El Pomar Estate facts for kids
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El Pomar Estate
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The Penrose House
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 Location in Colorado
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1661 Mesa Ave., Colorado Springs, Colorado |
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| Area | 18.4 acres (7.4 ha) |
| Built | 1910 |
| Architect | Horace Trumbauer, Charles Thomas, Thomas MacLaren, the Olmsted Brothers |
| Architectural style | Mission Revival and Spanish Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 95001328 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 22, 1995 |
The El Pomar Estate is a beautiful historic property in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was once the home of Spencer and Julie Penrose. This grand estate is recognized as an important historical site. It is listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties.
Contents
The First Owners: The Dixon Ranch
The land where El Pomar Estate now stands was first settled in 1862. A pioneer named William F. Dixon claimed this land. He created the Dixon Ranch and planted an apple orchard. He also built special ditches to bring water to his farm and orchard. This helped him grow crops and raise cattle. A part of his apple orchard later became the El Pomar Estate.
The Potter Estate: A Spanish-Style Home
Around 1909 or 1910, a woman named Grace Goodyear Depew built a new house. It was designed in a Spanish style and had only one story. She named it El Pomar, which means "the apple orchard" in Spanish. This name honored the land's past.
In April 1910, Grace married Captain Howard Ashton Potter. They lived on the estate for a few years. Sadly, both Grace and Howard Potter passed away by 1914. A writer named Julian Street once called El Pomar the "house of houses" in Colorado Springs. He thought it was a perfect home that fit its surroundings beautifully.
The Penrose Estate: A Grand Transformation
In 1916, Spencer and Julie Penrose bought El Pomar. They paid $75,000 for the house, its furniture, and even the wine collection. The Penroses had just built The Broadmoor, a famous resort nearby. They decided to make El Pomar their new home.
The Penroses added a second and third floor to the house. This made it much larger and more impressive. The estate included many buildings. There was the main house, a gate lodge, a carriage house, and cottages for the gardener and chauffeur. There was even a small teahouse.
Inside the main house, the Penroses added special features. These included beautiful marble from Vermont and Belgium. They also had a rare Aeolian organ. Its music could fill the entire house through special vents in the ceiling. During the Prohibition Era, when alcohol was illegal, they even had secret doors in the library that hid a wine cellar.
A Place for Spiritual Retreat
After her husband Spencer passed away in 1939, Julie Penrose moved out of El Pomar in 1944. She generously gave the estate to The Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. This group of nuns used El Pomar as a spiritual retreat center. It was a peaceful place for people to reflect and pray.
They named it the Julie Penrose Center. For nearly 50 years, it served as the first Catholic retreat center for women west of the Mississippi River.
El Pomar Foundation: A Center for Good Works
In 1992, El Pomar became the main office for the El Pomar Foundation. Spencer and Julie Penrose had started this foundation in 1937. It helps many non-profit organizations.
The foundation began restoring the estate in 1992. Their goal was to use it as a conference center. They also wanted to keep its original beautiful design. Today, it is known as the Penrose House Nonprofit Conference and Education Center. It provides a special place for non-profit groups to meet and learn.
Many important people have visited El Pomar. These include former world leaders like Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, and George H. W. Bush. The estate continues to be a place of importance and service.
