 |
| Rosemount Castle Trip Advisor |
I’m very fortunate to live in Colorado. Not only is the scenery breathtaking, Colorado is knee-deep in history. Denver is home Molly Brown’s house and the U.S. Mint. Colorado Springs boasts Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods, and just south of Colorado Springs is the Rosemount Museum in Pueblo.
Pueblo is one of
few prominent steel towns in the United States. In the early 20th
century, the city was also known as the Melting Pot, because the steel industry
attracted and employed many immigrants. The Arkansas River flows through Pueblo,
with locals and tourists strolling the Riverwalk. The Colorado State fair is
held annually on the outskirts of the city and Pueblo is home to 4 medal of
honor recipients. And within the midst of such history and boasting sits the
Rosemount Museum.
John and Margaret Ann Thatcher were the original owners of the Rosemount, which is named after Margaret’s favorite flower. John moved to Pueblo from Pennsylvania and earned a living in dry goods. He eventually moved on to the banking, mining, and cattle ranching businesses, and married Margaret April, 1866. The daughter of a judge, Margaret Ann (Henry) lived in Pueblo with her family, and she and John moved to a home on Santa Fe Avenue. The house had 5 rooms and Mrs. Thatcher employed Irish servants to help with household chores.
John hired famed
New York architect Henry Hudson
Holly to build the mansion. Crafted of
pink Rhyolite volcanic rock on the outside and several different types of wood
on the inside to include cherry, mahogany, maple and oak, the 37 room mansion
took 2 years to build, with the family taking up residence in 1893. The
Thatchers enjoyed many years in the mansion with their 5 children before John’s
passing in 1913. Margaret passed away in 1968, and the last of their children
to own the mansion was Raymond, who passed away in 1968.
Pueblo Graveyard
Raymond donated
the museum to the city of Pueblo, who in turn donated it to the Metropolitan
Museum Association. A public trust was
set up by the Thatcher family in 1969 for the creation of Rosemount as a
non-profit museum. The mansion was added to the National Register of Historic
Places July 30, 1974, the 1st in Pueblo county, along with the
Goodnight Barn. Currently, Rosemount is open to tours and most of the family’s
original furnishings remain.
Colorado Springs Gazette 
The Road Blogger
No comments:
Post a Comment