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Manitou Springs Historic District | Colorado Springs


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Landmark: Manitou Springs Historic District
City: Colorado Springs
Country: USA Colorado
Continent: North America

Manitou Springs Historic District, Colorado Springs, USA Colorado, North America

Manitou Springs Historic District sits pretty at Pikes Peak's foot west of Colorado Springs and boasts loads of history and picturesque views statewide.

This district has been health resort and cultural destination steeped in Victorian-era grandeur and bohemian vibes for well over a century naturally.

Manitou Springs was founded in 1872 by General William Jackson Palmer and Dr.

William Abraham Bell key figures behind Colorado Springs establishment.

Visitors could benefit from natural mineral springs in a European-style health and resort town akin to some quirky spa towns in England and Germany.

Manitou originates from some Native American lingo roughly translating to spirit reflecting sacred significance of mineral springs for Ute Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes originally inhabiting region.

Springs were revered long before European-American settlement for believed healing properties associated mystically with remarkably pure waters underground.

Manitou Springs boomed rapidly as a wellness hotspot for affluent travelers seeking cures for various maladies like consumption and stomach troubles in late 1800s and early 20th century.

Physicians prescribed mineral water cures and patients often stayed pretty long at some grand hotel or another obscure health sanatorium nearby.

Luxurious establishments like The Cliff House at Pikes Peak built in 1874 hosted illustrious guests including President Theodore Roosevelt and actor Clark Gable.

It blends historic panache rather nicely with downright modern luxuriance still operating today with unrelenting fervor.

Barker House Hotel stands as one earliest hotels in Manitou now largely repurposed for eclectic mix of commercial and residential purposes.

Dr.

Bell built Briarhurst Manor in 1888 as his pink sandstone private estate which has become quite a renowned fine-dining venue.

Wheeler Bank Building stands remarkably intact as a rather ornate commercial block infused with Romanesque elements and subtle Italianate flair from 1888.

Manitou Springs Historic District added rather quietly to National Register of Historic Places back in 1983 boasts over 750 contributing buildings.

Exceptionally diverse architectural landscape typifies this small mountain town reflecting eras of prosperity with Queen Anne cottages sporting turrets and gabled roofs.

Native stone was often used quite liberally to construct Romanesque Revival and Italian Villa style commercial buildings featuring heavy masonry and arched windows.

Wood-frame homes sported quirky Stick and Shingle styles with ornate trims utterly characteristic of some super swanky late 19th-century mountain resorts.

Most buildings were constructed between 1870s and 1920s using local materials including red Manitou sandstone greenstone and native timber quite extensively.

Terraced homes tumble down hillsides amidst a jumble of narrow winding roads and sheer mountain backdrops forming a quaint picturesque scene.

Manitou's identity revolves quite centrally around natural carbonated springs.

Original 50-odd springs were known but only 8 remain accessible now each boasting singular flavor profiles and varying mineral composition publicly.

Shoshone Spring bubbles up highly carbonated water rich in iron.

Navajo Spring was formerly used for bottling Manitou Water distributed nationally.<br>Ute Chief Spring has a long-standing reputation locally for its remarkably high effervescence.

Gazebos and ornate pavilions shelter several springs allowing visitors access via drinking fountains or guided tours with self-guided walking maps available too.

Springs flow ceaselessly around here remaining quite visibly one of town's most genuinely authentic old features still nowadays.Manitou Springs has been a haven for bohemians and creatives lending it a quirky vibe that still permeates its being today.

Historic district showcases eclectic mix of ancient monuments museums and galleries nestled among quaint streets and alleys remarkably well.

Miramont Castle Museum was erected rather mysteriously in 1895 under supervision of French-born Catholic priest Jean Baptiste Francolon.

Architectural styles including Gothic and Victorian and Romanesque influences are somewhat haphazardly melded together with Tudor elements visible throughout.

Houses now contain Manitou Springs Historical Society museum and rather quaint Victorian Tea Room inside quite ornate surroundings.

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Manitou Springs Heritage Center offers free admission and thoroughly chronicles local history Native cultures geology and early tourism of those mystical springs.

Offers eclectic exhibits and guided strolls through historic district precincts seasonally with intriguing narratives and curious anecdotes.

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Gothic Revival architecture manifests vibrantly alongside stunning stained glass within First Congregational Church and several other historic churches nearby.

Many remain functioning vigorously now as spiritual hubs and neighborhood gathering places.

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Manitou Avenue hosts a slew of quirky independent galleries exhibiting an eclectic mix of sculpture and photography by local Colorado artists.

Iron Springs Chateau Melodrama Theater hosts wildly entertaining dinner theater shows and sidesplitting comedy acts inside a quirky old 19th-century building.

Annual events showcase town spirit with locals and tourists flocking in for quirky festivities; Emma Crawford Coffin Races happen on Halloween with teams wheeling coffins down main street.

Mardi Gras-style shenanigans erupt in late winter with raucous Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo Cook-Off festivities and messy Carnivale Parade shindig.

Outdoor Concerts and Ghost Tours pack calendars pretty heavily from spring through fall alongside surprisingly popular ArtWalks and occasionally Wine Festivals.

Whimsical shop displays and murals alongside street musicians vividly reflect town's eccentric vibe and rather effortlessly laid-back lifestyle.

Dramatic red sandstone formations and rugged mountain terrain surround the town built along Fountain Creek amidst dense pine forests.

Historic District offers effortless access to notoriously rugged Manitou Incline a famously steep hiking trail ascending over 2000 vertical feet rapidly.

Scenic hikes on Red Mountain and Iron Mountain trails offer vistas of historic downtown from remarkably elevated rugged perspectives.

Pikes Peak Cog Railway embarks on thoroughly spectacular journeys up Pikes Peak summit with profoundly stunning scenery along ridiculously steep rail line.

District retains slow pace amidst outdoor escapades and boasts walkable environs ideally suited for unwinding shopping and noshing on delectable grub.

Manitou Avenue serves as main thoroughfare through historic district lined with eclectic galleries and quirky boutiques beside mineral spring pavilions.

Free public shuttle service operates during peak seasons and ample pedestrian paths exist alongside convenient parking options nearby.

Most businesses operate year-round and many accommodations reside in retrofitted century-old mansions or quaint inns with plenty of character.

Entire district appears pretty photogenic perfect for rambling exploration at leisure.

Manitou Springs Historic District boasts an intriguing amalgamation of genuine Western heritage architectural grandeur natural springs and effervescent artistic expression.

Manitou Springs feels like stumbling into some fantastical storybook town deeply rooted in history and overflowing with remarkably quirky experience.

Visitors flock here for healing waters and mountain vistas or cultural events making it a supremely enchanting historic destination in Colorado.



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