Hotel de Paris

Hotel de Paris is an idealized imitation of a Norman inn and is older than the state of Colorado itself. A former cook, journalist, and miner, Frenchman Louis Dupuy (born Adolph François Gerard) established the hotel and restaurant on October 9, 1875. Set in picturesque Clear Creek Canyon against the high peaks of the rugged Rocky Mountains, Dupuy’s fine establishment provided accommodations for regular boarders and a first-class French restaurant to visitors and the population of Georgetown. The town was a silver mining camp, boomtown, and financial center that then numbered approximately 3,500 citizens.

Beginnings

Dupuy initially rented the two-story frame structure and then purchased it in 1878 for $1,250. Over time, the building was handsomely fitted with steam heat, hot and cold running water, elegant carpets, imported china, gaslights, and electricity. Masonry additions to the hotel were built in 1878, 1882, and 1889. The luxurious hostelry contained showrooms for traveling salesmen and eventually catered to wealthy businessmen, railroad tycoons, mining investors, hunters, fishermen, and those seeking elevated regions and a health resort.

The Colorado Miner declared Dupuy “one of the best cooks in the [Colorado] territory.” Over time, his restaurant offered three square meals each day, including oysters, wild game, hand-cut steaks, and seasonal delicacies.

Stylistically, the completed building was High Victorian Eclectic with a mix of Greek revival, French Second Empire, and Italianate, and it posed a striking contrast to the surrounding wilderness. The substantial structure was distinguished in a competitive lodging market by its cast-iron window lintels and sills, gilded zinc statuary from New York, galvanized iron cornice, paved sidewalks, and stucco exterior scored to resemble blocks of stone.

The fashionable interior contained decorative features in the (Charles) Eastlake style and boasted black walnut woodwork, English carpets, velvet-covered couches and chairs, porcelain and brass cuspidors, marble-topped vanities, framed etchings of charming and provocative subjects, and an impressive collection of books and periodicals from Dupuy’s personal library.

The centerpiece of the hotel was its restaurant dining room, which had gas chandeliers, silver maple and black walnut striped flooring, photographs by William Henry Jackson, mirrors, saloon tables, a zinc fountain featuring Cupid astride a swan, a leather-bound guest register, and a cylinder desk ornamented in the French style.

Burkholders-Colonial Dames Era

A rich and storied past included visits from notable guests George and Jay Gould. However, after the Silver Panic of 1893, Hotel de Paris began a steady decline. The successive deaths of proprietor Louis Dupuy in October 1900 and housekeeper and Dupuy heir Sophie Gally in February 1901 made the property and its contents available for lease. On March 24, 1903, Sarah Harrison Burkholder began to acquire the hotel in increments from the heirs of Sophie Gally for an estimated total of $4,500. The purchase was completed in 1904.

The Georgetown Courier called Hotel de Paris “famous the wide world over” under the proprietorship of Sarah Burkholder, who maintained the property’s French flair and superior reputation. Rooms were comfortable and meals were excellent. Although at times operated by managers, the Burkholder family owned Hotel de Paris until 1954. That year, the Colorado chapter of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America bought the hotel from Sarah Burkholder's daughter, Hazel Burkholder, McAdams for $15,100. The site reopened as Hotel de Paris Museum, a public charity whose mission is to collect, preserve, and share history associated with Louis Dupuy’s Hotel de Paris and to serve as a catalyst for heritage tourism in the State of Colorado.

Cultural Adaptations and Present Status

In 1959–60 Hotel de Paree, a CBS television series based on Hotel de Paris, was filmed on a soundstage at CBS Studio Center near Los Angeles and broadcast to homes across the country. Hotel de Paris also captured the imagination of America’s Author, Louis L’Amour, who fictionalized the setting in his novel The Proving Trail. Sandra Dallas, a New York Times best-selling author, included Hotel de Paris in her novels The Chile Queen and the award-winning The Bride’s House.

Over the past sixty years, Hotel de Paris Museum has undergone millions of dollars of preservation and renovation efforts. Restored period rooms showcase the site’s original furnishings. Visitors are immersed in a setting which provides a fascinating window into the lives of the hotel’s proprietors, workers, builders, and guests. The site is a treasured landmark that appears much as it did during the 1890s. Hotel de Paris Museum is in the Georgetown–Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and became a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2007. In recognition of the museum’s sixtieth anniversary, Governor John W. Hickenlooper proclaimed May 24, 2014, Hotel de Paris Museum Day in the State of Colorado.

Hotel de Paris is an imitation of a Norman inn and is older than the state of Colorado. A former cook, journalist, and miner, Frenchman Louis Dupuy (born Adolph François Gerard) established the hotel and restaurant on October 9, 1875. Set in Clear Creek Canyon against the high peaks of the rugged Rocky Mountains, Dupuy’s fine establishment provided accommodations for regular boarders and a first-class French restaurant to visitors and the population of Georgetown. The town was a silver mining camp, boomtown, and financial center with about 3,500 citizens.

Beginnings

At first, Dupuy rented the two-story frame building and then purchased it in 1878 for $1,250. Over time, the building was fitted with steam heat, hot and cold running water, elegant carpets, imported china, gaslights, and electricity. Masonry additions to the hotel were built in 1878, 1882, and 1889. The luxurious hotel contained showrooms for traveling salesmen. Eventually it catered to wealthy businessmen, railroad tycoons, mining investors, hunters, fishermen, and those seeking higher elevations and a health resort.

The Colorado Miner declared Dupuy “one of the best cooks in the [Colorado] territory.” Over time, his restaurant offered three square meals each day, including oysters, wild game, hand-cut steaks, and seasonal delicacies.

Stylistically, the completed building was High Victorian Eclectic with a mix of Greek revival, French Second Empire, and Italianate, and it posed a striking contrast to the surrounding wilderness.

The fashionable interior contained decorative features in the (Charles) Eastlake style and boasted black walnut woodwork, English carpets, velvet-covered couches and chairs, porcelain and brass cuspidors, marble-topped vanities, framed etchings of charming and thought-provoking subjects, and an impressive collection of books and magazines from Dupuy’s personal library.

The centerpiece of the hotel was its restaurant dining room, which had gas chandeliers, silver maple and black walnut striped flooring, photographs by William Henry Jackson, mirrors, saloon tables, a zinc fountain featuring Cupid sitting on a swan, a leather-bound guest register, and a cylinder desk in the French style.

The Hotel under the Burkholders and Colonial Dames

After the Silver Panic of 1893, Hotel de Paris began a steady decline. The death of Louis Dupuy in October 1900 made the property and its contents available for lease. On March 24, 1903, Sarah Harrison Burkholder acquired the hotel for an estimated total of $4,500. The purchase was completed in 1904.

The Georgetown Courier called Hotel de Paris “famous the wide world over” under the proprietorship of Sarah Burkholder, who maintained the property’s French flair and superior reputation. Rooms were comfortable and meals were excellent. Although at times operated by managers, the Burkholder family owned Hotel de Paris until 1954. That year, it was purchased from the Burkholders for $15,100 by Colorado’s chapter of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America. The site reopened as Hotel de Paris Museum, a public charity whose mission is to collect, preserve, and share history associated with Louis Dupuy’s Hotel de Paris, as well as serve as a vehicle for heritage tourism in the state.

Cultural Adaptations and Present Status

In 1959–60 Hotel de Paree, a CBS television series based on Hotel de Paris, was filmed on a soundstage at CBS Studio Center near Los Angeles and broadcast to homes across the country. The Hotel de Paris also captured the imagination of author Louis L’Amour, who fictionalized the setting in his novel The Proving Trail. Sandra Dallas, a New York Times best-selling author, included Hotel de Paris in her novels The Chile Queen and the award-winning The Bride’s House.

Over the past sixty years, Hotel de Paris Museum has undergone millions of dollars of preservation and renovation efforts. Restored period rooms showcase the site’s original furnishings. Visitors are provided with a fascinating window into the lives of the hotel’s proprietors, workers, builders, and guests. The site is a treasured landmark that appears much as it did during the 1890s. Hotel de Paris Museum is in the Georgetown–Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and became a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2007. In recognition of the museum’s sixtieth anniversary, Governor John W. Hickenlooper proclaimed May 24, 2014, Hotel de Paris Museum Day in Colorado.

The Hotel de Paris is older than the state of Colorado. Frenchman Louis Dupuy (born Adolph François Gerard), who was a former cook, writer, and miner, opened the hotel and restaurant on October 9, 1875.  Located in Clear Creek Canyon, Dupuy’s business offered rooms for regular boarders and a first-class French restaurant to visitors and the people of Georgetown. The town was a silver mining camp that had nearly 3,500 citizens when the hotel opened.

Beginnings

Dupuy first rented the two-story frame building and then bought it in 1878 for $1,250. Over time, the building was fitted with steam heat, hot and cold running water, carpets, china, gaslights, and electricity. Brick additions to the hotel were built in 1878, 1882, and 1889. The fancy hotel had showrooms for traveling salesmen and wealthy businessmen, railroad tycoons, mining investors, hunters, fishermen, and those looking for a high-altitude health resort.

The Colorado Miner declared Dupuy “one of the best cooks in the [Colorado] territory.” His restaurant offered three meals each day, including oysters, wild game steaks, and seasonal delicacies.

The restaurant dining room was the fanciest room in the hotel. On the walls, it had photographs taken by William Henry Jackson, a famous photographer.

Burkholders-Colonial Dames Era

After the Silver Panic of 1893, Hotel de Paris began a steady decline. Louis Dupuy died in October 1900, which made the property and its contents available to lease. In 1904 Sarah Harrison purchased the property for about $4,500.

The Georgetown Courier called Hotel de Paris “famous the wide world over” under the Sarah Burkholder, who kept the property’s French flair and excellent reputation. Rooms were comfortable and meals were delicious. The Burkholder family owned Hotel de Paris until 1954. That year, it was purchased by Colorado’s chapter of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America. The site reopened as Hotel de Paris Museum. The goal of the museum is to collect, preserve, and share history about Louis Dupuy’s Hotel de Paris.

Today

Today the site is a treasured landmark that appears much as it did during the 1890s. Hotel de Paris Museum is in the Georgetown–Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and became a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2007. In recognition of the museum’s sixtieth anniversary, Governor John W. Hickenlooper proclaimed May 24, 2014, Hotel de Paris Museum Day in Colorado.