The historic Redstone Castle is back in local hands after Steve and April Carver closed on the property for $2.2 million this week.

The Carvers, who have owned the Hotel Denver in Glenwood Springs for the past 25 years, found out about the castle auction last month via a postcard in the mail. After touring the building for the first time in years and doing their due diligence, they topped two other bidders in an auction on Oct. 7 to become the 11th owners in the property’s 114-year history.

“The hotel was our first once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is our second,” Steve Carver told the Post Independent on Wednesday.

Originally built in 1899 for coal and steel magnate John Cleveland Osgood, the English Tudor-style Redstone Castle has been host to such guests as John D. Rockefeller, J. Pierpont Morgan and Teddy Roosevelt. The main residence offers 23,000 square feet of living space, with 42 rooms that remain much as they were in 1903.

The home’s furnishings and fixtures have been largely untouched. In 2005, while under the ownership of the Internal Revenue Service, a historic conservation easement was placed on areas of the property, ensuring that the exterior and certain rooms will continue to be maintained as they were built at the turn of the 20th century.

“It is because of the stewardship of past owners that so many original items remain, and have been well cared for,” Steve Carver said. “We plan to continue to care for the property in that tradition.”

The Carvers, who plan to fold the castle into the hospitality operations of the Hotel Denver, are committed to keeping the mansion open for all to enjoy.

“We like the authenticity of the older properties, and we want to see it vibrant again,” April Carver said.

The Carvers plan to retain the full-time caretaker and continue tours on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Ticket information is available at thehoteldenver.com/redstone-castle.

The Carvers hope that curious visitors will also be able to experience areas of the castle not previously open to guests, such as the servant areas and the carriage house and stables.

“Think Downton Abbey,” April Carver said. “We think people would like to see how the complex and often difficult support services of the castle functioned.”

With only 18 of 43 rooms on the current tour, there’s room for expansion and multiple uses.

“We know we wanted to find a sustainable economic use that’s compatible with the easement,” she said. “We have a lot of experience with lodging, so we’ll probably do something in that vein.”

Specifically, the couple imagines renting out several of the larger suites under a bed-and-breakfast model. Following “very minor renovations,” the first rooms for rent at the castle since 2002 could start as soon as next summer.

“The accommodations will be lovely and very historic,” April Carver said.

Pending Pitkin County guidelines and restrictions, plans may include hosting weddings and special events on the property, though probably not inside the castle itself.

Meanwhile, the Carvers are likely to become familiar faces in Redstone.

“We’re not going to be absentee owners,” Steve Carver said. “We plan to enjoy the property.”