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Glass skylights illuminate the Beaumont Hotel’s interior, while outside the brick structure blends with the natural surroundings in Ouray, Colo., since the pink paint was removed.
Henn has more than simply a passing inter
est in the renovation; as head of Ouray 's histor
ical society, he was instrumental in getting the
entire downtown listed on the National Regis
ter of Historic Places.
"Tm so thrilled that the Beaumont's open
again,” Henn says. “I can hardly tell you about it."
The Beaumont’s rebirth has sparked a renais
sance around its (Tart of town. "It’s alive now, and it
wasn't alive five years ago," Henn says. "All of that
end of town now has become a focal point and active
pan of Ouray instead of something you
skipped and went down to the next block.”
Taking stock
The Beaumont indeed has injected new
life into parts of Ouray, but it first had to
be brought back to life itself, and that was
no easy task.
When the Kings bought the three
story wixid and brick structure in 1998 at
a silent auction, it was just months away from demolition, despite
its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. The
Beaumont had been closed since the late 19605, so more than 30
years of dust and neglect awaited them.
But die Kings treasured the hotel s history, so they kxiked at old
photographs of the hotel, documented every layer of wallpaper, and
took stock of all the Beaumont's original hardware. The goal was to
restore it as authentically as possible while upgrading its infra
structure to meet modem-day codes. That meant enlarging rooms
and doors and upgrading the original electrical system.
The Kings, who employed local craftsmen and artists, took
extra steps to maintain authenticity and take care of their invest-
room Victorian structure built in 1892
to attract visitors from the wintry north.
The castle-like hotel, with balconies,
turrets, and a three-story atrium lobby,
once hosted balls and celebrations.
But after eight decades, the once
splendorous Windsor was well into
decline, closing in 1974. Four years later,
its owners donated the Windsor to the
city of Americus. In 1980, the incoming
mayor had two choices: either demolish
the hotel or restore it.
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Light fixtures and cornices were authentically restored.
K
Original hardware.
The community overwhelmingly
favored restoration, and for the next
decade, organized the multimillion-dol
lar project that would become a catalyst
tor downtown revitalization. Restoration
began in 1990 and the hotel reopened in
September 1991 to its original grandeur.
Wentworth by the Sea—New
Castle, N.H.
Daniel Chase, a Boston distiller, built
the large hotel in 1874 at the mouth of
er. v
Fine dining in elegant fashion.
the Piscataqua River. Wentworth
became a world-class resort, attracting
political and entertainment figures. But
in 1981, a Swiss company biught the
Wentworth and closed the resort. It sub
sequently was pissed around to multiple
owners.
Locals, outraged at the idea of losing
the historic hotel, formed Friends of the
Wentworth to seek a buyer who would
restore it—a task that proved difficult.
Eventually, the company that owned the
ment. Going brick by brick for nearly eight months, workers
used butane heaters to heat the exterior paint until it bubbled
and could be scraped off, Dan says. They aLso had a special knife
made that replicated a particular wood pattern.
Most of the Beaumont is original, Mary says, such as the
skylight, door sashings, railings, the tin ceiling in the book
store —one of the hotel's handful of businesses that include a
bistro, fine dining, and a gift shop.
"The windows alone were unbelievable," Henn says.
"Rather than rip out the old windows and replace them, they
restored the old ones."
And the Kings have achieved their goal of authenticity.
Henn says. "It's very, very close to what it looked like originally," he
says. "I can t believe how well they did."
That's because the Kings spared no expense. "It s something you
do and you try to make sure its done right,” Dan savs. "We didn't
take any shortcuts.”
The state of Colorado recognized such attention to historic
detail by awarding them the first Governor’s Award for His
toric Preservation.
Restoring the Beaumont has been a labor of love tor the Kings,
who had been part-time residents of Ouray (pop. 81.3) before buying
the hotel and making the scenic mountain town their permanent
home. They understand the connection local residents have to the
Beaumont.
"There are strong emotional ties," Mary' says. “Many old-timers
worked here back then, or their parents worked here.”
Townspeople are proud that the Beaumont is back in business,
Dan says. "There s a sense of pride (that) now we have a place that s
second to none."
Carol Davis is a Nashville. Tenn.-based uriter.
hotel announced its imminent demoli
tion, and the National Trust for Histori
cal Preservation placed the Wentworth
on its List of America’s Eleven Most
Endangered Places.
Negotiations prolonged the life of
the Wentworth until Ocean Properties
Ltd. purchased it in 1997 and began
restoring it back into a premier destina
tion. It opened last spring.
American Profile •
Page 7