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Redstone residents shudder at Castle’s shuttering

Lynn Burton

The 100-year-old Redstone Castle is closed for the winter, and its future is uncertain.

“We’ll see what the spring brings,” said co-owner Debbie Harte.

Harte is a member of Tranquil Options LLC, which bought the 20,000-square-foot Tudor style mansion in 2000. She said it was her choice to close the castle for the winter, and the reasons are fairly simple.



“It’s not financially feasible to keep it open in the winter. We’ve learned that lesson,” Harte said.

Winter problems include high heating bills for the 42-room building and fewer tourists staying overnight.



“There’s not a lot of winter activity in this territory,” Harte said.

During the summer months, the castle relies on weddings and tours to keep the operation going.

Redstone has a population of less than 100, and word got around quickly when the castle closed in November.

“It’s dear to peoples’ hearts up here,” said Redstone Inn general manager Debbie Strom.

“Everyone is worried about it. The castle is terribly important to us,” Peter Martin, another Redstone resident said.

Hard core castle lovers say they fear the building will be left unheated this winter, and damage will result. Harte put those concerns to rest.

“It will be well taken care of,” she said.

When asked whether the castle, whose historic name is Cleveholm Manor, is for sale, Harte paused and said, “Anything is always for sale, but it’s not listed.”

Records in the Pitkin County assessor’s office put the Redstone Castle’s actual value at $2.9 million. The castle sits on 71 acres along the Crystal River, about a half-mile south of Redstone.

John Cleveland Osgood, who developed the Coal Basin coal mines west of Redstone in the 1890s, built the Redstone Castle. During his time there, the castle was visited by John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan and other industrialists, Harte said.

Contact Lynn Burton: 945-8515, ext 534

lburton@postindependent.com


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