Mansion

Today we went and toured the Governors mansion. Technically it’s the Governors residence at the Boettcher mansion.

It was built in 1908 (same year that the capitol was completed) by the Cheesman family. We hear a lot of things with their name today, Cheesman Park, Cheesman ranch, anyway they built it and in 1923 it was bought by the Boettcher family. Here again we hear of Boettcher hall, Boettcher scholarship, the mansion and more bearing the name. He was into cement, railroads and banks. In the 1950’s the house was offered to Colorado by the Boettcher foundation as a place for the Governor to live in. Colorado actually rejected the offer and the whole place was about to be sold when they reconsidered! The first family moved in there in 1960 and now it is the residence of Gov. Bill Ritter and family.

Here is the sitting room and the beautiful chandelier. The chandelier used to hang in the White House; it was procured by Mr. Boettcher for the house.

The painting of the lady on the wall is the ‘Mystery lady’ of the mansion, I’m guessing that means they don’t know who she is. Here is the formal dining room, the table can sit 24 people.

Mrs. Boettcher gave guests a clue as to which chair to sit in, the padded backs were for the ladies, wood backs for the men. The docents told the kids to look around for animals in the furniture.

Bethany spotted the lion on the table leg, we also saw an elephant, tigers and claw feet. There are 9 fireplaces in the mansion, but only 1 works (something to do with the gas lines.) Here is another dining area in the back porch.

Here is one side of the room.

Here is the other.

This is the stained glass window in the music room (formerly the billiard room.)

The bar was added after prohibition, or so I’m told.

There were activities in the carriage house outside, so we wandered around the side of the house. We saw some pretty flowers and the round windows of the porch area.

Here is part of the back porch.

At the carriage house the kids made some old-fashioned musical instruments.

Heaven help the old-timer who had no beans or crepe paper to make a bean maraca!

They also made jingle bell tambourines and spoon clackers (where did the old-timers find those dazzling stickers and rhinestones?) After the kids finished we wandered back up to the porch and enjoyed the view.

It was a very interesting place, I’m glad people aren’t parading through my house all day long!