Welcome to the Hottel House, 215 S. College

Fort Collins Courier, December 29, 1883 -- The beautiful residence of B.F. Hottel, which is being built under the direction of and now nearing completion under the skillful hands of Richard Burke, is deserving of more than a passing mention at our hands. It is a villa of the Italian style of architecture, with a double octagon front, surmounted by a beautiful observatory with stained glass windows. The entrance is from a large roomy porch, which is surmounted by a balcony, lending beauty to the building, through double doors with vestibule doors out of plate glass. A roomy hall separated the parlors and reception room on the north side from the library and dining room on the south side of the main building. The kitchen wing is an extension on the west side and contains kitchen, laundry, pantry, store room and refrigerator room. The laundry is furnished with stationary wash trays, and drying room, and is supplied with hot and cold water from a forty-gallon boiler in the kitchen. The dining room has a southern exposure, and with the sitting room is the most cheerful room in the house. The second story is reached by a solid walnut platform staircase with two landings. The staircase is ornamented with handsome carved newels and balusters. The hall upstairs is lighted by a beautiful ruby glass window in the east. The style of the outside doors and windows are after a design by Vignolia. The dining room, living room, and library are finished in solid butternut, highly polished, and the hall, vestibule, reception room and parlors in black walnut. The lower floor is so arranged that when desired the entire floor may be thrown into one apartment. The entire building is heated by a McGovern & Rutland heater, warranted to keep the room at a temperature of 65 degrees when, the thermometer indicates 40 degrees below zero outside.

Over the kitchen wing may be found the bedrooms for the help, trunk room, storeroom and linen closets. On the right hand side of the hall in the second story may be found the bedroom and chamber suites, closets, and dressing rooms. On the left hand, bath rooms and chambers, all lighted as in the entire structure, with polished plate glass and finished in Eastlake style of design; also heated from the furnace and ventilated by five grates whose mantels are decorated with Chattanooga marble. A beautiful porch, similar to that in front, adorns the south side of the house. This elegant mansion, unfurnished, when complete will cost Mr. Hottel about $12,000 and is by all odds the largest and best appointed in the city. Richard Burke, Esq. drew the design and made all the plans and has superintended the construction from the beginning. The carpenter and joiner work has all been done by the day and in the most thorough and artistic manner. The stone work, brick work, ironwork, tinning and plumbing were let by contract, all of it however, having been carefully and substantially done. The entire building will be complete and ready for occupancy some time during the coming month.

Note: The photographs in this collection were taken by Charles Curs in May of 1961 before the house was demolished. The maps are computer re-creations of hand-drawn maps found with the photographs and are not to scale.

Entry Hall |  Living Room |  Music Room |  Dining Room |  Study
Northeast Bedroom |  Southeast Bedroom & Bath |  Southwest Bedroom
Benjamin Hottel Biography |  Welcome