Entry No. 35 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: victorian-mansion
The Estemere
The Estemere is a genuine 1887 Queen Anne Victorian mansion — 18 rooms, seven fireplaces, a billiard room with stained-glass panels, a carriage house, and a chapel — sitting on 6.5 acres above 7,000 feet, built by Palmer Lake's dentist-founder and now a lovingly restored private residence. Its storied history as a millionaire's retreat, a girls' camp, and a Depression-era weaving school is documented in a full-length architectural history published by the Palmer Lake Historical Society.
The story
In 1887, a Baltimore dental surgeon named Dr. William Finley Thompson decided that a high-altitude gap along the Colorado front range was destined to become a grand health resort. He platted the town of Palmer Lake and built himself a statement piece on the hillside above 7,000 feet: an 18-room Queen Anne Victorian mansion featuring seven fireplaces, a third-floor observatory tower, a billiard room fitted with stained-glass panels, and a private chapel with a campanile bell. To fund the enterprise, Thompson commuted daily on the Denver & Rio Grande railroad to his dental practice in Denver. The grand vision outstripped his wallet, and by 1890, Thompson was bankrupt and out of town.
What followed was a century of weirdly varied second lives. Bought in 1898 by gold-milling millionaire Eben Smith, the 6.5-acre estate morphed over the coming decades from a wealthy retreat into a girls' camp, a Depression-era school for underprivileged children, and a local weaving school. The property's survival through these shifts was documented in a full-length architectural history published by the Palmer Lake Historical Society. By 1998, when buyers Kim and Roger Ward acquired the estate to begin a massive restoration, the long work included stabilizing the tower, leveling ash-plank floors, and rebuilding collapsing stone retaining walls.
What it's like
Because the Estemere is a strictly private residence, don't expect to walk up the driveway or peer into the stained-glass windows. Your move here is a walk or slow drive up Glenway Street to take in the dramatic Victorian silhouette, stone retaining walls, detached chapel, and carriage house from the public road. Keep strictly to the street and respect the lived-in property. Afterward, walk down the hillside into Palmer Lake's compact historic district—you can pick up a self-guided walking tour map from the local historical society that includes the estate, then round out the stroll with a loop around the town reservoir just minutes away.
The move: Walk or drive up Glenway Street to admire the Estemere's dramatic Victorian silhouette from the road, then continue on foot through Palmer Lake's walkable historic district (the Palmer Lake Historical Society runs a self-guided walking tour that includes the estate as a stop), finishing with a stroll to the lake itself just minutes away.
📍 Before you go The Estemere is a private residence, so the reliable move is admiring it from Glenway Street — don't walk onto the grounds or peer in windows; treat the neighbors with respect. It sits in Palmer Lake's compact historic district, an easy stroll from the lake (really a small reservoir) itself, so pair the view with a loop around the water and the village's old storefronts. At over 7,000 feet, late spring through fall is the most comfortable window; winter brings snow and ice on the hillside streets. The mansion only opens for occasional Historical Society tours — if going inside matters to you, check ahead, as those dates shift and aren't guaranteed.
- 📍 Palmer Lake
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 380 Glenway St, Palmer Lake, CO 80133
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Palmer Lake Star — Located just 0.3 miles away on Sundance Mountain, this 457-foot lighted star built in 1935 offers another distinct piece of Palmer Lake's Depression-era history.
- Colorado Pinball Pub — Sitting 3.5 miles away in Monument, this pub lets you pair a quiet architectural walk past historic estates with a round of pinball on rotating machines.
- Devil's Head Lookout — Located 13.7 miles north, Colorado's last staffed fire lookout tower combines working 1912 forestry history with a trip through the area's high-altitude architecture.
Good to know
Can you go inside the Estemere?
No, it is a private home. The interior only opens on rare occasions for special public open-house events organized by the Palmer Lake Historical Society.
Where is the best vantage point to see the mansion?
From the public right-of-way on Glenway Street, which offers a clear view of the multi-story Queen Anne tower, stone walls, chapel, and carriage house.
What is the best time of year to visit?
Late spring through autumn. At over 7,000 feet in elevation, winter storms make the steep hillside roads around Glenway Street icy and slick for walking.
What structures sit on the estate grounds?
The 6.5-acre property includes the main 18-room mansion, a carriage house, a caretaker's cottage, and a small chapel topped with a campanile bell.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: palmerdividehistory.org · gazette.com · coloradocommunitymedia.com
last checked: 2026-06-07