The Walls Talk: Historic House Museums of Colorado - Softcover

Patricia Werner

Softcover

ISBN 10: 086541095X ISBN 13: 9780865410954

Publisher: Filter Press, 2010

Synopsis

The Walls Talk is a travel guide to thirty-seven of Colorado's historic house museums. It takes the reader to all corners of the state—not only to well known locations like the Molly Brown House in Denver, but to out-of-the-way places like Jack Dempsey's Cabin in Manassa or the Hedlund House in Hugo. You will learn more about famous Coloradans like Baby Doe and Horace Tabor, and make the acquaintance of lesser known figures like the mysterious priest who built a mansion for his mother and then disappeared for twenty years or the Cripple Creek madam whose sister told the undertaker, This harlot is no sister of mine. Each museum in the book was an actual dwelling place, is now open to the public, and represents the life of the people who lived there. The book describes the architecture and history of each house, and brings to life the inhabitants through their stories. Take the book along as you tour the museums or enjoy reading about them from the comfort of your own home. Includes driving directions, parking information, hours of operation, admission charges, and web site for each house museum. Contains a glossary of architectural terms and an extensive list of sources.

"I wrote this book so that I could know the people who lived in these dwellings. I hope you enjoy knowing them, too." —Patricia Werner

About this title

From the Back Cover:

The Walls Talk is a travel guide to thirty-seven of Colorado's historic house museums. It takes the reader to all corners of the state—not only to well known locations like the Molly Brown House in Denver or the McAllister House in Colorado Springs, but to out-of-the-way places such as Jack Dempsey's Cabin in Manassa and the Hedlund House Museum in Hugo. You will learn more about famous Coloradans like Baby Doe Tabor and Governor William Byers, and make acquaintance of lesser known figures such as the mysterious priest who built a mansion for his mother and then disappeared for twenty years or the Cripple Creek madam whose sister told the undertaker, “This harlot is no sister of mine.” Each museum in the book was an actual dwelling place, is now open to the public, and represents the life of the people who lived there. The book describes the architecture and history of each house, and brings to life the inhabitants through their stories. People like Lee Humphrey, the first known commuter from Evergreen, who made a 2½-hour, one-way daily commute to Denver over Lookout Mountain in a Model T and never missed a day of work because of snow, except for three days in 1934. Or Tweet Kimball, who had her Italian butler put on his jeans and take on the job as cattle foreman at Cherokee Ranch. Take the book along as you tour the museums or enjoy reading about them from the comfort of your own home. Includes driving directions, parking information, hours of operation, admission charges, and web site for each house museum. Contains a glossary of architectural terms and an extensive list of sources.

Review:

Sadly, Pat Werner did not live to see her wonderful guide to Colorado's historic house museums turn into this wonderful book. Her passion for our state s history lives on in these pages. She, like the house museums celebrated in these pages, brings Colorado's past home and back to life. --—Tom Dr. Colorado Noel, Professor of History, CU-Denver

About this edition

• Publisher: Filter Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 086541095X
• ISBN 13: 9780865410954
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240