Historic House & Building Tours

Thanks to all who attended our previous Historic House and Building Tours
and everyone who volunteered to make these annual tours a success.
We look forward to your participation again in future years.

How Our Annual Historic House & Building Tours Generally Work: Purchase a ticket with a map of the tour site locations at a local business (to be announced). Start the tour at any of the site locations shown on the map and proceed in any sequence. Docents at each site will tell you about the historic homes and buildings.

2021 Tour Highlights:

The Victor City Hall was constructed in 1900 to house city government offices as well as the jail, police and fire departments. Jack Dempsey, nationally known prize fighter, once trained here and his signature still appears on a wall. Beautifully restored for modern use, the building was recognized with the Governor's Award for Historic Preservation in 2005. Photo by Billy Dias--click to enlarge.

Originally constructed after the Great Fire of 1899 as a hardware store, the building was converted to an Armory and occupied by the State Militia during the turbulent 1903-04 Labor Wars. In 1913 the building was purchased by the Victor Elks. It was refurbished with an elaborate beveled glass entryway, beautiful woodwork, a bar, pool room and reading rooms located on the first floor. Up stairs is a huge lodge hall / ballroom along with a dining room and kitchen. Click photos to enlarge.

The Victor Baptist Church was built on property donated by the Woods Family, founders of the City. Church members sold bricks for $1 each to raise money for construction. A mortgage burning ceremony was held in 1902. The Romanesque facade has a three-story brick tower with a pyramidal roof topped by finials. The front gable has a large round-arched window split into three Gothic bays that open into the sanctuary. A specially made large hand-pumped organ was built into the church and is still in use. In early days, a curtain was erected so the congregation would not be disturbed by a lad pumping up and down on a lever to force air into the bellows (now electrified).

The original brick Swedish Lutheran Church was completed in 1905. The stucco annex at the rear was added in the 1960's. As the population of Victor dwindled, the congregation became inactive and the building deteriorated. In 1996 it was purchased by a nonprofit that completed its conversion into a Community Center in 2000 with a grant from the State Historic Fund, a Colorado Block Development Grant, and private donations. It represents an excellent example of adaptive reuse of a historic building that can contribute many years of service to the community with proper care and modification.

Construction of Saint Victor's Catholic Church was completed in 1903. A bell tower was not part of the design as the resident priest maintained "in a mining camp where men work three shifts a day, the miners deserve all the rest they can get undisturbed by the ringing of church bells." The beautiful exterior and interior features of the building have been preserved in excellent condition. A nonprofit, known as Friends of St. Victor's, now has custody of the property and is responsible for its preservation, maintenance, and use for religious & cultural activities.

2019 Tour Highlights:

The Midland Terminal Railroad reached Victor on Dec 16, 1894, It served the Mining District until 1949 when the Carlton Mill was constructed between Victor & Cripple Creek and the railroad was no longer needed to transport ore to Colorado Springs for processing. Passenger service was discontinued in 1943. The Midland Terminal Depot, now the private residence of Robin & Ken Stitzel, is the only remaining original train depot in Victor. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

The Gardner Mercantile was rebuilt after the great fire of August 21, 1899 by owner John Reed Gardner who went on to found a company to serve small merchants that had been unable to afford fire insurance. At the back of the building, currently occupied by a unique business called the "Junk Posse", the tour featured the fabulous ""Shopkeeper's Quarters" created by the building owners -- Judy & Terry Akins.

The historic home of Joanne & Rick Killday was built on Squaw Mountain where the main line of the Midland Terminal Railroad passed behind the house & a branch line leading to the Victor depot passed by the front porch.

The historic home of Sheila & Lyndon Crowson provides stunning views of the distant snow-capped Sangre de Christo Mountains.

Built in 1893, this historic log cabin residence once housed the Victor Daily Times Newspaper. While log homes were common in 1890's and early 1900's, this is one of only a handful that remain. The exterior retains all its historic character. Plenty of modern comforts have been added to the recently renovated interior by owner William Stults.

2018 Tour Highlights: Plus the Historic Oliver Home (not shown below).

Rumored to be the residence of the Woods Brothers and built around 1900, this home has horizontal chinked logs on the first story and vertical logs on the gable ends which each feature a 4-lite diamond window and a 2-story rubble-stone chimney. The intact and recently restored interior of the home bespeaks an original owner with wealth well beyond that of the typical hardrock gold miner.

Until recently, this home nestled in the aspens was owned by the great grandson of a prominent family of hardrock gold miners who came to Victor in the early 1890s. It was recently updated for adaptive reuse as Victor's newest vacation rental by Alpine Vista Properties. For information about availability and rental of this two-bedroom, two-bathroom property, contact AlpineVistaProperties@gmail.com

This one-story, gabled-L, woodframe house clad in narrow wooden clapboards is typical of dwellings built in Victor in the 1890s. It was built in 1899 by J A Ritchie who owned Ritchie and Adzell Baking & Grocery. For more history about this house, click on the "Landmarks" Page and scroll down. For a photo of the house in August 1899, click on the "This Old Victor House--Then & Now" photo gallery.

2016 Tour: Exclusively Focused at St. Victor's Catholic Church

St Victor's Catholic Church--Shuttered in recent years, once again open for religious and cultural activities under the direction of "Friends of St Victor's". Click photo to enlarge.

St Victor's Catholic Church was built in 1902. Some of the most significant exterior architectural features of this red brick Gothic style structure include:

The high gable roof with cross-shaped finials, projecting eaves, plain boxed cornice and decorative frieze.
The central front wood paneled door flanked to the side by stained-glass Gothic windows.
A stone cross in relief between two flat pilasters surmounting the central door and stained-glass Gothic window.
The small rose window in the peak of the gable end.
The seven pointed-arch stained-glass windows with stringcourses and flat pilasters on the north and south sides. The magnificent stain glass windows are better appreciated from inside the church.

A bell tower was not included in the design of this church because, according to Father Edward Downey, "in a mining camp where men work three shifts a day, our miners are entitled to all the sleep they can get undisturbed by the ringing of church bells". Father Downey came to the Gold Camp in 1894 to establish a Catholic Church, served as pastor of St. Victor’s for 21 years until 1915, and died in 1918 (the year when the main altar for the church was completed). That altar remains an object of beauty and admiration to all who visit the Church.

After many years of alternating the celebration of Mass between Victor in the winter months and Cripple Creek in the summer months, services at St Victor’s were suspended and the church building was shuttered for several years. In 2016, a new nonprofit organization called Friends of St Victor’s was established and granted custody of the building by the Chancery of the Diocese of Colorado Springs. Friends of St Victor’s will be responsible for preserving and maintaining the church building, as well as directing its use for religious and other activities. Proceeds of the our 18th Annual Historic Building Tour generated over $1,500 to support the Friends of St Victor's--including a donation of $300 from the Victor Heritage Society.

2015 Tour Highlights:

Gold Coin Club & Remnants of the Gold Coin Mine:

Remnants of the Gold Coin Mine

When workers for the Woods Family, founders of Victor, were excavating a foundation for the original Victor Hotel in 1894, a rich vein of gold ore was discovered.

After following this vein of ore about a block up the hill, the Woods family located a shafthouse and headframe for their Gold Coin Mine and soon became millionaires.

Since the mine was in the heart of the City of Victor, more space was required to extract and process the gold bearing ore and dispose of waste rock. To meet these needs, they drove the 4,000 foot Columbine Tunnel through Squaw Mountain with a portal in Arequa Gulch where they constructed the Economic Mill to process the ore.

Across the street from the Gold Coin Mine, the Woods Family built the Gold Coin Club, modeled after the New York Athletic Club, for the workers of their Gold Coin Mine.

Gold Coin Club

The Gold Coin Club is a rare example of a social club built exclusively for the miners by the mine owners. It was patterned after the New York Athletic Club and contained a ballroom, gymnasium, bowling alley, pool and game room, a 700-volume library, dining rooms and space for a 25-piece band which played at most Victor community events.

The tour of the Gold Coin Club also featured a display of artwork created by Cherry Hunter and George Foott. The collection was donated by Jim & Joyce Vandever. Artwork from this collection was included on the 2016 Victor Heritage Calendar.

Also included on the tour--Olympia Hotel & Two Gold Rush Era Homes:

The Olympia Hotel, located upstairs from the Prospector's Pick Antique and Consignment Shop, offers comfortably restored, period furnished rooms for rent.
A Victor "Tiny House", and
A "Work in Progress" Restoration of a Large 1899 Home that once served as the Parsonage for the Presbyterian Church (which was located next door and eventually moved to Simla, Colorado).

Click on photos below to enlarge.

2014 Tour Highlights:

TOUR THREE GOLD RUSH ERA HOMES, plus the National Register Listed recently reopened VICTOR HOTEL, and the Vintage VICTOR BOWLING ALLEY.

The Bank Block / New Victor Hotel was constructed by the Woods family. They platted the City of Victor and developed a vast business dynasty including the Gold Coin Mine, hotels, banks, the Skaguay Reservoir & Power Plant, and much more.

The Gold Rush Era homes were generally small -- placed on lots 25 feet wide by 125 feet deep. See how they have been restored and adapted to modern needs.

The Woods brothers' First National Bank of Victor was completed on Christmas Eve of 1899 after the great fire destroyed their banking business at this location as well as the original Victor hotel located across the street. Numerous retailing and consulting businesses were located in the building, and of course there were rooms that could be rented for the night. This bank was forced to close its doors permanently on November 4, 1903 as the Woods' financial empire crumbled and bank examiners declared it insolvent. Several successor banks, including A E Carlton's City Bank, occupied the building and it eventually became the New Victor Hotel. After remaining vacant for many years, the restored Victor Hotel building reopened for business in 1992. The bank vault and original bird cage elevator, still operational, are part of the tour.

Vintage 1930s bowling equipment was installed in a retrofitted historic commercial building. Yes it still works with the aid of a manually loaded pin setter. See it in action on the tour and bowl for a strike.

Manually loaded pin setter. Need a job?

This restored historic home is typical of the small dwellings built during Victor's 1894 to 1902 boom period for miners and their families. It features a gabled roof, woodframe construction, and shingled gable ends. Inside you will find a very pleasant surprise.

This recently restored home is available as a vacation rental. The creative interior restoration and furnishings reflect the owner's unique personality and vision.

Irene Ellsberry built this house in 1899. It was sold to John J Conerty in 1905 and to Edith Sturgill in 1919. The home was purchased by Eddie Kohlberg in 1921 and remained in his family for the next 56 years. Mr. Kohlberg was an assayer and legend has it that a gold bar was found in front of the house.

2013 Tour Highlights:

TOUR FOUR GOLD RUSH ERA HOMES PLUS THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE LOWELL THOMAS MUSEUM.

Includes the log home built in 1900 for the Woods Brothers--the family that platted the City of Victor and developed a dynasty encompassing numerous gold mines, hotels, banks, Skaguay Reservoir & Power Plant, and more.

Never shown to the public before, this log home was built for the Woods Brothers who were founders of the City of Victor, developers of the original Victor Hotel, the Gold Coin Mine & Club, Skaguay Reservoir & Power Plant, and numerous other hardrock mines in the World Famous Cripple Crreek & Victor Mining District. Woods Avenue in the Old North End Historic District of Colorado Springs was named for this family.

Hidden behind the aspen trees is a beautifully restored two-story home constructed in 1896.

Built in 1896 by an engineer at one of the mines, this home originally had just three rooms. Eventually a garage was attached and more rooms were added. Today this comfortably restored historic home has a back patio and separate guest house overlooking a peaceful treed valley with scenic mountain views.

This typical turn-of-the-century hardrock miner's home was constructed on a lot 25 foot wide by 125 foot deep. Buildable space was at a premium when Victor was Colorado's fifth largest city. The creative interior restoration reflects the owner's unique personality.

The first floor tour highlights the history and restoration of the Lowell Thomas Museum building--named for the world famous radio broadcaster who grew up in Victor. Since 1900 the building has housed Thompkins Hardware, Mining Exchange Offices, and the Hackley Hotel.

Thanks to all who attended our previous Historic House and Building Tours and everyone who volunteered to make these annual tours a success. We look forward to your participation again in future years.