenway. Members raised concerns about noise and traffic and were reluctant to see houses built on the north-eastern six lots. About 25 residents came to the meeting to oppose Henson’s plan. The discussion went on for two hours, and in the end, the Commission voted 6-to-1 to recommend against the proposal to the town council. Rudy Woodruff agreed to the conditions of no amplified music, height and curfew restrictions, and that no existing buildings would be torn down.[165]

  Henson was shaken by the reaction his plan had received:

  After hearing the violence in the town tonight, I don’t think that Mary and I would enjoy refurbishing Estemere, having to be in constant fear of the town that is against us…. I expected opposition but not this much. I didn’t realize that the town had a right to manage private property.[166]

  The Palmer Lake Town Council took up the matter at its meeting on 03 November. Eighteen residents rose to comment; nearly all objected to one aspect or another of the proposal, although some did not oppose the bed-and-breakfast concept outright. But they did not like the plan to subdivide the property for new homes. George Henson said he had the financial wherewithal to carry out the plan, would renovate Estemere, and the B&B would generate $6,000 in taxes. Trustee opinion was split, but in the end, a motion that the petition be denied was carried unanimously.[167]

  Henson, however, did not give up. He had the mayor of Manitou Springs write a letter to the mayor and council of Palmer Lake noting that Henson’s projects in Manitou

  have been well planned with sensitivity to the concerns of the citizens. Any project he undertakes will be of excellent quality and completed with historic accuracy.[168]

  Henson submitted a new proposal for Estemere in which the six lots in the north-eastern area of the property would not be subdivided but kept as open space. However, he still wanted to establish a bed-and-breakfast operation. Henson claimed he had a contract with the owner to buy the property if the town council approved his plan.[169] A Planning Commission Workshop held a long discussion of the revised plan on 14 December.[170] There were still concerns expressed about roads, traffic, noise, curfew, commercial uses of the structures, and financial viability now that land would not be sold to generate income for the project. No further town records on this subject exist, so Henson must have thrown in the towel. Fifteen years later, Henson had not forgotten the “vicious” reactions of those living near Estemere who opposed his plans.

  Dan Fraley remembers the Henson debacle quite differently. He said Henson neither approached nor worked with him, and had no contract or understanding with Jim Peterson. Henson made the public effort he did because his wife wanted Estemere, but he never discussed putting the property under contract. Nor was it clear that Henson had or could raise the $300,000 he claimed he needed just to complete the first phase of his project. To Fraley, Henson never had a serious business proposal to offer.

  What is interesting is how town opinion toward the “development” of Estemere had shifted radically in 15 years. The much more ambitious, $7 million Victorian Village project of Don Leonard’s had received approval in 1980; a smaller, less intrusive bed-and-breakfast proposal was strongly opposed by many townspeople and unanimously rejected by the Town Council in 1994.

  Henson’s Amended Plan 1994.

  Fraley Markets Estemere

  In May 1989, Jim Peterson signed a quit-claim deed that made his wife, Sue, an equal owner of Estemere. Jim and Sue divorced in 1994. As part of the settlement, Jim paid his wife one-half the value of Estemere and its contents that included many pieces of antique furniture. An antique appraiser appraised the value of the furniture. Dan Fraley remembers that the property (unclear whether the furniture was included) was appraised at about $700,000. By 1995, Jim Peterson had become the president and CEO of Bojangles Restaurants, an assignment that required him to move to Charlotte, North Carolina. He decided to put Estemere on the market in August 1995 for a price of $865,000.[171]

  Because it appeared that other potential buyers might also want to turn Estemere into a bed-and-breakfast location, Jim Peterson wrote the town mayor that Dan Fraley would be applying for a business license permitting the operation of such an enterprise at Estemere.[172] Fraley followed up with a letter requesting that the zoning for Estemere be changed from the “Victorian Village” plan of 1980 to the PUD zoning provided for in Town Ordinance #1 (1991).[173] The town Planning Commission decided to recommend to the Town Council that any “Victorian Village” plan for Estemere should not be built without review first by the town, but Estemere should retain its PUD status.[174] The Town Council removed the Victorian Village designation for Estemere but retained the Planned United Development on the property. It noted that any new use of the property other than single family residence would need the prior approval of the Planning Commission and the Board of Trustees.[175]

  Fraley recalls that there was an interested buyer in 1996 that wanted to operate a bed-and-breakfast and did obtain a business license from the town, but the deal was never made. A St. Louis woman, who wanted to run a B&B, negotiated a sales contract, but that was never finalized. There were other inquiries as well, but it was difficult to come up with the necessary financing. An offer of $750,000 was turned down.

  About this time, a local Palmer Lake woman made an unexpected and quirky effort to seek personal benefit from Estemere. Tamara S
prague applied to the state of Colorado to register “Estemere” as a trademark. She claimed she had first used the name “Estemere” in December 1996, and that if the mansion of that name were acquired and preserved, the trademark name she was applying for would be used.[176] The Secretary of State’s office first rejected, but then did grant her application. Years later, Fraley could not remember much about Ms. Sprague, but said he and Peterson just ignored her action, and nothing ever came of it.

  Fraley believed that a potential buyer would want to operate a business as well as live at Estemere, but thought an ideal buyer would be someone who would live at Estemere and turn it into a museum.[177] Neighbors were quoted as saying they would not oppose opening Estemere as a bed-and-breakfast as long as the property remained intact, that is, as long as the vacant acreage attached to the mansion was not sold to a developer to build houses.

  Of course the “Internet Bubble” and a real estate boom were in full flower in the late 1990s, and the paper value of housing was increasing rapidly year by year in many parts of the country. The Leonard sons in Denver were not interested in making a bid for their father’s former summer home that had sold for less than $70,000 ten years before.

  Peterson now had waited two years to find a buyer for Estemere. He must have realized he would have to accept a lower price if he wanted to sell the property soon. Then one day, along came Kim and Roger Ward. When the Wards settled on Estemere, Roger was quoted as saying they expected renovation of the mansion would cost at least $300,000 and take three years to complete.

  [178] Little did he know!

  Peterson Sells to the Wards

  On 04 January 1998, Kim and Roger became owners of Estemere. Jim Peterson was in town to sign the closing documents. The final price was $700,000, which included all the furnishings in the house except for Jim’s personal items and his work-out equipment. Afterward, they went out to dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack in Colorado Springs. Over dinner, Jim told Kim and Roger a little about how he came to own, and sell, Estemere. Jim described how the Leonard sons had not come through with their plans to purchase Estemere from him, and he had no interest in continuing to maintain the estate, as the expense was not justified for his infrequent visits to Colorado.

  More items related to this chapter are on the DVD.

  Chapter 11

  The Evolution of Estemere’s Structures

  (1883-2011)

  Thompson Builds “Estamere I” circa 1883

  There were more than 30 trains passing daily between Denver and Colorado Springs in the late 1800s. They all had to stop briefly in Palmer Lake for the steam locomotives to take on water. Consequently, travel and freight delivery between major cities and Denver and Palmer Lake was frequent and relatively inexpensive. Therefore, Thompson (and later, Eben Smith) could acquire materials from either coast or from Europe and have them shipped to Palmer Lake.

  Thompson purchased more land in May 1883, land that became the primary site of Palmer Lake and on part of which his residence was to be built.[179] It is certain that Thompson built a house near the present site of Estemere that summer, so he would have a place to stay while he made plans for the future development of the town. Unfortunately, there is no documentation regarding the construction of “Estamere I.” By 1889, Estamere I had been moved across the street and became the west wing of The Rocklands Hotel.

  Estamere I, ca. 1883. Note the absence of a second-floor balcony and the antelope next to the fountain.

  A section of the original 1883 plat of Palmer Lake showing the area that became Estamere—the area bounded

  approximately by Glenside, Glen-Way, High Street, Park Avenue, and Highland Road.

  [Estemere’s deeds and plats are on the DVD.]

  Estamere I, ca. 1887—note second-floor balcony. Estamere I attached to the Rocklands (r).

  Thompson Builds “Estamere II” circa 1887

  Estamere II ca. 1887. Note the “widow’s walk” atop the house.

  The images of Estamere I and II above were cropped from this photo. Note the partial view of

  Estamere’s Carriage House immediately to the left of Estamere I.

  The building that is the Estemere of today, however, bears little resemblance to “Estamere II,” which was built around 1885. The architect of Estamere II is unknown. The main carpenter built his own home across Hillside Road from Estamere. [Unfortunately, “The Carpenter’s House” was demolished in 2005 and replaced with a modern home.] Estamere II was unusual for a home in the rough-and-tumble West in that it sported a “widow’s walk” atop the house—an architectural detail Thompson probably saw when he lived in England. (A widow’s walk was common in coastal towns in the USA and Europe during the late 1800s—sailor’s wives would stand look-out for their husband’s returning ships in their widow’s walk; should the ship not return they were widows.)

  It is difficult to speculate what architectural details adorned the interior of Estamere II. Perhaps it was rather plain, awaiting the embellishments of the exterior that would convert it into a Queen Anne Victorian, before the interior would be decorated with the carpets, ornate fireplaces, and detailed architectural details of Estamere III.

  However, we surmise that Estamere II consisted of:

  · Basement: The basement contained a convection coal furnace that heated the house via up-draft ducts on each floor. There was a coal-chute where coal could be brought into the basement for firing the furnace. The basement was surely used to store home-canned fruits and vegetables and there was probably a very large “ice-box” in the basement (as mentioned by Dave Gotwals). The foundation was composed of mortared granite stones; the floor was dirt. Supporting beams were tree trunks and railroad ties. Head clearance averaged about 66 inches (1.7 m).

  · Main Floor: Foyer (with stairway to the second floor), Sitting Room, Parlor with fireplace, Music Room, Dining Room with fireplace, Kitchen (with a servant’s stairway), and a Butler’s Pantry which had a stairway to the Basement.

  · Second Floor: Four or Five Bedrooms and possibly a Bathroom.

  · Third Floor: The third floor probably consisted of a small sitting room with a fireplace and six steps up to the Widow’s Walk.

  The Main Floor

  The Dining Room and the Parlor each had fireplaces with ornate mantels (German?) and ceramic tiles (Italian?). Each mantel included two brass bas-relief panels, the first depicting the story of Rebecca and Abraham from the Bible, and the second depicting dancing cherubs! The fireboxes on the fireplaces were rather small and some were suitable for burning both wood and coal. The floors were yellow pine; walls were lathe-and-plaster. We know that the home had an indoor bathroom with toilet because the 1893 Rollins ad (Chapter 2) mentioned a bath room and a water closet.

  The Dining Room and Parlor fireplaces ca. 2005.

  Closeups of the cherubs and the story of Abraham and Rebecca.

  Close-ups of the detailing on the fireplaces.

  The Second Floor

  The second floor consisted of four or five bedrooms—one for Dr. and Mrs. Thompson and one for each of their three daughters. The second floor possibly had a bathroom with indoor plumbing, as there was enough water pressure to operate a small fountain.

  The Third Floor

  The third floor may have been only a stairway with a landing to access the steps to the widow’s walk, but since the fireplace on the third floor vents into the same chimney stack as the fireplaces in the Parlor and the Dining Room, it is likely that there was a small sitting area adjacent to the third floor fireplace.

  The third floor fireplace.

  The fireplace, although not as ornate as the ones on the main floor, is nevertheless of great interest. The tiles surrounding the firebox are 30 inches (76 cm) long by about six inches (15 cm) wide, and are embossed with and owl, bats, and swallows.

  “Estamere III” circa 1887-1888—A Queen Anne Victorian [Designed by Frederick Sterner?]

  Estamere II was added onto from 1887 to 1888 to become the Queen
Anne Victorian style of “Estamere III.” Thompson’s stint in England may certainly have played a role in converting Estamere II into the grand Queen Anne Victorian that Estemere III is today.

  It was reported that:

  The grounds surrounding Dr. Thompson’s elegant new house are being laid out in a beautiful manner. A magnificent stone fence has been erected around the entire grounds.[180]

  Again, not much is known about the actual construction of Estamere III, nor of its designer. However, we believe it is likely that the architect was Frederick J. Sterner, who, as an up-and-coming 20-year-old architect, came to Colorado in 1883 from London via Chicago. That year, none other than William Finley Thompson helped Sterner to apply for land near Palmer Lake.[181]