Peek into Leadville’s past on Dec. 6 during the town’s 20th annual Christmas Victorian home tour. Seven of Leadville’s historic landmarks will be decorated in full holiday regalia; a spread of fancy, party hors d’oeuvres, soups, specialty breads, cookies and beverages will welcome guests warmly at each address. Hosts will be dressed in their Victorian best.
Adding to the tour’s Victorian flair, mule-drawn surreys will transport visitors between some of the homes. Shuttle vans also will be available. Or, walk or drive your own car.
Here’s a look at places on the tour:
The historic St. George’s Episcopal Church, 200 W. Fourth St., was built as a small replica of St. George’s Church in New York City. Its cornerstone was laid in 1880. The hand-hewn beams and gothic arches are impressive. In lieu of stained glass, St. George’s windows are “tinted.” Clear glass was painted with a brush and glazed in a furnace to achieve the unusual tinting. Mining magnate H.A.W. Tabor purchased the bell for the church tower. It rings every Sunday.
The Kolakowski home, 815 Spruce St., is a gracious Victorian built in 1898, using some of the lumber from Leadville’s famous Ice Palace. Giles and Kami Kolakowski and their three children have lived here seven years. They own and operate the Ice Palace Inn Bed & Breakfast next door.
The Leadville Country Inn, 127 E. Eighth St., was built in 1892 in the grand Queen Anne style. Its turret is its signature. Though originally a private home, it has been a bed and breakfast the past 15 years. All of the inn’s 13 rooms have been decorated with period antiques and artifacts. One private bath has a copper-lined wooden tub.
On what used to be called “State Street,” now East Second Street, a bordello claimed the address at No. 224. This 1879 “business” had a fancy front parlor and four bedrooms with dressing rooms. The easy-opening upper windows enabled the ladies to call down to prospective clients on the street. Today, this stately Victorian has been lovingly restored by the Klenda family. Hardwood floors have been honed by hand; woodworking has been replicated, and the home now enjoys rich, vibrant colors. Even Mabel, the resident ghost, likes what she sees.
Originally, the boxy-looking structure at 220 W. Eighth St. was known as the Cloud Drift Cottage, built in 1878. It sits on Capitol Hill, the area of town referred to as the “silk stocking” district, where Leadville society lived. Its prominent metal chimney reflected the inspiration of river board stem stacks. Today, state Sen. Ken Chlouber and his wife, Patricia, call the Cloud Drift Cottage home. They purchased it in 1976, reconstructed the fireplace with rock they selected from the nearby Turquoise Lake area, raised their son, Cole, here, and share their home with a number of ghosts. The ghostly occurrences are non-
threatening; they are miners who leave early in the morning to go to work.
The Rushing home at 220 E. Ninth St. is another example of traditional Victorian architecture. You’ll be welcomed in the large parlor where holiday treats will sweeten the day.
The Silver Dollar Saloon, 315 Harrison Ave., a Leadville landmark since 1879, originally was called the Board of Trade. It was a house of gambling and drinking; it is said that Oscar Wilde, after lecturing at the Tabor Opera House, crossed the street and “put down shots with the best of them.” Its huge back bar, front bar, windbreak, swinging doors and diamond dust mirrors came from St. Louis by covered wagon.
Guests should register for the home tour at the Silver Dollar Saloon. Arrive anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The properties will be open for touring between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. The tour costs $25.
The Chamber of Commerce is offering additional activities to complete your old-fashioned Christmas weekend. After the home tour, enjoy cocktails at the Elks Club from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and a Victorian catered dinner with door prizes. This additional package costs $25.
If you’re planning to stay overnight, a special champagne brunch has been arranged from 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 7 at the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum. A private tour of the museum will be included, all for $15.
A $60 package is available if you choose to do the home tour, the dinner and the brunch. For anyone who’s bought the entire package, the Heritage Museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for tours. Also, a souvenir videotape of the home tour will be sent to everyone who’s purchased the package.
Lodging packages are available at all Leadville accommodations.
Lillian Ross is a freelance writer who lives in Howard.
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If you go
Leadville is about 100 miles west of Denver. Drive west on Interstate 70 to the Copper Mountain/Leadville exit. Then, follow Colorado 91 south over Fremont Pass and into Leadville.
For more information on the home tour or for information on lodging in Leadville, call the Chamber of Commerce at 800-933-3901.
