Mansions Hotel

Mansions Hotel. Manitou Springs City Hall. , The Mansions Hotel was located west of City Hall in the area currently occupied by the Fire Department and adjacent motel. Built in 1874, it was the third hotel in Manitou Springs and the second built by Dr. William Bell, founder of Manitou Springs, and General Palmer, founder of Colorado Springs, who together ran the Denver and Rio Grande railroad., After an 1875 renovation, the Mansions was reputed to be the finest hotel in Colorado, with Brussels carpets, mahogany furniture, hot and cold running water on each floor, and an electric annunciator system connected to every room. Some famous guests were General William Tecumseh Sherman, Colonel King of Texas' King Ranch, and Buffalo Bill Cody. In 1876, the Beebee family leased the business and the Mansions was known for years as the Beebee House. Several cottages were built on the property, including the Helen Hunt Cottage, now the rustic entrance for the Stagecoach Inn. After two fires and many renovations, the hotel was torn down in 1925., MANITOU SPRINGS CITY HALL, The red tile roof portion of City Hall was constructed around 1910 as a spring pavilion for the adjacent Mansions Hotel. The hotel's owners, Finis P. and Selina Ernest, drilled the spring to the southwest in 1909: later piping the water inside to a glass globe with four spouts. After Mr. Ernest's death, the property, including Mansions Park to the rear, was offered to the City of Manitou Springs. The voters decided to purchase Soda Springs Park instead. A large dancehall addition was constructed in the 1920s, when the building was known as Lorraine Gardens. For years, it was used as a roller skating rink and still has the maple floors of that period., During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps used this building for their headquarters. The City purchased the building in the 1940s, leasing it for $1 for use as a United Service Organization (U.S.O.) facility during world war two. Today, the City Hall houses government operations and is used by individuals and groups for gatherings of all types. , Manitou Springs' City Hall 1s listed as contributing to Manitou Springs' 1983 National Register and 1980 Local Historic Preservation Districts., (photo captions) , Bottom left: The Mansions Hotel was considered one of the finest hostelries west of the Mississippi after the 1875 renovation, but a year earlier, when this photo was taken, it was just a large rooming house. Courtesy of Historic Manitou Springs, Inc., Bottom center: The Helen Hunt Cottage can be seen to the left of the Mansions Hotel in this woodcut. Named in honor of the famous author, it was never actually owned by her, but was built by the hotel as a guest cottage. Courtesy of Historic Manitou Springs, Inc., Bottom right: This early postcard shows the Mansions Soda Iron Spring Paviion built to provide shelter for health seekers and shoppers, since there was a curio store in the right side of the building. Courtesy of Historic Manitou Springs, Inc.