A Victorian Mansion in the Colorado Rockies

This book is an architectural and social history of a unique 19th century mansion. It tells the story of Estemere’s owners and families and the various ways the house has been utilized from the time it was built. It has been the vacation home of a millionaire mine owner and operator, Eben Smith, and his family; hosted a summer school for a Kansas college; a camp for underprivileged girls; a weaving school for women during the New Deal; a tourist lodge; and several times a private residence. Townspeople, children, the socially prominent, business and religious leaders, laborers, students, and ordinary travelers—all have passed through her doors at one time or another and made the acquaintance of “Lady Estemere.” The book also describes changes in the structure and furnishings of the main house through the years. Kim and Roger Ward purchased Estemere in 1998, and the book documents the extensive work the Wards have carried out to restore and upgrade this beautiful Queen Anne Victorian home and its outbuildings to a grandeur unequalled in its history. Thus, Estemere, after 125 years, once again stands proudly as the “Crown Jewel” of Palmer Lake.