Rockledge Manor 1912

Rockledge Manor was the home of farm journal publisher Edward Harrison Heath in 1912. Rockledge Manor is situated above El Paso Boulevard beyond a magnificent set of gates. It later sold to M.F. Yount, an oil multimillionaire from Texas, who used the 15 acre estate as a summer home.

M.F. Yount purchased On-a-Ledge as a guest house, building a series of eight terraces in the back yard. Improvements Yount made to Rockledge included an extensive rose garden, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a bath house and tennis courts. In addition, the part of the estate on El Paso Boulevard which originally included Schryver Park was used to raise peacocks, to pasture his daughter's horses and for a green-house site. The house boasts 21 rooms totaling approximately 7500 square feet. It is beautifully paneled inside with a mezzanine around the fireplace in the foyer. This mansion receives its name from the rock shelf on which it is built and which serves as its foundation. The Yount family sold the property in 1969. The estate was subsequently subdivided for housing developments and the main house was leased as a restaurant.

Historic Manitou Springs, Inc., is an educational non-profit based in Manitou Springs, Colorado, at the foot of Pikes Peak which operates the Manitou Springs Heritage Center and was formed in 1997 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Our mission is to collect, preserve, research, and interpret the history and culture of Manitou Springs and the Pikes Peak Region.

The intent of the organization is to educate citizens and visitors in order to increase appreciation and understanding of this unique community. Before opening the Center Historic Manitou was operated by a board of three persons–Jean Garrity, Deborah Harrison, and Michelle Anthony. During the initial 10 years, we developed a track record of participating in and supporting community projects and events, such as restoration of the Eastern Gateway Arch, rehabilitation of Mansions Park, installation of over 30 Historic Interpretive Plaques throughout town, and placement of the memorial in Crystal Valley Cemetery for Emma Crawford. We have presented the “Ghost Stories of Old Manitou” haunted walking tours as part of the Annual Emma Crawford Festival (i.e., the events surrounding the Coffin Races) since its inception.

Pearring, John. Pearring, Joanne. The Walking Tour - A Guide To Historic Manitou Springs. Volume Revised Printing. Manitou Springs, Colorado. TextPros, 1998.