Mansions Hotel 1874 - City Hall 1910

The site of Mansions Hotel was built by Dr. William Bell and General Palmer where the fire department now stands. The Mansions Spring Pavilion/Lorraine Gardens area is now Manitou's City Hall. This was a spring pavilion for General Palmer's The Mansions hotel built in 1875. The hotel was located to the west, taking up the entire block from where Manitou's volunteer fire department is today, all the way to this side of the Stagecoach Inn.

A magnificent building, it burned around World War I. This pavilion, though, remains part of a 10 acre park for the hotel that had two drilled mineral springs. Palmer's purpose was to build a mineral water resort, similar to the European spas and Eastern U.S. mountain villas.

The spring's pavilion, complete with these remaining massive columns and the front Spanish-tiled roof, became Leddy's last attempt at entrepreneurism. The window, fifteens-over-fifteens, were there when he enclosed it in 1920 and added the dance hall behind, calling it "Lorraine Gardens" now Memorial Hall.

Behind this building is the rest of the Mansion's estate, including the outside shuffleboard floors and the unique "Roque Court," under the restored open-air pavilion. The restoration of this roque court pavilion was honored by the Colorado Historical Society in 1990.

Roque is a sophisticated English version of croquet, using a covered clay court, rubber mallets, and the stiff upper lip of intense English betting and late night competition.

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. Mantiou Springs, Colorado. TextPros, 1998.