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Bed & Breakfast at Historic Onaledge offers
luxurious lodging for the Pikes Peak, CO region
Architect, builder and coppersmith Roland Boutwell, an Englishman, built the Craftwood Shops and the Onaledge estate in 1912. Both properties are examples of the Arts & Crafts movement, which emphasized simplicity and craftsmanship with high design standards in all architectural details. With Ruth Boutwell and Vera Richards, he incorporated the Craftwood Association, modeling it after Elbert Hubbard's shops in New York. The Boutwell's had made their start in Denver before moving to Manitou Springs.
Onaledge was the original Craftwood Association residence. Frank Yount, oil millionaire and owner of the local Manitou greenstone quarry, later bought Onaledge for use as the Rockledge Estate guesthouse. Stone walls in front of the Craftwood Inn and Bed & Breakfast at Historic Onaledge date from their original construction.
Today, the Craftwood property has become the Craftwood Inn, an elegant fine-dining restaurant. Onaledge, Rockledge, and neighboring Red Crags each function as Bed & Breakfasts offering lodging options to Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, and Pikes Peak area visitors; the three historic properties are collectively owned and operated by Red Crags Estates.
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Other Historic Pikes Peak Area
Lodging by Red Crags Estates
Rockledge Country Inn was constructed in 1912 by the Craftwood Guild for Edward H. Heath. It seems highly likely that the architect, reported to be William H. Stickney, based his plans on a Gustav Stickley design seen in the September 1910 edition of The Craftsman entitled "two story craftsman house designed for sloping site". While that design was more modest than Rockledge, the design featured a center "living hall" flanked by a living room on one side and dining room on the other, in addition to the center hall being open to the hallway/balcony on the second story. Little is known of the original owner, Edward Heath. He was a millionaire who came to Manitou from Kansas because his son was ill with tuberculosis. Heath sold the house in 1927 to Miles Frank Yount, of Texas oil fortune, as a summer home. During the 6 years from 1927 to Frank's death in 1933, the Rockledge property was expanded to encompass 15 acres. He constructed tennis courts, a greenhouse, an Olympic size swimming pool and bath house. He also added many stone terraces throughout the estate, exotic gardens, a peacock farm and horse pastures. Pansy Yount continued to improve the estate after his death by acquiring Onaledge and constructing the walkways to integrate the houses.
Red Crags Bed & Breakfast was built in 1884 by Dr. William Bell, the founder of Manitou Springs, CO, and his associate Dr. Donaldson, Red Crags originally served as a wellness clinic for the English wealthy who flocked to Manitou Springs, CO - the Saratoga of the Rockies. Around the turn of the century, Teddy Roosevelt visited Red Crags and his friend Dr. Donaldson, who was a former member of the famed Rough Riders. Very little is known about Teddy Roosevelt's visit, but he probably came to hunt big horn sheep on Pikes Peak. Since the 1880's Red Crags has twice served as a wellness clinic. Then, in 1951, it became known as Red Crags Lodge. This is the first known time that the Victorian home was used for vacationers to the area. |
