Table of Contents

Introduction
The Early Years of Manitou
Manitou's Neighbors
Other Events in the mid 1890's
Father Jean Baptiste Francolon
The Building of Miramont Castle
The Washington Day Ball
The Sisters of Mercy
The Apartments
The Restoration
Hours of Operation

Introduction

For the last century Miramont Castle has been the source of admiration and curiosity for all who have come into contact with it. Its history reflects the turbulence and diversity of the eras through which it has passed, with more than one controversial character adding his or her historical presence to the overall scene.

The Castle's colorful history varies from use as a private home for a wealthy French priest and his mother to a state of dilapidation before it was rescued by the members of the Manitou Springs Historical Society. Let us begin our journey through the first century of Miramont Castle.

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The Early Years of Manitou

After the founding of Manitou in 1872 by the visionary Dr. William Bell, its reputation as a healing community spread throughout the country. Advertising brochures written by the railroads that provided access to the region attracted growing numbers of health seekers to the area. Describing the favorable climate, comfortable hotels, healing waters and the beauty of the surrounding hills and mountains, these brochures urged the readers to visit "The Saratoga of the West."  Five trains a day brought visitors to Manitou from across the nation; about 44,000 people visited annually, 15% of whom stayed almost a month.

Some of the tourists did more than visit Manitou, choosing to become permanent residents of this developing town. By the mid-1890's, it boasted a year-round population of about 2000 people along with 13 hotels, four churches, a public school, two mineral water bottling plants, an electric power plant, a water plant, and both a daily and weekly newspaper. The most popular tourist attraction was the Cog Railway, which had been taking sightseers up Pike's Peak since 1891.

In addition to Manitou's founder, Dr. Bell, other prominent citizens included Dr. Basil Creighton, who practiced medicine and operated a drugstore, Dr. Henry Ogilbee, a physician who built the post office and also established the second bank in Manitou, and Jerome Wheeler, a financial backer of the Colorado Midland Railway. Mr. Wheeler had been a prominent figure in Aspen where he built the Hotel Jerome and the Wheeler Opera House. When he moved to Manitou, he contracted to build the Wheeler Block, a three story building which housed the J. B. Wheeler Banking Company and the Opera House. His best known contribution to Manitou is the town clock which depicts Hygeia, the Greek goddess of health, an especially appropriate subject for a town whose legacy is based on the health-giving natural springs.

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Manitou's Neighbors

Manitou (now known as Manitou Springs) was just one of several bustling communities in the shadow of Pike's Peak. Just to the east, Colorado City had served as a supply post for early day miners and other adventurers. It soon became known as a center of saloons, brothels and other establishments not allowed in another neighboring community, the more genteel Colorado Springs.

Colorado Springs' founder, William J. Palmer, dreamed of creating the perfect environment for attracting wealthy, refined people. He used the word "Springs" in the name of the settlement, even though it was inappropriate, since the closest springs were in the Manitou area. It did, however, lend the feeling of a resort to the area, a feeling that served General Palmer's plan.

One-third of the population of Colorado Springs came to the region for treatment of tuberculosis; hospitals, sanitariums and many convalescent homes were built for this purpose.

The large number of British expatriates moving to Colorado Springs prompted it to become known as "Little London." The police were called "bobbies," English holidays were celebrated, playing rugby and cricket were considered fashionable. The elegant Cheyenne Mountain Club and the fashionable El Paso Club accommodated the social needs of those well-to-do citizens that General Palmer's town attracted.

A popular event in Colorado Springs for many years was the "Flower Parade" held during the annual "Cripple Creek Days." It celebrated the 1891 discovery of gold in Cripple Creek, which also fostered dramatic population growth throughout the Front Range.

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Other Events in the mid-1890's

The 1890's saw growth throughout El Paso County. Meanwhile, the first United States automobile company was founded, X-rays were discovered, and the first open heart surgery was performed. Inventions of the day included the motion picture camera, projector, and the safety razor. Oscar Hammerstein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Aldous Huxley and Babe Ruth were born. "Swan Lake" was performed for the first time, and Dvorak composed "The New World Symphony." The first comic strip appeared ("The Katzenjammer Kids"), and the first professional football game was held.

Father Jean Baptiste Francolon

Father Jean Baptiste Francolon was another notable person who came to Manitou in the early 1890's. Born in 1854 to a wealthy family living in the Clermont region of France, he had planned to follow his father's footsteps in the diplomatic service but changed his plans and studied for the priesthood instead.

He had come to the United States in 1878, serving as the secretary to the Archbishop of Santa Fe. In 1880 he became chancellor of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and just three years later was given charge of an area in which the Church was developing missions. While living in New Mexico, he was credited for arranging the agreement for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad to pass through Mexican and Indian territory.

While visiting France in 1886, the French government called upon him to travel to Venezuela and Guatemala on a diplomatic mission. It is generally agreed that this experience led to the decline of his health.

Documents say that Father Francolon was assigned the pastorate of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Manitou in 1892, although he apparently had business dealings there at least a year or two earlier. He designed and built the Castle in the 1895-1896 timeframe.

It is unclear how long he served the parish and how long he actually lived in Manitou; the last legal document involving Father Francolon was dated December 1898. After 1900, his business affairs in Manitou were carried out by George Renn, who had power of attorney. It is reported that he left Manitou under distressing circumstances and returned to France.

His mother returned to France sometime before March 1900, and she apparently died soon after. Father Francolon died in New York City December 4, 1922, and was buried in the Cemetery of the Archdiocese of New York. He left a provision in his will for the parish of Manitou to receive $500.00.

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The Building of Miramont Castle

The property on which Miramont Castle is located has an interesting historical background. Part of a parcel of land whose earliest deed dates back to 1862, it was once owned by one of Colorado's most controversial citizens, Colonel John Chivington, who commanded the infamous Sand Creek Massacre of 1864. His name first appears on the deed on December 1, 1865; the record notes that he sold the land in 1867 through his son-in-law who had power of attorney. He later filed suit, claiming that he had not given the power of attorney, and therefore he was still the owner of the land. The case was quickly decided against him, and the town authorities felt that the notoriety had served good advertising purposes for Manitou.

Another historically important name connected to this property is that of the Colorado Springs Company, founded by General William Palmer. He and his associates are listed on the deeds from 1871 until 1882, when they sold the property to the City of Manitou.

When Father Francolon decided to build the home of his dreams, he enlisted as contractors the well-known Gillis brothers, Angus and Archie. Their accomplishments included constructing the Cog Railway Station, the Wheeler Block, the Broadmoor Casino and the Iron Springs Hotel. Subsequently, they built the library in Colorado City and the El Paso County Courthouse.

William Frizzell supervised the masonry work. Like the Gillis brothers, he had come to Manitou from Nova Scotia. He appears to have been a versatile entrepreneur in Manitou; newspaper advertisements list his services for delivering ice to the hotels in summer and coal in the winter. He also organized one of the volunteer fire companies which served Manitou. He and his sons had cleared land for building houses, built roads, and constructed the stone arch bridges over Ruxton and Fountain Creeks. When the construction of the Castle began, they quarried and hand-cut the native green sandstone for its two-foot thick walls.

No architect was hired to draw up plans for this building. Father Francolon had apparently collected ideas from his early years of traveling the world with his diplomat father, and he feared that no one else could interpret his artistic desires satisfactorily. According to a daughter of Angus Gillis, Father Francolon and her father sat at a table in the Gillis home for countless hours while these plans were described in detail for the builders.

This unique method of designing resulted in the use of nine distinct architectural styles: Romanesque, Gothic, Moorish, English Tudor, shingle-style Queen Anne, Flemish stepped gables, domestic Elizabethan, Venetian Ogee and half-timber Chateau.

Construction was begun in the fall of 1895 when the property was excavated and the foundation was begun. The Manitou Springs Journal reported progress on the construction in its issues through the spring and summer of 1896, and concluded its reports in November of that year by proclaiming it to be "one of the handsomest and most artistic buildings in Colorado."

Miramont, which means "look at the mountain," is built on four levels which cover a total of 14,000 square feet. Following the popular Victorian tradition of having rooms of unusual shapes, few of the 46 rooms have four square corners; one has eight sides and another has sixteen.

The Castle boasts five fireplaces, the largest being sixteen feet wide and weighing 400,000 pounds. It runs almost eight feet back into the side of the mountain on which the Castle is built.

The Castle featured running water and electricity when it was built. Electricity had become available in the late 1880's when Angus Gillis built El Paso County's first electrical generator in Manitou for Dr. Bell.

An addition was made to the Castle sometime after its original completion in 1896, but no records have been located to confirm the date. This newer part of the structure was added to the east of the serving kitchen and includes the chapel, grand staircase and solarium areas.

Many of the facets of Father Francolon's personality appear to be puzzling, and his financial dealings involving the Castle were no exception. The Gillis Brothers had to resort to taking him to court for payment for their work on the Castle; Father Francolon took out a loan on the property in order to obtain these funds.

Each piece of history concerning the background of this property has contributed its individual touch to the mystique of the Castle, and each succeeding decade will continue to add to its continuing story.

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The Washington Day Ball

Father Francolon's level of sociability is the subject of conflicting reports. Some accounts relate that he was rarely seen outside the Castle except when driving his mother in their buggy or walking his two huge, unruly dogs. Others say that he enjoyed sharing his talents at the piano at various social gatherings around town. He is mentioned in 1898 newspapers as a local charity ball patron and as a guest at a society wedding which was also attended by such notable figures as Governor-elect Charles S. Thomas, Mr. and Mrs. Irving Howbeit, and Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Wheeler.

No matter what his usual social habits were, he opened his lavishly furnished home to the elite of the Manitou, Colorado Springs, and Denver areas for a Washington's Birthday Ball held on February 22, 1897. The proceeds of this charity event were donated toward the purchase of land for the public library in Manitou. Father Francolon was one of the directors of the "free reading room," as it was then known.

Three hundred people paid an admission fee and dressed in colonial costumes that portrayed George and Martha Washington, John and Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson and other important figures of that period in history. Those who did not participate paid one dollar to be a spectator.

The Denver Republican published a detailed, glowing account of the party, the costumes and the Castle. Another paper, the Evening Telegraph, pronounced it "the most brilliant affair of the winter" and described the Castle as a "treasure house of tapestries and paintings of the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries."

August 24 marked the second charity ball of 1897 and saw 400 people crowd the Castle. The newspapers again praised it as "a brilliant success" and included detailed descriptions of the events and participants.

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The Sisters of Mercy

Miramont Castle was not the first home of the Francolons in Manitou. Records show that they had purchased several lots in the Capitol Hill area, with the first transaction being dated October 23, 1890.

The Manitou Springs Journal announced in its September 17, 1892, edition that Father Francolon was having a $3,500 "cottage" built on Capitol Hill, and the November 19 edition reported that it was near completion.

In 1895, Father Francolon donated this home to the Sisters of Mercy for use as a sanitarium. They opened "The Montcalme," as it was known, over the objections of Bishop Matz, who had promised the Sisters of Charity and Sisters of St. Francis that no other sanitarium would be approved in this immediate area. He felt that there was no need for the additional services they would provide.

History has shown that Bishop Matz was incorrect; Montcalme soon drew more patients than the original structure could accommodate. St. John's and St. Joseph's cottages were built, and tents were also erected on the hillside behind the buildings.

The Sisters, under the direction of Mother Mary John Baptist Meyers, were praised for the excellent care they extended to the patients. They also contributed to the cultural tone of Manitou by offering piano, violin, mandolin, guitar and banjo lessons.

In December 1898, the Sisters entered into an agreement with Father Francolon in which they promised to provide board and housekeeping services for the Francolons as long as they resided adjacent to the sanitarium. They had also borrowed money from Father Francolon, having signed a note for $3,000 in 1895. Research has not clarified the intent behind either of these actions.

According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, in 1902 General William Palmer contributed $1,000 to the sanitarium in order to decrease the debt the Sisters had incurred.

The highly respected director of Montcalme, Mother Baptist, was killed in a tragic train accident near Chama, New Mexico, on August 29, 1901. She had been a tireless worker and a strong leader for the Sisters of Mercy in Colorado; the loss of her leadership aggravated the many challenges facing the Sisters in the future.

In 1904, after a fire destroyed the furnace room of the Montcalme, the Sisters purchased the then-vacant Miramont Castle and renamed it "Montcalme." The April 21 Weekly Gazette announced the sale and added that the sanitarium would be using the "Kneipp cure" as part of its treatment. This cure was highly regarded by some authorities, and it was felt that it would be a drawing card for the sanitarium.

Despite the Sisters' hard work, Montcalme faced continual financial problems, and in 1915 the Sisters considered converting the sanitarium into a facility for the aged. Church officials opposed this change and stated that the Manitou area was unsuitable for such a facility. Too little sunshine and steep hills that "the dear old men and women would have to hobble up" were cited as problems. The Sisters relented and continued with the sanitarium until 1928. From then until 1946, Sister Delores and Sister Vincent maintained Montcalme for the use of Sisters visiting from other parishes for brief vacations and times of rest.

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The Apartments

The post-war era brought a housing shortage to all areas, including Manitou. Many large homes were converted into apartments, and Montcalme was purchased in 1946 for this purpose.

The first owner was Alex Gardiner, who sold it within two months to Mrs. Cora Wood, the former owner of a resort at Pagosa Springs. It was under her ownership that the name was changed back to Miramont.

Nine other owners followed Mrs. Wood in the next 22 years. One of these owners was Dorothy Aldridge, who had become interested in Miramont when performing research for an article she was writing under the pen name of Hank Givens.

During this time, the building was divided into ten apartments. Succeeding years of renters brought increasing wear and tear to Miramont. A 1972 fire in the upper stories caused about $10,000 damage.

Many stories have circulated about the tenants who rented in Miramont through the years; some appreciated the historical background of the home, while some reportedly brought motorcycles inside their apartments to perform repairs. Some less respectful occupants even burned pieces of the Castle for firewood.

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The Restoration

Since its inception in 1971, the Manitou Springs Historical Society had been looking for a site to use as a museum. They met throughout the community while they searched for a location.

The society considered many buildings, but when Miramont Castle became available for purchase, the members unanimously agreed that this was the property for which they had been waiting.

The price tag for the Castle was $60,000, and even though the Society had less than $5000.00 in its bank account in early 1976, the 27 members took on this responsibility. Fourth and fifth mortgages were added to the Castle, and the Society set about to find ways to make its dream a success despite the staggering debt it faced.

The Society had to concern itself not only with the purchase price, but also the monumental cost of repairing the property which had suffered many years of neglect. A grant commissioned by the Colorado Centennial-Bicentennial Committee was awarded to the Society in March 1976, giving a much needed boost toward the renovation.

The first step toward restoration was to engage the services of a well-respected preservation consultant, Philip Lawrence Hannum. His task was to appraise the structural condition of the building and to make recommendations of the proper methods of historic restoration.

Hannum conducted an in-depth study of the property, noting repairs needed and prioritizing them according to urgency. Among problem areas involving the exterior, he found chimneys and parapets needing regrouting or rebuilding. He also cited major roof repairs, including replacement in some areas. New woodwork was needed around the windows, and new shingles had to be added to the dormers. Even the untrained eye recognized over 260 broken windows needing replacement.

Mr. Hannum also prioritized the interior renovation needs, with a special concern being directed toward restoring the rooms as much as possible to their original state. The structure of many of the rooms had been altered a great deal when the building had been converted to apartments, requiring Mr. Hannum's expertise as a historical preservationist to determine their original appearance. Using old photographs and newspaper articles for guidelines, he provided the Society with detailed instructions for the renovation.

The reconstruction of the interior involved an additional challenge, as some of the rental apartments were to be retained temporarily to provide income for the Society. Gradually, as funds became available, these apartments became part of the museum, being restored to their original use.

Surprises supplemented the challenges. A closet on the third floor, once renovated, revealed a hidden stairway to the fourth floor. When the tin ceiling needed replacement, an exact duplicate set of ceiling tiles was found in a building slated to be demolished only days later.

Knowing what needed to be done was just the beginning; having the necessary resources was the next challenge. Community and civic groups came to the aid of the Society and contributed over 7,800 hours of work in the first year. The Manitou Springs Women's Club, Masonic Lodge, the Commonwheel Artists Cooperative, three chapters of the Rotary Club, Girl Scouts, and the American Legion were among the groups contributing materials and many hours of labor toward the goal. Five chapters of the Jaycees tackled projects ranging from restoring the garden and grounds to working on the roof. The 4th Combat Engineering Battalion graded the parking lots and driveway, the Colorado Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction restored the kitchen area, and students from Cheyenne Mountain High School worked on one of the third floor bedrooms.

The citizens of Manitou Springs looked upon the restoration of the Castle as a positive sign of a rebirth of their community which had lost some of its luster and appeal of former years. Praising the Historical Society as being at the forefront of local historical renovation, local business owners contributed financial support, labor and materials toward the restoration.

The grand opening of the Miramont Castle Museum was held on July 8, 1976, coinciding with the celebration of Manitou's 100th birthday and the nation's bicentennial year. The city rededicated the town clock and celebrated the renovation of city hall; a community picnic and box supper featuring birthday cake and pink lemonade (made with Manitou spring water) followed the festivities.

In the center of the planning and execution of the entire project were the tireless volunteers of the Historical Society. In the first 58 months of operation, they totaled over 47,000 hours of volunteer labor. No one kept a tally of the number of cookies or cups of coffee served to the workers; if they had, the number would be staggering.

The Castle achieved National Landmark status when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 3, 1977. Over 40,000 people visit the Castle each year.

Restoration continues with improvements being made each year, and volunteers contributing almost 8,000 hours annually. Their motto has been, "Built and rebuilt with the helping hand of God".

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