%1 http://coloradoencyclopedia.org/ en Glen Eyrie http://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/glen-eyrie <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--encyclopedia-article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Glen Eyrie</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: x field--node--field-article-image--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-image.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-article-image.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--field-article-image--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div id="carouselEncyclopediaArticle" class="carousel slide" data-bs-ride="true"> <div class="carousel-inner"> <div class="carousel-item active"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * node--1832--article-detail-image.html.twig * node--1832.html.twig x node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig * node--image.html.twig * node--article-detail-image.html.twig * node.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/content/node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-encyclopedia-image--image.html.twig * field--node--field-encyclopedia-image.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--field-encyclopedia-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-encyclopedia-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <a href="/image/original-glen-eyrie-residence"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_style' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image.html.twig' --> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/Glen-Eyrie-Media-1_0.jpg?itok=7JyGz08C" width="1000" height="586" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-wide" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-style.html.twig' --> </a> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="carousel-caption d-none d-md-block"> <h5><a href="/image/original-glen-eyrie-residence" rel="bookmark"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--image.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Original Glen Eyrie Residence</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> </a></h5> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--image.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--body.html.twig x field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--text-with-summary.html.twig' --> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>In 1871 Colorado Springs founder William Jackson Palmer built his first residence at Glen Eyrie, a large clapboard house with more than twenty rooms.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--text-with-summary.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/content/node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="carousel-item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * node--1833--article-detail-image.html.twig * node--1833.html.twig x node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig * node--image.html.twig * node--article-detail-image.html.twig * node.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/content/node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-encyclopedia-image--image.html.twig * field--node--field-encyclopedia-image.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--field-encyclopedia-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-encyclopedia-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <a href="/image/palmer-glen-eyrie"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_style' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image.html.twig' --> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/Glen-Eyrie-Media-2_0.jpg?itok=dy3g5ZIQ" width="1000" height="780" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-wide" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-style.html.twig' --> </a> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="carousel-caption d-none d-md-block"> <h5><a href="/image/palmer-glen-eyrie" rel="bookmark"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--image.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Palmer at Glen Eyrie</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> </a></h5> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--image.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--body.html.twig x field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--text-with-summary.html.twig' --> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Palmer and his wife, known as Queen, occupied the original Glen Eyrie residence only sporadically in the 1870s and 1880s because Palmer often traveled for work and Queen was confined to lower elevations because of a heart condition.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--text-with-summary.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/content/node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="carousel-item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * node--1834--article-detail-image.html.twig * node--1834.html.twig x node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig * node--image.html.twig * node--article-detail-image.html.twig * node.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/content/node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-encyclopedia-image--image.html.twig * field--node--field-encyclopedia-image.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--field-encyclopedia-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-encyclopedia-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <a href="/image/renovated-glen-eyrie-castle"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_style' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image.html.twig' --> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/Glen-Eyrie-Media-3_0.jpg?itok=odFugm1r" width="1000" height="693" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-wide" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-style.html.twig' --> </a> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="carousel-caption d-none d-md-block"> <h5><a href="/image/renovated-glen-eyrie-castle" rel="bookmark"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--image.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Renovated Glen Eyrie Castle</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> </a></h5> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--image.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--body.html.twig x field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--text-with-summary.html.twig' --> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>After selling the Denver &amp; Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1901, Palmer retired from active business and undertook extensive renovations to Glen Eyrie, transforming the house into a stone castle with sixty-seven rooms.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--text-with-summary.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/content/node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="carousel-item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * node--1836--article-detail-image.html.twig * node--1836.html.twig x node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig * node--image.html.twig * node--article-detail-image.html.twig * node.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/content/node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-encyclopedia-image--image.html.twig * field--node--field-encyclopedia-image.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--field-encyclopedia-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-encyclopedia-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <a href="/image/book-hall"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_style' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image.html.twig' --> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/Glen-Eyrie-Media-4_0.jpg?itok=cnLvHdM4" width="1000" height="801" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-wide" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-style.html.twig' --> </a> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="carousel-caption d-none d-md-block"> <h5><a href="/image/book-hall" rel="bookmark"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--image.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Book Hall</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> </a></h5> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--image.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--body.html.twig x field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--text-with-summary.html.twig' --> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The largest and most impressive room in the renovated Glen Eyrie castle was Book Hall, which could hold 300 people and had a balcony where an orchestra could perform.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--text-with-summary.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/content/node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <button class="carousel-control-prev" type="button" data-bs-target="#carouselEncyclopediaArticle" data-bs-slide="prev"> <span class="carousel-control-prev-icon" aria-hidden="true"></span> <span class="visually-hidden">Previous</span> </button> <button class="carousel-control-next" type="button" data-bs-target="#carouselEncyclopediaArticle" data-bs-slide="next"> <span class="carousel-control-next-icon" aria-hidden="true"></span> <span class="visually-hidden">Next</span> </button> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--field-article-image--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--encyclopedia-article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/user/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" about="/users/yongli" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">yongli</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/user/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--encyclopedia-article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2016-03-15T16:33:10-06:00" title="Tuesday, March 15, 2016 - 16:33" class="datetime">Tue, 03/15/2016 - 16:33</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'addtoany_standard' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * addtoany-standard--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * addtoany-standard--node.html.twig x addtoany-standard.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'modules/contrib/addtoany/templates/addtoany-standard.html.twig' --> <span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="http://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/glen-eyrie" data-a2a-title="Glen Eyrie"><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=http%3A%2F%2Fcoloradoencyclopedia.org%2Farticle%2Fglen-eyrie&amp;title=Glen%20Eyrie"></a><a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a></span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'modules/contrib/addtoany/templates/addtoany-standard.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item" id="id-body"><p>Originally built in the early 1870s at the mouth of Queens Canyon in <a href="/article/colorado-springs"><strong>Colorado Springs</strong></a>, Glen Eyrie was home to city founder <a href="/article/william-jackson-palmer"><strong>William Jackson Palmer</strong></a>. In the early twentieth century Palmer expanded the house into an elaborate stone castle, but he died soon after its completion. The property passed through several hands before being acquired in 1953 by an evangelical ministry called <strong>the Navigators</strong>, who operate the property as a Christian conference and events center.</p> <h2>Original House</h2> <p>The railroad engineer William Jackson Palmer first saw the area that is now Colorado Springs in the 1860s, while surveying for the <strong>Kansas-Pacific Railroad</strong>. He made plans to establish a resort colony there and bought land for himself at the mouth of a narrow canyon just north of <strong>Garden of the Gods</strong>. His landscape architect, John Blair, may have suggested the name Glen Eyrie (“Valley of the Eagle’s Nest”), referring to an eagle’s nest on a large gray rock near the entrance to the canyon.</p> <p>In 1871, the year Palmer founded Colorado Springs, he began construction on his first house at Glen Eyrie, a large clapboard house with more than twenty rooms. Over the next two decades, however, Palmer and his wife, Mary Mellen Palmer (often known as Queen), occupied the house only sporadically because they were often traveling for Palmer’s job. In addition, starting in the 1880s Queen Palmer suffered from a heart condition that forced her to stay at lower elevations. She lived primarily on the East Coast and in England with her three daughters, and Palmer visited them regularly several times a year. After Queen Palmer died in 1894, the Palmer daughters came to Glen Eyrie to live with their father.</p> <h2>Stone Castle</h2> <p>In 1901 Palmer sold the <strong>Denver &amp; Rio Grande Western Railroad</strong> for $6 million and retired from active business. His fortune secure, he started to donate large plots of land to the city of Colorado Springs and also made plans for extensive renovations to Glen Eyrie. Preparations with architect Frederick J. Sterner and engineer Edmond Van Dienst took two years, with the bulk of the renovations completed in 1903–4 while Palmer and his daughters toured Europe.</p> <p>The large new stone castle at Glen Eyrie had sixty-seven rooms and more than twenty fireplaces. The exterior used stone quarried from the estate, and the interior relied heavily on oak paneling. The main level had parlors, a solarium, and a dining room. Bedroom suites for Palmer and his daughters occupied the second floor, which also contained guest suites and servants’ quarters. The third floor had even more bedrooms plus a sitting room and access to the castle’s tower. The most impressive room in the house was Book Hall, a huge room large enough to hold 300 people. It had a massive fireplace and a balcony where an orchestra could perform. Underneath Book Hall were billiard rooms and a bowling alley. The kitchen had space for ice storage as well as a walk-in refrigerator, and a separate building nearby housed a pasteurization plant.</p> <p>Palmer enjoyed his elaborate stone castle for only a few years. In 1906 he was paralyzed in a horse-riding accident, and he died three years later.</p> <h2>After Palmer</h2> <p>After Palmer died at Glen Eyrie in 1909, his daughters tried to donate the mansion to the city of Colorado Springs. The city declined because it feared maintenance costs would be too high. Over the next forty years, the property passed through the hands of several owners, but the main house was rarely occupied.</p> <p>In 1916 a group of Oklahoma businessmen bought Glen Eyrie for $150,000. They hoped to turn the property into a golf resort with a tavern and up to 150 luxury houses, but that plan died after the United States entered <a href="/article/colorado-world-war-i"><strong>World War I</strong></a> in 1917. The businessmen operated the castle briefly as a tea room, then sold it to Alexander Smith Cochran for $450,000 in 1918.</p> <p>Cochran soon closed the castle, which was too expensive to maintain, and allowed it to fall into disrepair. On the sunny side of the valley, he built himself a separate $100,000 vacation house, known as the Pink House, though he rarely spent much time there. Cochran died in 1929, just at the onset of the Great Depression, and the expensive property languished on the real estate market for the next nine years. During that time a group of servants lived at Glen Eyrie and maintained the buildings.</p> <p>By 1938 the economy was improving. That year the Texas oilman George W. Strake bought Glen Eyrie for $200,000. He expanded the Pink House and reopened the castle for parties. He also did some ranching on the property. In 1953 he listed Glen Eyrie for sale at $500,000.</p> <h2>The Navigators</h2> <p>The listing caught the eye of Dawson Trotman, a Christian evangelist who had founded the Navigators ministry in the early 1930s. At the time, the Navigators were based in Los Angeles, but Trotman was considering a move to Colorado and eyed Glen Eyrie as a possible headquarters for the organization. Trotman originally planned to split the purchase with his friend and fellow evangelical Billy Graham.</p> <p>When George Strake, a devout Catholic, found out that Christian groups wanted to acquire Glen Eyrie, he slashed the price to $300,000 to make the sale easier. Nevertheless, the deal nearly died, especially after Graham backed out when his business advisers warned against it. Trotman had to quickly raise $100,000 for a down payment. The Navigators raised the money at the last minute, and in September 1953 the group bought the Glen Eyrie estate, which included lakeside property in the Rampart Range above Queens Canyon.</p> <p>Since 1953 Glen Eyrie has been the headquarters of the Navigators and the organization’s more recently established publishing arm, NavPress. The Navigators also operate the property as a Christian conference and retreat center, hosting about 350 events and 46,000 visitors per year. The lakeside property in the Rampart Range is now home to Eagle Lake Camps, a Christian summer camp program.</p> <p>Because of its location at the mouth of a canyon at the edge of the city, Glen Eyrie has faced several natural disasters. Major <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/flooding-colorado"><strong>floods</strong></a> swept through the property in 1947 and 1999. Most recently the <strong>Waldo Canyon fire</strong> in June 2012 seriously threatened the property, causing hundreds of people to be evacuated. The fire eventually blew north and caused no damage at Glen Eyrie, but it left nearby hills devoid of vegetation and susceptible to floods and mudslides. Since 2012 the Navigators have invested more than $1 million in drainage control and landscape improvements to mitigate the risk of flooding.</p> <p>The main Glen Eyrie castle remains largely unaltered, with the exception of a new kitchen and the removal of the bowling alley to add a dining area. The house and grounds are open to visitors who make reservations for afternoon tea, a castle tour, or an overnight stay; it is possible to spend the night in the castle, the Pink House, or newer lodges built by the Navigators.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-author.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-author.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-above" id="id-field-author"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-author">Author</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-author"><a href="/author/encyclopedia-staff" hreflang="und">Encyclopedia Staff</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-keyword--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-keyword.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-keyword.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-keyword field--type-entity-reference field--label-above" id="id-field-keyword"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-keyword">Keywords</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/glen-eyrie" hreflang="en">Glen Eyrie</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/queens-canyon" hreflang="en">Queens Canyon</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/william-jackson-palmer" hreflang="en">william jackson palmer</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/navigators" hreflang="en">The Navigators</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links--inline.html.twig * links--node.html.twig * links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/navigation/links--inline.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/navigation/links--inline.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-references-html--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-references-html.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-references-html.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-references-html field--type-text-long field--label-above" id="id-field-references-html"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-references-html">References</div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-references-html"><p>DeRos Hogue and Rhoda Wilcox, “Glen Eyrie,” National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form (1974).</p> <p>Scott Rappold, “<a href="https://gazette.com/history-lives-on-at-glen-eyrie-castle-the-colorado-springs-spiritual-retreat-with-an-often-rocky-past/article/1507082/">History Lives on at Glen Eyrie Castle, the Colorado Springs Spiritual Retreat with an Often-Rocky Past</a>,” <em>Colorado Springs Gazette</em>, November 3, 2013.</p> <p>Marshall Sprague, <em>Newport in the Rockies: The Life and Good Times of Colorado Springs</em>, 4th ed. (Athens, OH: Swallow Press, 1987).</p> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-additional-information-htm--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-additional-information-htm.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-additional-information-htm.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-additional-information-htm field--type-text-long field--label-above" id="id-field-additional-information-htm"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-additional-information-htm">Additional Information</div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-additional-information-htm"><p>John S. Fisher, <em>A Builder of the West: The Life of General William Jackson Palmer</em> (Caldwell, ID: Caxton Printers, 1939).</p> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-teacher-resources--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-teacher-resources.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-teacher-resources.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-teacher-resources field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item" id="id-field-teacher-resources"><p><a href="/sites/default/files/TRS_Glen_Eyrie.docx">Glen Eyrie&nbsp;Teacher Resource Set (Word)</a></p> <p><a href="/sites/default/files/TRS_Glen_Eyrie_0.docx">Glen Eyrie&nbsp;Teacher Resource Set (PDF)</a></p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-4th-grade--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-4th-grade.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-4th-grade.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-4th-grade field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item" id="id-field-4th-grade"><p>Glen Eyie is an enormous castle in <strong><a href="/article/colorado-springs">Colorado Springs</a></strong>. It was built by <strong><a href="/article/william-jackson-palmer">William Jackson Palmer</a></strong> in 1870. He founded the city of Colorado Springs. Palmer built Glen Eyrie as a home for his family. After he died, the house was owned by different people and organizations. In 1953 a Christian church bought the property. They operate it as a Christian conference and events center.</p> <h2>Original House</h2> <p>William Jackson Palmer was the founder and owner of the Denver &amp; Rio Grande Railroad. His business made him a rich man. He had seen the land that would become Colorado Springs when he was a young man. He thought it would be a lovely place for a town. Palmer began to build the city of Colorado Springs in 1871. He also bought land to build a house for his family. It was in a narrow canyon near the Garden of the Gods. He named the canyon Queen Canyon.</p> <p>He named his house Glen Eyrie. The word glen means “valley.” An eyrie is an eagle’s nest. So the house was named the “Valley of the Eagle’s Nest.” In fact, there was an eagle’s nest on a rocky ledge in the canyon.</p> <p>William Jackson Palmer built his first house at Glen Eyrie. It was a large wooden house with more than twenty rooms. Palmer’s wife, Mary Mellen Palmer, was called “Queen.” William and Mary Palmer traveled and did not spend much time at Glen Eyrie. Then, Mary Palmer became ill with a heart condition. She had to stay at lower elevations and could not live in Colorado. She moved to the East Coast, and later moved to England with their three daughters. Palmer visited them several times a year. After Queen Palmer died in 1894, their daughters moved to Glen Eyrie to live with their father.</p> <h2>Stone Castle</h2> <p>In 1901 Palmer sold the Denver &amp; Rio Grande Railroad. It sold for $6 million and he retired. He was now a very weatlhy man. He made plans to build a castle at Glen Eyrie. It took two years to build the new Glen Eyrie. Palmer and his daughters traveled in Europe while it was built.</p> <p>The large, new stone castle at Glen Eyrie had sixty-seven rooms and more than twenty fireplaces. The outside was built from stone from the property. The inside was covered with oak paneling. The main level had parlors, a sunroom, and a dining room. There were bedroom suites for Palmer and his daughters on the second floor. There were also guest suites and servants’ quarters. The third floor had even more bedrooms, plus a sitting room. A stairwell led to the castle’s tower.</p> <p>The most impressive room in the house was Book Hall. This huge room was large enough to hold 300 people. It had a massive fireplace. There was a balcony where an orchestra could perform. Under Book Hall were billiard rooms and a bowling alley. The kitchen had space for ice storage and a walk-in refrigerator.</p> <p>Palmer enjoyed his elaborate stone castle for only a few years. In 1906 he was paralyzed in a horse-riding accident. He died three years later.</p> <h2>After Palmer</h2> <p>After Palmer died, his daughters tried to give their home to the city of Colorado Springs. The city did not want Glen Eyrie because it would cost too much to maintain. Over the next forty years, Glen Eyrie had several owners. Most of this time, no one lived in the house.</p> <p>In 1916 some businessmen bought Glen Eyrie for $150,000. They hoped to turn the property into a golf club. That plan never happened because the United States entered World War I in 1917. The businessmen opened the castle as a tearoom for a while. It was sold in 1918 to Alexander Smith Cochran for $450,000.</p> <p>Cochran closed the castle because it cost too much money to maintain. He built a huge new house on the property. He called it the Pink House. Cochrane did not spend much time at the Pink House. He died in 1929, just as the Great Depression began. No one was interested in buying Glen Eyrie for the next nine years. It was too big and too expensive. During that time, a group of servants lived at Glen Eyrie and maintained the buildings.</p> <p>By 1938, the economy was improving. Texas oilman George W. Strake bought Glen Eyrie for $200,000. He lived there for fifteen years. He fixed up the Pink House and reopened the castle for parties. He also did some ranching on the property. In 1953 he put Glen Eyrie up for sale at $500,000.</p> <h2>The Navigators</h2> <p>Dawson Trotman, a Christian evangelist, was interested in buying Glen Eyrie. He founded the Navigators ministry in the 1930s. The Navigators were in Los Angeles, but Trotman wanted to move to Colorado. He thought Glen Eyrie could be the headquarters for the Navigators. Trotman planned to buy it with his fellow minister Billy Graham.</p> <p>Owner George Strake was a Christian. He wanted the Navigators to buy Glen Eyrie. He lowered the price to $300,000 to make the sale easier. Still, the deal almost fell through. Billy Graham decided not to participate in the purchase. Trotman had to quickly raise $100,000. The Navigators raised the money at the last minute. In September 1953, the group bought the Glen Eyrie estate.</p> <p>Since 1953, Glen Eyrie has been the headquarters of the Navigators. It is a Christian conference and retreat center. They host about 350 events and 46,000 visitors per year. The lakeside property is home to Eagle Lake summer camp program.</p> <p>Glen Eyrie has faced natural disasters. Floods swept through the property in 1947 and 1999. The Waldo Canyon fire in June 2012 could have burned down the property. Hundreds of people had to be evacuated. The fire caused no damage to Glen Eyrie. But, the hillsides had burned. There was now a danger of floods and mudslides. Since the fire, $1 million has been spent to keep it from flooding.</p> <p>Glen Eyrie castle is still much like it was when William Jackson Palmer built it. The Navigators added a new kitchen. The bowling alley was made into a dining area. The house and grounds are open to visitors. People can come to afternoon tea, a castle tour, or an overnight stay. Visitors can spend the night in the castle, the Pink House, or newer lodges built by the Navigators.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-8th-grade--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-8th-grade.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-8th-grade.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-8th-grade field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item" id="id-field-8th-grade"><p>Glen Eyrie is an enormous castle-like structure in Colorado Springs. It is used as a Christian conference and events center. <strong><a href="/article/william-jackson-palmer">William Jackson Palmer</a></strong>, the founder of Colorado Springs, first built it as a home in the 1870s. Later, Palmer expanded the house into an elaborate stone castle. The property passed through several hands before being acquired in 1953 by an evangelical ministry called the Navigators.</p> <h2>Original House</h2> <p>William Jackson Palmer first saw the area that is now Colorado Springs in the 1860s. He was working as a surveyor for the Kansas-Pacific Railroad. Later, William Jackson Palmer became the founder and owner of the Denver &amp; Rio Grande Railway. He became a very wealthy man. He began to make plans to establish a town in the beautiful area at the foot of Pikes Peak.</p> <p>He bought land to build a home at the mouth of a narrow canyon just north of Garden of the Gods. He named the canyon Queen Canyon. His landscape architect, John Blair, may have suggested the name Glen Eyrie. The name means “Valley of the Eagle’s Nest,” and refers to an eagle’s nest that was perched on a rocky ledge near the entrance to the canyon.</p> <p>In 1871 Palmer founded the city of Colorado Springs. He began construction on his first house at Glen Eyrie. It was large clapboard house with more than twenty rooms. Palmer and his wife, Mary Mellen Palmer—known as “Queen”—were rarely at the house because they were traveling for Palmer’s job. Then, in the 1880s, Queen Palmer was diagnosed with a heart condition that forced her to stay at lower elevations. She was unable to live in Colorado and never returned to Glen Eyrie. She lived primarily on the East Coast and in England with her three daughters. Palmer visited them regularly several times a year. After Queen Palmer died in 1894, the daughters came to Glen Eyrie to live with their father.</p> <h2>Stone Castle</h2> <p>In 1901 Palmer sold the Denver &amp; Rio Grande Western Railroad for $6 million and retired. His fortune secure, he started to donate large plots of land to the city of Colorado Springs. He also made plans to build a castle at Glen Eyrie. Preparations with architect Frederick J. Sterner and engineer Edmond Van Dienst took two years, with most of the renovations completed in 1904. Palmer and his daughters toured Europe during the construction.</p> <p>The large new stone castle at Glen Eyrie had sixty-seven rooms and more than twenty fireplaces. The exterior used stone quarried from the estate. The interior was lined with oak paneling. The main level had parlors, a solarium, and a dining room. Bedroom suites for Palmer and his daughters occupied the second floor. There were also guest suites and servants’ quarters. The third floor had even more bedrooms plus a sitting room. A stairwell provided access to the castle’s lofty tower.</p> <p>The most impressive room in the house was Book Hall. This huge room was large enough to hold 300 people. It had a massive fireplace and a balcony where an orchestra could perform. Underneath Book Hall were billiard rooms and a bowling alley. The kitchen had space for ice storage as well as a walk-in refrigerator. A separate building nearby housed a pasteurization plant.</p> <p>Palmer enjoyed his elaborate stone castle for only a few years. In 1906 he was paralyzed in a horse-riding accident, and he died three years later.</p> <h2>After Palmer</h2> <p>After Palmer died, his daughters tried to donate the castle to the city of Colorado Springs. The city declined because it feared maintenance costs would be too high. Over the next forty years, the property passed through the hands of several owners. During this time, the house was rarely occupied.</p> <p>In 1916 a group of Oklahoma businessmen bought Glen Eyrie for $150,000. They hoped to turn the property into a golf resort with a tavern and luxury houses. That plan was abandoned when the United States entered World War I in 1917. The businessmen operated the castle briefly as a tearoom. In 1918 they sold it to Alexander Smith Cochran for $450,000.</p> <p>Cochran soon closed the castle because it was too expensive to maintain. It fell into disrepair. On the sunny side of the valley, he built himself a separate, $100,000 vacation house known as the Pink House. Cochrane rarely spent time at Pink House. He died in 1929, just as the Great Depression began. The huge, expensive property sat unsold for the next nine years. During that time, a group of servants lived at Glen Eyrie and maintained the buildings.</p> <p>By 1938, the economy was improving. That year the Texas oilman George W. Strake bought Glen Eyrie for $200,000. He expanded the Pink House and reopened the castle for parties. He also did some ranching on the property. He lived there for fifteen years. In 1953 he listed Glen Eyrie for sale for $500,000.</p> <h2>The Navigators</h2> <p>Dawson Trotman, a Christian evangelist, was interested in buying Glen Eyrie. He had founded the Navigators ministry in the early 1930s. The Navigators were based in Los Angeles, but Trotman was considering a move to Colorado. He thought Glen Eyrie could be the headquarters for his organization. Trotman planned to buy the property with his fellow evangelical minister Billy Graham.</p> <p>Owner George Strake was a devout Catholic. When he found out that Christian groups wanted to buy Glen Eyrie, he slashed the price to $300,000 to make the sale easier. Nevertheless, the deal nearly fell through. Graham decided not to participate in the purchase. Trotman had to quickly raise $100,000 for a down payment. The Navigators raised the money at the last minute. In September 1953, the group bought the Glen Eyrie estate.</p> <p>Since 1953 Glen Eyrie has been the headquarters of the Navigators. The Navigators operate the property as a Christian conference and retreat center. They host about 350 events and 46,000 visitors per year. The lakeside property is used for Eagle Lake Camps, a Christian summer camp program.</p> <p>Glen Eyrie has faced several natural disasters. Major floods swept through the property in 1947 and 1999. The Waldo Canyon fire in June 2012 seriously threatened the property. Hundreds of people had to be evacuated. The fire caused no lasting damage at Glen Eyrie. However, the nearby hills had burned. This created the possibility of floods and mudslides. Since the fire, the Navigators have invested more than $1 million in drainage control and landscape improvements to mitigate the risks.</p> <p>Glen Eyrie castle remains largely unchanged since William Jackson Palmer built it. A new kitchen has been added and the bowling alley was removed to create a dining area. The house and grounds are open to visitors who make reservations for afternoon tea, a castle tour, or an overnight stay. Visitors can spend the night in the castle, the Pink House, or newer lodges built by the Navigators.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-10th-grade--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-10th-grade.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-10th-grade.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-10th-grade field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item" id="id-field-10th-grade"><p>Glen Eyrie is an enormous castle-like structure in <strong><a href="/article/colorado-springs">Colorado Springs</a></strong>. Today it is a Christian conference and events center. <a href="/article/william-jackson-palmer"><strong>William Jackson Palmer</strong></a>, founder of Colorado Springs, built Glen Eyrie as a home in the 1870s. In the early twentieth century, Palmer expanded the house into an elaborate stone castle. The property passed through several hands before being acquired in 1953 by an evangelical ministry called the Navigators.</p> <h2>Original House</h2> <p>William Jackson Palmer first saw the area that is now Colorado Springs in the 1860s while he was working as a surveyor for the Kansas-Pacific Railroad. Later, Palmer established the Denver &amp; Rio Grande Railway, which made him a fortune. He began to make plans to establish a town at the foot of Pikes Peak.</p> <p>Palmer bought land for a home at the mouth of a narrow canyon just north of Garden of the Gods. He named the canyon Queen Canyon. His landscape architect, John Blair, may have suggested the name Glen Eyrie, which means “Valley of the Eagle’s Nest.” The name refers to an eagle’s nest perched on a rocky ledge near the entrance to the canyon.</p> <p>In 1871 Palmer founded the city of Colorado Springs and began construction on his first house at Glen Eyrie. It was a large clapboard house with more than twenty rooms. Palmer and his wife, Mary Mellen Palmer—also known as Queen—were rarely at the house because they often traveled for Palmer’s job. In the 1880s, Queen Palmer was diagnosed with a heart condition that forced her to stay at lower elevations. She was unable to live in Colorado and never returned to Glen Eyrie. She resided primarily on the East Coast and in England with their three daughters. After Queen Palmer died in 1894, the daughters came to Glen Eyrie to live with their father.</p> <h2>Stone Castle</h2> <p>In 1901 Palmer sold the Denver &amp; Rio Grande Railroad for $6 million and retired. His fortune secure, he started to donate large plots of land to the city of Colorado Springs. He also made plans to build a castle at Glen Eyrie. Preparations with architect Frederick J. Sterner and engineer Edmond Van Dienst took two years, with most of the renovations completed in 1904. Palmer and his daughters toured Europe during the construction.</p> <p>The new stone castle at Glen Eyrie had sixty-seven rooms and more than twenty fireplaces. The exterior used stone quarried from the estate and the interior was covered with oak paneling. The main level had parlors, a solarium, and a dining room. Bedroom suites for Palmer and his daughters occupied the second floor, which also contained guest suites and servants’ quarters. The third floor had even more bedrooms plus a sitting room. A stairwell provided access to the castle’s lofty tower.</p> <p>The most impressive room in the house was Book Hall. This huge room was large enough to hold 300 people and had a massive fireplace and a balcony where an orchestra could perform. Underneath Book Hall were billiard rooms and a bowling alley. The kitchen had space for ice storage as well as a walk-in refrigerator, and a separate building nearby housed a pasteurization plant.</p> <p>Palmer enjoyed his elaborate stone castle for only a few years. In 1906 he was paralyzed in a horse-riding accident, and he died three years later.</p> <h2>After Palmer</h2> <p>After Palmer died at Glen Eyrie, his daughters attempted to donate the home to the city of Colorado Springs. The city declined because it feared maintenance costs would be too high. Over the next forty years, the property passed through the hands of several owners. The house was rarely occupied during this time.</p> <p>In 1916 a group of Oklahoma businessmen bought Glen Eyrie for $150,000. They hoped to turn the property into a golf resort with a tavern and up to 150 luxury houses. That plan was abandoned when the United States entered World War I in 1917. The businessmen operated the castle briefly as a tea room, then sold it to Alexander Smith Cochran for $450,000 in 1918.</p> <p>Cochran soon closed the castle because it was too expensive to maintain. The beautiful home fell into disrepair. On the sunny side of the valley, he built a separate $100,000 vacation house, known as the Pink House. Cochran rarely spent time at the property. He died in 1929, at the beginning of the Great Depression. The huge, expensive property languished on the real estate market for the next nine years. During that time, a group of servants lived at Glen Eyrie and maintained the buildings.</p> <p>By 1938 the economy was improving. That year the Texas oilman George W. Strake bought Glen Eyrie for $200,000. He expanded the Pink House and reopened the castle for parties and did some ranching on the property. He lived there for fifteen years. In 1953 he listed Glen Eyrie for sale for $500,000.</p> <h2>The Navigators</h2> <p>The listing caught the eye of Dawson Trotman, a Christian evangelist. He had founded the Navigators ministry in the early 1930s. At the time, the Navigators were based in Los Angeles, but Trotman was considering a move to Colorado. He saw Glen Eyrie as a possible headquarters for the organization. Trotman originally planned to split the purchase with his friend and fellow evangelical minister Billy Graham.</p> <p>Owner George Strake was a devout Catholic, and when he found out that Christian groups wanted to acquire Glen Eyrie, he slashed the price to $300,000 to make the sale easier. Nevertheless, the deal nearly fell through. Graham backed out when his business advisers warned against it. Trotman had to quickly raise $100,000 for a down payment. The Navigators raised the money at the last minute. In September 1953, the group bought the Glen Eyrie estate, which included lakeside property in the Rampart Range above Queens Canyon.</p> <p>Since 1953 Glen Eyrie has been the headquarters of the Navigators and the organization’s more recently established publishing arm, NavPress. The Navigators operate the property as a Christian conference and retreat center. They host about 350 events and 46,000 visitors per year. The lakeside property in the Rampart Range is home to Eagle Lake Camps, a Christian summer camp program.</p> <p>Glen Eyrie has faced several natural disasters because of its location at the mouth of a canyon. Major floods swept through the property in 1947 and 1999. Most recently, the Waldo Canyon fire in June 2012 seriously threatened the property and caused hundreds of people to be evacuated. The fire eventually blew north and caused no lasting damage at Glen Eyrie. But the nearby hills were left devoid of vegetation and susceptible to floods and mudslides. Since 2012 the Navigators have invested more than $1 million in drainage control and landscape improvements to mitigate the risk of flooding.</p> <p>The main Glen Eyrie castle remains largely unaltered, except for a new kitchen and the removal of the bowling alley to add a dining area. The house and grounds are open to visitors who make reservations for afternoon tea, a castle tour, or an overnight stay. Visitors can spend the night in the castle, the Pink House, or newer lodges built by the Navigators.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> Tue, 15 Mar 2016 22:33:10 +0000 yongli 1230 at http://coloradoencyclopedia.org