Healy House Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Healy House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Colorado
Location in the United States
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| Location | Leadville, Colorado |
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| Built | 1878 |
| Architect | August R. Meyer |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000164 |
| Added to NRHP | August 25, 1970 |
The Healy House Museum is a special historic home in Leadville, Colorado. It was built in 1878 by a mining engineer named August R. Meyer. He built it for his wife, Emma.
Later, in 1888, a man named Daniel Healy bought the house. Daniel Healy was an immigrant from Ireland. He ran a boarding house in the home with his cousin, Nellie Healy. Daniel Healy also worked as a mail carrier and later became an assistant postmaster in Leadville. He started several successful businesses. He even represented Leadville in Colorado's state legislature from 1903 to 1905. This meant he helped make laws for the state.
Contents
The House's Journey Through Time
How the House Became a Museum
After Daniel Healy passed away in 1912, the house was given to his sister, nieces, and cousin Nellie Healy. Nellie continued to live in the house and run the boarding house until 1936.
In 1936, Nellie decided to give the house to a historical association. She had one important condition: the house had to be used to help the city of Leadville.
Restoring a Piece of History
In 1938, a person named Clara Gaw Norton helped oversee the restoration work at the house. Restoration means carefully fixing and bringing something old back to its original look. Money for this work came from a grant from the Boettcher Foundation.
Clara Norton had a big dream. She wanted to turn the Healy House into Leadville's very first history museum.
A National Treasure
The Healy House was recognized as a very important historic place. In 1970, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of places in the United States that are important to history.
Healy House Today
Today, Healy House is a Colorado State Historic Site. This means the state of Colorado helps take care of it. It is run as a museum by History Colorado. The museum shows what life was like during the Victorian era. This was a time when Queen Victoria ruled England (from 1837 to 1901).
The Healy House is located within the Leadville Historic District. This whole area is a National Historic Landmark, which is an even higher level of historical importance. The restored house shows visitors what the "Elegant Eighties" were like. This refers to the 1880s, a time of wealth and fancy living in Leadville.
