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11 areas to find Colorado Springs Historic properites
Where are the Historic Homes in Colorado Springs?
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There are many neighborhoods in Colorado Springs with Historic homes, but these are some of the prime areas:
1. Old Colorado City
- Location: Historic West side of Colorado Springs
- Year Built: 1890 to 1920
- Currently 10 properties for sale built before 1940
- Price Range: $89,000 to $369,900
- Average Price: $172,770
2. Colorado City
- Location: South of Uintah, between 30th and 21st
- Year Built: 1887 to 1923 to 1920
- Currently 4 properties for sale built before 1940
- Price Range: $74,900 to $279,000
- Average Price: $158475
3. Downtown Central
- Location: South of Unitah, east of Nevada, West of North Hancock, Central Colroado Springs
- Year Built: 1889 to 1923 Read the rest of this entry »
5 things to consider when buying a Historic Home in Colorado Springs
Purchase a piece of history in Colorado Springs
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Related Articles:
If buying a Historic home in Colorado Springs is in your dreams, then you’ve come to the right place… I love hi
storic homes
Here’s a list of 5 things to consider when buying a historic home.
- Has the electric been updated? New electric panel? Updated wiring?
Power use today is very different from the early 1900’s.
Older electrical panels typically that lack the number of circuits to operate the microwave, toaster oven, computer, garbage disposal, washer etc. without tripping the breakers or blowing fuses. Most newer houses have 200 Amp service, 3-wire electric circuits, fully grounded receptacles, lots of outlets and ground fault interrupters in kitchens, baths and laundry areas.
2. How about the plumbing? Is their copper plumbing in the house?
Galvanized piping consists of steel pipe, dipped in zinc to provide corrosion resistance. This coating gradually coating wears off and the steel piping corrodes from the inside out. The corroded piping increases the risk for leakage and can result in low water flow to the plumbing fixtures.
Galvanized piping is often found in older homes; and it has a reputation for Read the rest of this entry »
150 year Anniversary Celebration of Pikes Peak or Bust Gold Rush
1859 Gold Rush
This Saturday, June 27th, is the 150th Anniversary Celebration of the Pikes Peak or Bust Gold Rush at Helen 
Hunt Falls Visitor Center in Cheyenne Canon from 10:00 am to 4;00 pm. Enjoy some local gold mining history in the area and at the same time learn from the prospectors who will be on hand to help teach gold panning techniques; participation will be encouraged!
A little slice of Pikes Peak area history
The Pikes Peak Gold Rush began in 1858 and lasted until 1861. It was considered to be THE largest gold rush in American history. An estimated 100,000 gold seekers participated in the gold rush, and they were often known as the fifty-niners. They used the motto Pike’s Peak or Bust. The phrase was painted on wagons by prospectors to show they were on their way across the prairie to find gold in Colorado.
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Related Articles:
- Cripple Creek Gold Rush and what it meant to Colorado Springs
- Winifred Scott Stratton…why Colorado Springs loves him
- Old Colorado City Commercial district…fun to visit and lots of history
- Old Colorado City Springs to Life with a Vigilante System of Government
- The Founder of Colorado Springs, William Jackson Palmer
To find out more information about buying a home in Colorado Springs, call ….
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Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
NORAD is still alive and smaller under Cheyenne Mountain
NORAD
- After fierce competition Colorado Springs finally lands the Air Force Academy
- Military relocation? 6 tips to read before you buy a home
- An early history of Ft. Carson
- History of Ft. Carson part II
NORAD today, stills sits under the caverns of Cheyenne Mountain, even though its in a warm 
status. It may not be as large as it once was due to the consolidation of NORAD and Northcom now housed mainly at Peterson Air Force Base, but its still there protecting us from not just external but now internal threats with the help of the FAA.
In 1957, both Canada and the United States were reeling from the threats of the Soviet Union, especially after the launch of the first satellite, Sputnik. Everyone was scared and even schoolchildren were drilled on diving under their desks and covering their heads in case of a nuclear strike. Both countries realized the importance of a continental home alarm system. This lead to the creation of NORAD at Ent Air Force Base (now the Olympic Training Center). Read the rest of this entry »
Honoring Colorado Springs founder on the 100th anniversary of his death
General William Jackson Palmer
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For other information on the General check out these articles:
- The Founder of Colorado Springs, William Jackson Palmer
- The Young Years of Colorado Springs
- Tea and crumpets in Colorado Springs
- The End of an Era in Colorado Springs
Today marks the 100th anniversary of General William Jackson Palmer’s death. He died on March 13, 1909. He fell off a horse in 1906 and was paralyzed from then until his death. He wanted no fuss made about his death and his family had him cremated. He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, but the town would not forget their favorite founder. They had a parade that went from Pikes Peak Ave. to the cemetery. Today, we still value his foresight on designing this beautiful city that we call home.
To honor his life, there are many activities being planned from now into next week. I hope you’ll take a look through and maybe plan on attending one or two of them. Read the rest of this entry »
Air Force Academy is finally built in Colorado Springs
Air Force Academy
- An early history of Ft. Carson
- After fierce competition Colorado Springs finally lands the Air Force Academy
- History of Ft. Carson part II
The Federal Government and the Air Force considered the Academy’s design extremely important. Air Force Secretary Talbott stated, ” We want our 
structures to be as efficient and as flexible in their design as the most modern projected aircraft.” The Air Force chose the nationally-recognized architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Associates (SOM) to make its vision for the Academy a reality.
Ground was finally broken in 1955 and as many as 5000 people were needed to build the largest single education facility ever built in the United States
The Academy had a new style of architecture that used glass, aluminum, steel, and concrete rather than traditional materials like stone, marble, or brick. The design sparked heated debate and severe criticism from citizens and politicians alike. Read the rest of this entry »
USDA has money to lend for home buyers in rural areas of Colorado!
Are you searching for a home in Colorado that’s perhaps a little out of the way? Perhaps an area like Peyton or Rush (even parts of the Springs may qualify). Do you have a good credit rating but lack a big down payment? (only requirement is $100 down). Perhaps you only make a small amount of the median income in the area, which might prevent you for qualifying for a conventional
USDA has MONEY to lend for home loans
loan. There’s help out there for you in the form of a USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) home loan! That’s right, the USDA has a home loan program geared to help people with a low to moderate income purchase homes in rural areas (you may also be surprised at what rural means). These loans are backed by the US government and unlike FHA loans, USDA loans do not require the borrower to qualify for monthly mortgage insurance premiums.
To see if you qualify based on the income limits, visit Colorado USDA office adjusted income limits which can provide you the limits based on the county that you want to purchase your home in.
USDA loans offer competitive rates and also allow seller concessions to be used towards closing costs. There’s no Read the rest of this entry »
After fierce competition Colorado Springs finally lands the Air Force Academy
Air Force Academy History
Search for Homes in near the AFA in Colorado Springs
Must Read Posts:
After WWII, the Air Force decided that they needed their own military school. A board was formed in 1950 that recommended the Air Force Academy be established without delay and 
also proposed that no less than 40% of their officers be academy graduates
But where to put it? Many cities and towns were lobbying for it, as it would bring an economic boom to whomever finally was able to call it their own. Colorado Springs really wanted it. After the war, with the soldiers all leaving Ft. Carson, the Springs was noticing a decline in population which meant apartments, homes and stores were vacant. Colorado Springs formed a chamber of commerce committee. The committee was led by John Love (later a three term governor). It also included Thayer Tutt, Read the rest of this entry »
Charles Tutt, one of Colorado Springs Pioneers
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I came across an article that stated the original Marion House Soup Kitchen located at 14 W. Bijou, once belonged to Charles and Josephine Tutt. The home was a three story victorian built about 1890. The Tutt’s and their heirs were pioneers here in Colorado Springs and I’ve often 
heard how important they were, but who exactly was Charles Tutt Senior, friend and business partner to Spencer Penrose?
Charles Leaming Tutt was born in Philadelphia and was a school friend of Spencer Penrose. His father died when he was twelve and he had to leave school to earn a living. He was always on the sickly side and therefore, decided to locate to Colorado Springs in 1884. He actually had a ranch in Black Forest until he met and married Josephine Thayer in 1887. She refused to live in the country, so Charles sold his ranch and moved into Colorado Springs and started a real estate and insurance business and occasionally trying to get rich in the gold mines. His offices were located at 14 E. Pikes Peak, which is now unimproved land. Apparently, at some point there was a building there which is now gone.
Tutt had purchased the COD mine in Cripple Creekbut until Spencer Penrose showed up to get it Read the rest of this entry »
AdAmAn Club set to light off fireworks on Pikes Peak to celebrate 2009
AdAmAns Club
For a Free Colorado Springs Relocation Guide, Email Kathy Torline at KTorline@msn.com
One of our areas most unique events is The AdAmAns Club annual trek up Pikes Peak to ring in the New Year. This year is no exception.
It all started in 1922. In December of that year, five Colorado Springs men decided that they didn’t want to attend anymore boring parties or dances to ring in the new year. They decided to do something never done before…climb Pikes Peak in the dead of winter!
The group consisted of five men, Fred and Ed Morath, Fred Barr, Willis Magee and Harry Standley. Fred and Ed were brothers who came up with this hare-brained idea. Fred Barr had just completed his trail from Manitou to the summit of the peak. He worked in the coal mines in the winter to gather the funds needed to build his trail. Harry Standley Was the photographer in the group who took many pictures of Cripple Creek during its heyday and also photographed all of Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks. He not only photographed them, but climbed them as well. Willis was a banker but he was one that loved to take risks.
The weather was terrible that New Years Eve, but they were a determined bunch of friends. There really wasn’t much in the way of cold-weather gear back then. Read the rest of this entry »
HOHOHO, NORAD is following Santa from Colorado Springs
Norad follows Santa
For more than 50 years, NORAD(North American Aerospace Defense Command) has been following Santa’s trip around the world and you too, can log on and see where Santa is at any time as he leaves the North Pole and flies around the world delivering his most precious presents.
This site is opened until December 26 and is arguably the most viewed noncommercial site on December 24.
How did NORAD, who keeps as all safe from unexpected attacks, become the one place to view his trip? In 1955, NORAD got a call by accident, as Sears had put an ad in The Gazette that said do you want to talk to Santa? Call this number. It was one digit off from the NORAD number and a child called and instead of telling the child they had the wrong number, they told this child they would check the radar. A new tradition was born.
Today, with all the tracking abilities of NORAD, they can see his every stop. A Santa-tracking Web site was created and children from around the world can track his every move. Its even translated into seven languages, so even non-English speakers can understand the audio. There’s also activities and games that the kids Read the rest of this entry »
Winifred Scott Stratton…why Colorado Springs loves him
Winfred Scott Stratton
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With Christmas fast approaching I was thinking about one of the city’s richest people who gave his wealth to the entire city, kind of like Colorado Springs’ own Santa Claus. What a man he was…his name? Winifred Scott Stratton and no one could have foreseen what he would mean to us when he showed up.
Winfield Scott Stratton arrived in Colorado Springs in 1872 and began working as a carpenter, a trade he learned in his father’s shipyards while a child. In 1874, after a brief encounter with silver mining Stratton decided to work as a carpenter during the winter months (some of these are still visible today, check out Grace Episcopal Church or Helen Hunt Jackson’s home now located in The Pioneer Museum ) and he prospected for gold and silver in the summers.
He spent the next 17 years searching for gold and silver in the mountains of Colorado. He even took some mineralogy and other classes at Colorado College and School of Mines. He was quite social at the time and even married, Read the rest of this entry »
History of Ft. Carson part II
Fort Carson History
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Please check out the part 1 post if you haven’t read: An early history of Ft. Carson
Part II starts in the early 1960’s and will go through 2004. I’ll deal with Ft. Carson today in another article that will also give some great websites if you’re being transferred here in the near future.
look for the statue of Kit Carson also located by the main gate
During the early 1960’s, Ft. Carson was home to only one major unit and was on McNamara’s list of potential base closings. This was not known at the time but the Cuban Missile Crisis and Berlin blockade was enough for the Army to reactivate two more divisions, including the 5th Infantry which formally reactivated in early 1962. The 5th was the Army’s first mechanized Infantry division to be organized. The problem was the need for land. Tanks need lots of room to roam and so in 1965, the base acquired almost 25,000 acres of state land (remember it was originally leased in 1942). They traded the land with some federal land owned at the time close to Lowry near Denver. Also, in 1965 and 1966 they purchased almost 79,000 acres south of the original base for around $3.5 million. All this brought Ft. Carson up to its current size of 138,523 acres, though Ft. Carson officials and the Army have recently been trying to acquire more land which has been met Read the rest of this entry »
An early history of Ft. Carson
Part one of the early history of Ft. Carson
Search for Homes in Colorado Springs
Must Read Articles:
- The Founder of Colorado Springs, William Jackson Palmer
- The Young Years of Colorado Springs
- Tea and crumpets in Colorado Springs
- The End of an Era in Colorado Springs
The history of Ft Carson started when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941; and the United States declared war on Japan which soon included all the Axis Powers. Officials in charge of selecting new sites for military installations went into immediate action, as they would soon have many new troops to train. Less than one month later it was announced that Colorado Springs had been selected as the site for an army camp. On February 22, 1942, Colorado Springs newspapers reported that the installation would be named Camp Carson in honor of Brigadier General Christopher “Kit” Carson, the famous frontiersman. The original military reservation consisted of 60,048 acres of land; some donated by the city of Colorado Springs, some purchased from private owners or acquired from the Department of Interior. The Army even leased some from the State of Colorado.
During World War II, a total of 104,165 soldiers trained at Camp Carson. More than 125 units were activated at Camp Carson and other units were transferred to the Mountain Post from other installations. The camp trained nurses, cooks, mule packers, tank battalions, and many other types of personnel. Toward the end of the war, after the departure of the divisions and established units, Camp Carson trained replacement troops as well. In late 1943, approximately 43,000 military personnel came here and were quickly trained so they could be sent overseas to do their part for the war. There were no facilities for dependents, so if a Read the rest of this entry »
VanBriggle Pottery set to move
Van Briggle
Newsflash! Van Briggle Pottery Company has sold the old Midland Roundhouse which they’ve occupied since leaving the downtown area last century has sold the building and hopes to let the public know in the next two weeks where they’ll be relocating. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, the old Midland Roundhouse , which is on the National Registry of Historic Places will be home to a very tough gym aimed at extreme sports enthusiasts. They also hope to put in some retail shops and will build some new entrances as well as some extensive renovations, including a new roof. Look for it to open sometime in 2009. Read the rest of this entry »
Old Colorado City Commercial district…fun to visit and lots of history
Old Colorado City during the early years
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The commercial district of Old Colorado City, located on W. Pikes Peak Ave., dates to the turn of the century (20th that is) when it was quite productive and prosperous. Due to the closeness of the railroad yards and ore mills it became a transportation and gold processing center. The railroads brought lots of tourists as well, creating a thriving hospitality business.
The business district reflected this economy. You could buy dry goods, furniture groceries. There were also drugstores and meat markets. Many of these building’s brick facades were provided by The Stucco, Brick and Cement Company located in Old Colorado City. Many of the buildings also housed meeting rooms, business offices, dentists, doctors and lawyers in the upper floors.
There were no shortage of saloons as
more than a dozen were in operation to provide refreshments and recreation for the populace, tourists and Colorado Springs residents trying to escape the city’s liquor free atmosphere. Places like Hoffman House, Oxford Club, Arcade, Colorado City Beer Hall and Bucket of Blood where many of them had second floor dance halls and gambling dens. The Cucharras Street Red Light District was on the adjacent street where you could indulge in more racier recreation if desired. Liquor, gambling and prostitution was banned in 1913 though you could still indulge in the town of Ramona which was founded by the bar owners for only those purposes. These buildings were later razed and Thorndale Park now occupies part of that scarlet town site.
Colorado City was annexed to Colorado Springs during World War I and became a bedroom community , which is now known as the westside. Due to the waning of Cripple Creek an economic decline started in the 1910’s and lasted until the mid 1900’s. Several of the original buildings were updated to unflattering modern renovations and several burned to the ground. Traffic declined even further when Highway 24 opened in the 1960’s.
Finally in the 1970’s, the district underwent a revival, supported by the City of Colorado Springs. Many properties were restored to the turn of the century looks and even some compatible new buildings were constructed on the vacant lots. Today the district is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. As in yesteryear, today “Old Town’s” ambiance attracts Colorado Springs residents and tourists. There are lots of shops, restaurants and interesting storefronts. Wide sidewalks, shade trees and park benches allow folks to stop, shop, eat and stay awhile. Notice the cornices, patterned brickwork and other wonderful architectural features of these historic commercial buildings.
If you liked this article, try reading some of these:
- Cripple Creek Gold Rush and what it meant to Colorado Springs
- Old Colorado City Springs to Life with a Vigilante System of Government
- 33 Unique things to do-#5 Van Briggle Pottery and Museum
Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
What makes Veterans Day different from Memorial Day?
For a Free Colorado Springs Relocation Guide, Email Kathy Torline at KTorline@msn.com
Did you know that most Americans confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day? Both celebrate our Veterans but with one major difference. Veterans Day gives Americans the opportunity to celebrate the bravery and sacrifice of all U.S. veterans.
Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end 
of World War I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918. In legislation that was passed in 1938, November 11 was “dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.’” As such, this new legal holiday honored World War I veterans.
In 1954, after having been through both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S. Congress — at the urging of the veterans service organizations — amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting the word “Veterans.” With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, Nov. 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
Memorial Day honors service members who died in service Read the rest of this entry »
The Colorado State Flag
Have you ever wondered how we got our flag of Colorado? I was downtown the other day and saw it blowing in our breeze and it got me to wondering about it. We’ll here’s a little history on how our flag came about.
The Colorado State Flag was adopted by The Colorado State Legislature on June 5, 1911 after Colorado had been a state for about 40 years. It was designed by Andrew Carlisle Carson and modified twice over the years.
It has three stripes with the two outer ones in blue and the middle one in white. It has a big red C in the center with the C filled in with gold. It was also stipulated that the flag should have an attached cord of gold and silver intertwined with gold and silver tassels.
In 1929, The Colorado State Legislature issued a decree that the blue and red colors would be the same as the United States flag as apparently there was some disagreement on the actual colors. In 1964, they again addressed the flag as no one could figure out the size for the letter C. They specified the size and how far away from Read the rest of this entry »
33 Unique things to do-#5 Van Briggle Pottery and Museum
Van Briggle
For a Free Colorado Springs Relocation Guide, Email Kathy Torline at KTorline@msn.com
Located in the old Colorado Midland Roundhouse at 600 S. 21st. St. in Old Colorado City, the Van Briggle Showroom and Kilns are still producing this unique pottery, know the world over during the early 20th century. 
Van Briggle Pottery was a leading style of art pottery in the art and crafts movement of the early 20th century and was especially popular with Art Nouveau collectors.
Artus Van Briggle was born in Ohio in 1869. He studied art and worked at the Avon Pottery Company. He later went to Paris to study art. While there, he became interested in ancient Chinese glazes and when he returned to Ohio, started experimenting with similar glazes.
In 1899, he moved to Colorado Springs as he had contracted Tuberculosis while in Paris. He spent the rest of his life trying to perfect his Chinese Ming Matte glaze. Read the rest of this entry »
Old Colorado City Springs to Life with a Vigilante System of Government
Must Read Articles:
- The Founder of Colorado Springs, William Jackson Palmer
- The Young Years of Colorado Springs
- Tea and crumpets in Colorado Springs
- The End of an Era in Colorado Springs
The cry went out! There’s gold in the Colorado Rockies. This started Americans rushing to the gold fields in 1859, hoping to relieve some of the financial stress from the economic panic in 1857. As a result of the thousands of people entering the Pike’s Peak region, several men incorporated themselves into the Colorado City Town Company on August 11, 1859. Since Ute Pass was the best route at the time to the South Park gold fields, the company established Colorado City (later know as Old Colorado City) at the base of Pike’s Peak on Fountain Creek, hoping to become the major mining supply town. On August 12, 1859, the company officially claimed the site of Colorado City. Henry M. Fosdick surveyed and platted the town, one mile wide and two miles long with Fountain Creek running through the southern portion of the town.
The town grew quickly. During the remainder of 1859 and early 1860, Read the rest of this entry »
