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Inter-Laken Hotel

    Originally established in 1879 as the Lakeside Resort, the Inter-Laken Hotel was developed by James V. Dexter into a high-class, late nineteenth-century resort near Twin Lakes. Popular for about two decades, the hotel declined and eventually closed in the early twentieth century as a series of water storage and diversion projects transformed Twin Lakes from a pair of glacial lakes into a large reservoir. The hotel site, including the cabin Dexter built for himself in 1895, was restored in the early 2000s and now features interpretive signs for visitors.

    Resort

    In 1879 John A. Staley and Charles Thomas built a hotel called the Lakeside Resort on the southern shore of Twin Lakes. Although Leadville, about fifteen miles north, was in the midst of a mining boom, the hotel struggled financially. In 1883 it was acquired by James Viola Dexter, a wealthy mine owner in Leadville, who bought the hotel and eighty acres of land for $3,250.

    Dexter renamed the resort the Inter-Laken Hotel and quickly developed it into one of the finest resorts in the Rocky Mountains. He expanded the main hotel building, a two-story board-and-batten structure with two chimneys, and added Kentucky bluegrass lawns, fountains, a hotel annex, a dance pavilion, a stable, and a hexagonal privy.

    Designed primarily as a summer resort, the Inter-Laken Hotel offered sailboats, rowboats, canoes, and a fifty-foot steamboat called the Idlewild. Some winter amusements, such as ice skating and sleigh rides, also took place at the resort. With rates as high as four dollars a day, it was the most expensive hotel in the area, attracting wealthy visitors from Leadville, Denver, and Colorado Springs as well as a few international guests.

    In 1895 Dexter built himself a two-story cabin near the resort. A square building with an open veranda on all sides, the Dexter Cabin featured a bell-cast mansard roof, symmetrical gabled dormer windows, and an enclosed cupola flanked by two chimneys. Inside, the cabin had walnut finishes and elaborate birdseye maple furniture.

    Reservoir

    Since the 1890s, the main threat to the Inter-Laken Hotel has been the transformation of Twin Lakes from natural glacial lakes into a large reservoir. In 1896 the Twin Lakes Reservoir and Canal Company dammed Lake Creek to allow Twin Lakes to store an additional 54,000 acre-feet of water for use by farmers along the Arkansas River. The Inter-Laken remained on dry land, but the stagnant, shallow water of the reservoir contributed to its declining popularity in the early twentieth century, and the hotel was eventually abandoned.

    In 1972 the US Bureau of Reclamation took control of the Inter-Laken Hotel site and nearby areas as part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, which was designed to provide additional water for the Arkansas River Basin. The project turned Twin Lakes into a reservoir for water diverted from the Western Slope and awaiting release into the Arkansas River, threatening to inundate some parts of the Inter-Laken site. At this time the hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

    In 1981 the Bureau of Reclamation completed a new dam at Twin Lakes. Two years later several Inter-Laken buildings, including the hotel and Dexter Cabin, were moved to save them from the rising level of the reservoir. Several other hotel features—such as the dance pavilion, fountains, and lawns—are now underwater.

    Restoration

    By 2000 the Inter-Laken Hotel was suffering deterioration by neglect, with its buildings boarded up and inaccessible. In 2001 Colorado Preservation listed the site as one of the state’s Most Endangered Places. Starting in 2004, the hotel complex was restored in a four-year effort modeled on Habitat for Humanity projects. Most construction work was performed by volunteers, with architectural supervision by Harrison Goodall of Conservation Services. Funding and other assistance came from the US Forest Service, Colorado Preservation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Colorado Mountain Club, and the State Historical Fund. The Forest Service also erected interpretive signs.

    Located in the San Isabel National Forest, the Inter-Laken Hotel site is now managed by the Forest Service. Visitors can access the site by boat or on foot via the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail, which pass near the hotel.

    Originally established in 1879 as the Lakeside Resort, the Inter-Laken Hotel was developed by James V. Dexter into a high-class, late nineteenth-century resort near Twin Lakes. Popular for about two decades, the hotel declined and eventually closed in the early twentieth century. The hotel site, including the cabin Dexter built for himself in 1895, was restored in the early 2000s and now features interpretive signs for visitors.

    Resort

    In 1879 John A. Staley and Charles Thomas built a hotel called the Lakeside Resort on the southern shore of Twin Lakes. the hotel struggled financially even though nearby Leadville was in the midst of a mining boom. In 1883 it was acquired by James Viola Dexter, a wealthy mine owner in Leadville. He bought the hotel and eighty acres of land for $3,250.

    Dexter renamed the resort the Inter-Laken Hotel and quickly developed it into one of the finest resorts in the Rocky Mountains. He expanded the main hotel building, a two-story board-and-batten structure with two chimneys. He also added Kentucky bluegrass lawns, fountains, a hotel annex, a dance pavilion, a stable, and a privy.

    Designed primarily as a summer resort, the Inter-Laken Hotel offered sailboats, rowboats, canoes, and a fifty-foot steamboat called the Idlewild. Some winter amusements, such as ice skating and sleigh rides, also took place at the resort. With rates as high as four dollars a day, it was the most expensive hotel in the area. It attracted wealthy visitors from Leadville, Denver, and Colorado Springs as well as a few international guests.

    In 1895 Dexter built himself a two-story cabin near the resort. A square building with an open veranda on all sides, the Dexter Cabin featured a bell-cast mansard roof, symmetrical gabled dormer windows, and an enclosed cupola flanked by two chimneys. Inside, the cabin had walnut finishes and elaborate birdseye maple furniture.

    Reservoir

    Since the 1890s, the main threat to the Inter-Laken Hotel has been the transformation of Twin Lakes from natural glacial lakes into a large reservoir. In 1896 the Twin Lakes Reservoir and Canal Company dammed Lake Creek to allow Twin Lakes to store an additional 54,000 acre-feet of water for use by farmers along the Arkansas River. The Inter-Laken remained on dry land, but the stagnant, shallow water of the reservoir contributed to its declining popularity in the early twentieth century. The hotel was eventually abandoned.

    In 1972 the US Bureau of Reclamation took control of the Inter-Laken Hotel site and nearby areas as part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project. The project was designed to provide additional water for the Arkansas River Basin. The project turned Twin Lakes into a reservoir for water diverted from the Western Slope and awaiting release into the Arkansas River. This was water that threatened to inundate some parts of the Inter-Laken site. At this time the hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

    In 1981 the Bureau of Reclamation completed a new dam at Twin Lakes. Two years later several Inter-Laken buildings, including the hotel and Dexter Cabin, were moved to save them from the rising level of the reservoir. Several other hotel features—such as the dance pavilion, fountains, and lawns—are now underwater.

    Restoration

    By 2000 the Inter-Laken Hotel was suffering deterioration by neglect. Its buildings were boarded up and inaccessible. In 2001, Colorado Preservation listed the site as one of the state’s Most Endangered Places. Starting in 2004, the hotel complex was restored in a four-year effort modeled on Habitat for Humanity projects. Most construction work was performed by volunteers, with architectural supervision by Harrison Goodall of Conservation Services. Funding and other assistance came from the US Forest Service, Colorado Preservation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Colorado Mountain Club, and the State Historical Fund. The Forest Service also erected interpretive signs.

    Located in the San Isabel National Forest, the Inter-Laken Hotel site is now managed by the Forest Service. Visitors can access the site by boat or on foot via the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail, which pass near the hotel.

    Originally established in 1879 as the Lakeside Resort, the Inter-Laken Hotel was developed by James V. Dexter into a high-class, late nineteenth-century resort near Twin Lakes. It was popular for about two decades. The hotel declined and eventually closed in the early twentieth century. The hotel site, including the cabin Dexter built for himself in 1895, was restored in the early 2000s. It now features interpretive signs for visitors.

    Resort

    In 1879 John A. Staley and Charles Thomas built a hotel called the Lakeside Resort on the southern shore of Twin Lakes. The hotel struggled financially even though nearby Leadville was in the midst of a mining boom. In 1883 the hotel was acquired by James Viola Dexter, a wealthy mine owner in Leadville. He bought the building and eighty acres of land for $3,250.

    Dexter renamed the resort the Inter-Laken Hotel. He quickly developed it into one of the finest resorts in the Rocky Mountains. He expanded the main hotel building, which was a two-story board-and-batten structure with two chimneys. He also added Kentucky bluegrass lawns, fountains, a hotel annex, a dance pavilion, a stable, and a privy.

    Designed primarily as a summer resort, the Inter-Laken Hotel offered sailboats, rowboats, canoes, and a fifty-foot steamboat called the Idlewild. The hotel also offered some winter amusements, such as ice skating and sleigh rides. With rates as high as four dollars a day, it was the most expensive hotel in the area. It attracted wealthy visitors from Leadville, Denver, and Colorado Springs, as well as a few international guests.

    In 1895 Dexter built himself a two-story cabin near the resort. This was a square building with an open veranda on all sides. The Dexter Cabin featured a bell-cast mansard roof and symmetrical, gabled dormer windows. It had an enclosed cupola flanked by two chimneys. Inside, the cabin had walnut finishes and elaborate maple furniture.

    Reservoir

    Since the 1890s, the main threat to the Inter-Laken Hotel has been the transformation of Twin Lakes from natural glacial lakes into a large reservoir. In 1896 the Twin Lakes Reservoir and Canal Company dammed Lake Creek. This allowed Twin Lakes to store an additional 54,000 acre-feet of water for use by farmers along the Arkansas River. The Inter-Laken remained on dry land, but the stagnant, shallow water of the reservoir added to its declining popularity in the early twentieth century. The hotel was eventually abandoned.

    In 1972 the US Bureau of Reclamation took control of the Inter-Laken Hotel site and nearby areas as part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project. The project was designed to provide additional water for the Arkansas River Basin. The project turned Twin Lakes into a reservoir for water diverted from the Western Slope. The water would later be released into the Arkansas River. This water threatened to flood some parts of the Inter-Laken site. At this time, the hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

    In 1981 the Bureau of Reclamation completed a new dam at Twin Lakes. Two years later, several Inter-Laken buildings, including the hotel and Dexter Cabin, were moved to save them from the rising level of the reservoir. Several other hotel features—such as the dance pavilion, fountains, and lawns—are now underwater.

    Restoration

    By 2000 the Inter-Laken Hotel was suffering deterioration by neglect. Its buildings were boarded up and inaccessible. In 2001 Colorado Preservation listed the site as one of the state’s Most Endangered Places. Starting in 2004, the hotel complex was restored in a four-year effort modeled on Habitat for Humanity projects. Most construction work was performed by volunteers. The architectural work was supervised by Harrison Goodall of Conservation Services. Funding and other assistance came from the US Forest Service, Colorado Preservation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Colorado Mountain Club, and the State Historical Fund. The Forest Service also put up interpretive signs.

    Located in the San Isabel National Forest, the Inter-Laken Hotel site is now managed by the Forest Service. Visitors can access the site by boat or on foot via the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail, which pass near the hotel.

    The Inter-Laken Hotel was originally called the Lakeside Resort in 1879. It was a high-class, late nineteenth-century resort near Twin Lakes. It was developed by James V. Dexter. The hotel was popular for about two decades. It closed in the early twentieth century after it lost its popularity. Water storage and diversion projects changed Twin Lakes from a pair of glacial lakes into a large reservoir. The hotel site was restored in the early 2000s. It now features interpretive signs for visitors.

    Resort

    In 1879 John A. Staley and Charles Thomas built a hotel called the Lakeside Resort on the southern shore of Twin Lakes. Leadville was about fifteen miles to the north. It was in the midst of a mining boom. Even so, the hotel struggled financially. In 1883 the hotel was purchased by James Viola Dexter. He was a wealthy mine owner in Leadville. He bought the hotel and eighty acres of land for $3,250.

    Dexter renamed the resort the Inter-Laken Hotel. He quickly made it into one of the finest resorts in the Rocky Mountains. He expanded the main hotel building. He also added Kentucky bluegrass lawns and fountains. He put in a dance pavilion, a stable, and a hexagonal privy.

    The hotel was built to be mainly a summer resort. The Inter-Laken Hotel had sailboats, rowboats, canoes, and a fifty-foot steamboat called the Idlewild. Some winter amusements, such as ice skating and sleigh rides, also took place at the resort. It was the most expensive hotel in the area. Its rates were as high as four dollars a day. Wealthy visitors from Leadville, Denver, and Colorado Springs came to the hotel. There were also a few international guests.

    In 1895 Dexter built himself a two-story cabin near the resort. This was a square building with an open veranda on all sides. The Dexter Cabin featured a bell-cast mansard roof. It also had dormer windows and an enclosed cupola with a chimney on either side. Inside, the cabin had walnut finishes and elaborate birdseye maple furniture.

    Reservoir

    Since the 1890s, the main threat to the Inter-Laken Hotel has been the changing of Twin Lakes from natural glacial lakes into a large reservoir. In 1896 the Twin Lakes Reservoir and Canal Company dammed the water in Lake Creek. This let Twin Lakes store an additional 54,000 acre-feet of water. This was to be used by farmers along the Arkansas River. The Inter-Laken remained on dry land. The dirty, shallow water of the reservoir led to its lack of popularity in the early twentieth century. The hotel was eventually abandoned.

    In 1972 the US Bureau of Reclamation took control of the Inter-Laken Hotel site. It made the hotel and nearby areas part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project. The project was meant to provide more water for the Arkansas River Basin. The project turned Twin Lakes into a reservoir for water that came from the Western Slope. The water would later be released into the Arkansas River. This was water that threatened to flood some parts of the Inter-Laken site. At this time the hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

    In 1981 the Bureau of Reclamation completed a new dam at Twin Lakes. Two years later, several Inter-Laken buildings were moved to save them from the rising level of the reservoir. This included the hotel and Dexter Cabin. Several other hotel features—such as the dance pavilion, fountains, and lawns—are now underwater.

    Restoration

    By 2000 the Inter-Laken Hotel was becoming more run-down. Its buildings were boarded up and unusable. In 2001 Colorado Preservation listed the site as one of the state’s Most Endangered Places. Starting in 2004, the hotel complex was restored. This was done in a four-year project modeled on Habitat for Humanity projects. Most of the construction work was done by volunteers. Other help came from the US Forest Service and Colorado Preservation. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Colorado Mountain Club, and the State Historical Fund also provided help. The Forest Service put up interpretive signs.

    Located in the San Isabel National Forest, the Inter-Laken Hotel site is now managed by the Forest Service. Visitors can get to the site by boat. They can also get there on foot via the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail, which pass near the hotel.