Wheeler–Stallard House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Wheeler–Stallard House
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South elevation, 2010
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 Location in Colorado
Location in the United States
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| Location | Aspen, CO |
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| Built | 1888 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000532 |
| Added to NRHP | May 30, 1975 |
The Wheeler–Stallard House is a historic home in Aspen, United States. It was built in the 1880s and is a great example of the Queen Anne architectural style. The house has been updated a few times over the years. In 1975, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's a special building worth protecting.
The house was built by Jerome B. Wheeler, who was an important investor in Aspen's silver mines when the city was a boomtown (a town that grows very quickly). He and the people who rented the house after him didn't spend much time there before the silver mining slowed down in 1893. After being empty for ten years, the Stallard family moved in and lived there for a long time. This was during Aspen's "quiet years" when the economy was tough.
After World War II, Walter Paepcke bought the house. Like Wheeler, Paepcke invested a lot in Aspen, helping it become a famous cultural center and ski resort. Paepcke never lived in the house himself. Later, Alvin C. Eurich, the president of the Aspen Institute, lived there. Since the late 1960s, the house has been home to the Aspen Historical Society. They use it as a historic house museum, where visitors can learn about the past.
Contents
What the House Looks Like
The Wheeler–Stallard House is located in a residential area of Aspen. It's a three-story building made of brick, sitting on a strong stone base. The roof has different sections and three tall brick chimneys.
On the front of the house, there's a bay window (a window that sticks out from the wall) and a porch that wraps around the side. The windows on the first two floors are double-hung, meaning both parts can slide up and down. They have a unique design with many small panes of glass at the top. The windows are topped with brick arches.
The roof has decorative wooden brackets and carved boards along its edges. There are also special windows with diamond patterns. Inside, the house has a small entrance area, a living room, dining room, and kitchen on the first floor. The second floor used to be all bedrooms, and the attic has also been made into rooms. The rooms are decorated to look like they did around 1890.
House History
The story of the Wheeler–Stallard House can be divided into four main parts: its early years when Jerome Wheeler owned it, the time the Stallard family lived there, Walter Paepcke's ownership after World War II, and finally, when the historical society took over.
Wheeler's Early Years (1889–1892)
Jerome B. Wheeler, who was a partner in the Macy's department store, first visited Aspen in 1883. Aspen was a new, fast-growing town because of its silver mines. Wheeler was an important investor from the East who helped build a smelter (a place to process ore) in Aspen and bring a railroad connection to the city. He also built other famous buildings in Aspen, like the Wheeler Opera House and the Hotel Jerome.
Wheeler bought the land for the house in 1886, planning to build a permanent home for his family. It's not completely clear exactly when the house was built, but it was likely around 1888 or 1889. No one knows for sure who the architect was, but some think it might have been Frederick A. Hale or William Quayle, who designed other important buildings in Aspen.
Even though Wheeler planned for the house to be his family's main home, they ended up living in another mansion in Manitou Springs, Colorado. Instead, Wheeler rented the Aspen house to others. First, James Henry Devereux, a manager of Wheeler's mining company, lived there for a short time. Then, Henry Woodward, Wheeler's main agent in Colorado, moved in. The Woodwards often hosted parties at the house and were important in Aspen's social scene.
In 1892, the Woodwards left the house. Wheeler then sold the property to his mother-in-law. He started selling off most of his Aspen businesses because silver prices were dropping. In 1893, a financial crisis hit, and the law that supported silver mining was canceled. This caused Wheeler's mining company to close and his banks to shut down. After this, Wheeler rarely visited Aspen.
The Stallard Family (1893–1945)
After the silver mining crash, no one lived in the house for a few years. This period was known as Aspen's "quiet years," as the town's population dropped from over 10,000 to about 500 by 1930.
Wheeler's mother-in-law sold the house to Christopher Bell, a businessman from New York City. Bell never visited Aspen. In 1905, his son Dennistoun allowed Edgar Stallard, a local real estate agent, to move into the house. The Stallard family became the first real long-term residents.
The house was quite neglected when the Stallards moved in. Unlike the wealthy previous renters, the Stallards couldn't afford servants. So, the rooms meant for servants became bedrooms for their children and nieces. Mary Ella Stallard, Edgar's wife, grew vegetables in the garden and raised animals to help feed the family. She also had a small photography studio in the house. The house, which was once a fancy showplace, became a busy home and workplace.
Heating the large house in the cold Aspen winters was a challenge. The family added a coal shed and used wood-burning stoves instead of fireplaces to save heat.
In 1908, the county took ownership of the house because the Bells hadn't paid taxes on it. In 1910, the county put it up for sale. Mary Ella Stallard bought the house for a very low price, making the Stallards the first owners to actually live in the house since 1888.
The family faced more difficulties when the last major silver mines closed in 1919. Edgar Stallard's income dropped. In 1919, their youngest son, Albert, died at age 12. Mary Ella was very sad, but she still took in three of her grandnieces in 1921 after their mother died.
When Edgar Stallard died in 1925, Mary Ella continued to make ends meet. To save money on heating, she closed off the upper floors and used only the downstairs rooms. By 1945, she realized the house was too big for her and moved to a smaller home. She sold the house to William Tagert, who then immediately sold it to Walter Paepcke.
The Paepcke Years (1945–1969)
Walter Paepcke, like Jerome Wheeler, was a rich businessman who visited Aspen while on vacation. He and his wife Elizabeth loved the arts and wanted to create a classical music festival in America, similar to one in Austria. Aspen's mountain setting was perfect, but many buildings were run-down. The Paepckes believed that if the old Victorian buildings were fixed up, Aspen would become a popular place to visit.
They bought 18 properties in Aspen, including the Wheeler–Stallard House. They hired architect Herbert Bayer to help renovate them. Paepcke also helped start the Aspen Skiing Company, and in 1947, they opened Ski Lift No. 1, which was the longest ski lift in the world at the time. This event is seen as the start of Aspen becoming the famous ski resort it is today.
Skiing and the Aspen Music Festival (which started in 1949) brought many visitors to Aspen. The Paepckes used their large houses, like the Wheeler–Stallard House, to host overflow guests when the Hotel Jerome was full. Elizabeth Paepcke, who was also a designer, oversaw the house's renovation. She even did some of the work herself, like replacing walls and updating the attic.
By 1952, the house was regularly used to house visiting skiers. They had free use of the house but usually ate out. Maids from the hotel cleaned the house while the guests were skiing.
As more hotels opened, the guesthouses were less needed. By 1956, the Wheeler–Stallard House was used for employee housing. The chef from the Hotel Jerome lived there with his wife, and the upstairs bedrooms housed waitresses.
In 1963, two years after Walter Paepcke died, the house became the home of Alvin C. Eurich, the first president of the Aspen Institute. Elizabeth Paepcke oversaw another renovation of the house, focusing on fixing the basement, which had many problems.
Eurich, his wife Nell, and their children lived in the house starting in 1964. It became their main home. They began hosting parties for the Aspen Institute's summer programs at their home. In 1967, Eurich resigned as president, and he and his wife moved away. They were the last people to live in the house as a private residence.
Historical Society Takes Over (1969–Present)
The house didn't stay empty for long this time. The Aspen Historical Society, which started in 1963, had no permanent home. They quickly leased the house from the Aspen Institute and opened it as a museum in 1969. Within a few months, they raised enough money to buy the house.
By the 1970s, Aspen was a popular place for rich celebrities and business people. The historical society was able to raise a lot of money from the community. In 1976, they built a "carriage house" (a separate building) behind the main house to store their collections. This was the last major change to the property.
In 2000, the society started new renovations to make the house an even better museum space. They finished a year later. All the original furniture and decorations were kept inside. Outside, the gardens were redesigned to create an open space for events like weddings. After these renovations, the society opened its "Spirit of Aspen" exhibit.
Images for kids
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South elevation, 2010
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Jerome Wheeler
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Mounting block with Stallard name in front of house
See also
