Colorado Springs Official Visitors Guide 2012 - (Page 39)
HISTORIC HOTELS OF COLORADO SPRINGS
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LEFT: The BROADMOOR RIGHT: Original Broadmoor Casino
The Cliff House at Pikes Peak
The structure that became the 20-room boarding house known as “The Inn” originally was a stagecoach stop on the route to Leadville. The guests, mostly trappers and hunters, were drawn to the inviting parlors and rambling porches. When the mines in Leadville proved bountiful, many rich capitalists made their way through Manitou Springs, bringing more business to the small inn. When the gold strikes in the region began to play out, travel through Manitou Springs dwindled. By 1876, The Inn was struggling to survive. Fortunately, over the next halfdozen years, interest in the town’s ancient mineral springs was beginning to increase. Edward E. Nichols came to the West in the 1870s to fight a battle with tuberculosis. Having beaten the illness, Nichols moved permanently to Manitou Springs, where he served as mayor for eight terms. In 1886 he bought The Inn, renaming it The Cliff House at Pikes Peak and converting it to a sophisticated resort hotel that capitalized on the local mineral springs. In 1914, Nichols founded the Manitou Bath House Company. The Cliff House capitalized on the influx of wealthy clients eager to take advantage of the healing powers of the springs. In the 30 years that followed, Nichols expanded the hotel to 56 rooms, and then to 200. The result was the beautiful, four-and-a-half story building that stands today. The Cliff House even had underground tunnels leading from the hotel to the spa across the street. For all its successes, The Cliff House also endured hard times and disasters. In 1921, a flash flood roared down Williams Canyon and washed through the hotel, destroying much of the interior and buckling one floor all the way to the ceiling.
James S. Morley bought The Cliff House in 1981, turning the historic building into a 42-unit apartment building. But in its second disaster, the building caught fire in March 1982. The water damage sustained from extinguishing the fire was so extensive that it threatened the building's very existence, so immediate action was taken to preserve what remained. In 1997, Morley committed to the restoration, vowing to restore the hotel to its original distinction and fame, preserving the Rocky Mountain Victorian architecture of the 1800s, but incorporating 21st Century state-of-the-art technology and amenities. Source: The Cliff House at Pikes Peak
Construction of the Italian Renaissance-style structure began in April 1900. The first story was composed of pink granite “with a noticeable amount of schist” and the upper stories were St. Louis hydraulic pressed brick with stone trim. Extensive ornamentation contrasted well with the buff-colored pressed brick walls. As mining ebbed in importance to the region, the building housed a variety of businesses. It sat vacant for many years, but was recently purchased for development into the Mining Exchange Hotel, a Wyndham Grand Property. The renovation has carefully persevered many of the historic facets of the building. An original staircase has been fully restored by removing carpeting and paint from the brass work. On each floor, the maids’ closets are the original vaults and the restaurant’s wine and liquor storage is also in a restored vault. In the main lobby, the original high ceilings remain, and the ornate vault door in the lobby will remain as an artistic focal point. Source: The Mining Exchange
The Mining Exchange, a Wyndham Grand Hotel
This five-story building was constructed in 1902 by Winfield Scott Stratton, who made his fortune in the Cripple Creek gold boom of the 1890s. The building’s purpose was to house the Colorado Springs Mining Exchange and promote regional mining companies and their stock. It is regarded as the most substantial and intact building associated with Stratton that remains. It was the first structure in the city to rise above four stories. Stratton felt that the exchange deserved a home “more commensurate with its importance” than its previous location. The local newspaper, noting the building’s stone, brick, and steel construction, called it “the first fire-proof office building of Colorado Springs” and praised “the beneficence and civic loyalty of the great mining king of the state of Colorado.” The architect was Thomas E. Linn, who had become "one of the foremost architects" of the city. The builders were Roberts and Bishoff, who also constructed the Cheyenne Building on Pikes Peak Avenue, the adjacent Independence Building and the Colorado Springs & Interurban Railway powerhouse.
TOP: The Mining Exchange, A Wyndham Grand Hotel BOTTOM: Early Photo of The Mining Exchange
Area code is 719 unless otherwise indicated.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Colorado Springs Official Visitors Guide 2012
Colorado Springs Official Visitors Guide 2012
Contents
What's New?
Get on the Radar
Regional Map/Index
Regional Itineraries
Live it Up!
Attractions Grid
SOUTHWEST
USA Pro Cycling Challenge
Pikes Peak Region Climate
Faster, Higher, Stronger
Historic Hotels
SOUTHEAST & DOWNTOWN
Are You Inclined?
Events with Altitude
Off the Beaten Path
Helen Hunt Jackson
NORTHWEST
High Altitude Tips
NORTHEAST
55 Attractions in 5 Days
NEARBY COMMUNITIES
Over the River
Distinctive Destinations
Services
Money-Saving Coupons
Listing & Advertiser Directory
Money-Saving Coupons
Drive Time Chart
Colorado Springs Official Visitors Guide 2012
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