Grand Lake in Grand County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Kauffman House Museum
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 17, 2015
1. Kauffman House Museum Marker
Ezra Kauffman first came to the area as a hunting guide and miner in 1877. After the mines closed, he raised his family in the community he loved. He completed this hotel in 1892 and operated it until his death in 1920. The Kauffman family continued to run it as a hotel until 1946.
Open to the public during the summer, you are invited to come in to the Kauffman House Museum for a fascinating glimpse of the people and places in early Grand Lake.
Partial funding provided by a State Historical Fund Grant from the Colorado Historical Society.
Erected by Grand Lake Area Historical Society & Colorado Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Buildings • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1892.
Location. 40° 15.039′ N, 105° 49.102′ W. Marker is in Grand Lake, Colorado, in Grand County. It is on Lake Avenue 0.1 miles west of Hancock Street, on the right when traveling west. Marker is located beside the walkway leading to the subject Kauffman House Museum. Touch for map. Marker
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Colorado High Rockies and on the Continental Divide. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Grand Lake (a few steps from this marker); Cairns-Humphrey Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Public Square (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Grand Lake (about 400 feet away); Rapids Lodge Historic Site (approx. 0.2 miles away); Smith Eslick Cottage Camp (approx. Ό mile away); The Smith Eslick Cottage Court (approx. Ό mile away); The Smith-Eslick Family (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Grand Lake.
More about this marker. This marker is a large, painted, embossed wooden plaque, mounted vertically at eye-level on six-foot tall posts.
Regarding Kauffman House Museum. National
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 17, 2015
2. Kauffman House Museum Marker (wide view; Kauffman House Museum in background)
Also see . . .
1. Grand Lake Walking Tour. Grand Lake Area Historical Society website entry:
This site is stop #25 on the tour. Note the peeled log construction of this small hotel. Even the young trees used to cover the chinking were peeled. In 1973, the Historical Society purchased the building. It has been restored and is now operated as a museum. Take a few minutes to visit this hotel and experience the life of a tourist in the early 1900s. (Submitted on February 11, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Kauffman House. Wikipedia entry:
The log structure is built of timber cut, sawn and hauled by Ezra Kauffman. The logs were sawn on three sides and left rounded on the outside. Inside walls were lined with metal and a muslin facing, with wallpaper pasted to the fabric in most rooms, with colored fabric left exposed in some rooms. Oilcloth was used on the kitchen walls and ceiling. The logs were laid on a stone foundation. Gables are finished in fish-scale shingles. The house featured an indoor water supply fed from a galvanized tank in the attic,
via NPS, unknown
3. Kauffman House
National Register of Historic Places Nomination #74000579
In 1946 the Kauffmans sold the house to Henry Rhone who operated it until 1973, when the Grand Lake Historical Society purchased the house for use as a museum. It is the only pre-20th century log hotel remaining in Grand Lake.
Digital Asset Management System website entry
Click for more information.
In 1946 the Kauffmans sold the house to Henry Rhone who operated it until 1973, when the Grand Lake Historical Society purchased the house for use as a museum. It is the only pre-20th century log hotel remaining in Grand Lake.
Digital Asset Management System website entry
Click for more information.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 17, 2015
4. Kauffman House Museum (east side view; maintenance & restoration in progress)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 24, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 11, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 462 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 11, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3. submitted on June 24, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 4. submitted on February 11, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
