Duane and Louise's Travels: Rock Ledge Ranch Part II

We finished our tour of Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site with a visit to the Orchard House (1907-1910), a gracious Edwardian country-style estate and Colorado Springs' first "suburban" home. In 1900 Colorado Springs' founder, General William Palmer added Rock Ledge Ranch to his estate, Glen Erie (pronounced glen airy). At first Palmer used the land to increase his hay farming operations. He enlarged the Chamber's irrigation system and added six more reservoirs throughout Capm Creek Valley. In 1907 the Orchard House was finished. The house represented the most modern features of the time--Arts and Crafts furnishings, steam heat, electricity, and indoor plumbing, as well as many modern labor-saving appliances which were appreciated by the live-in domestic staff. Palmer's relatives, William and Charlotte Schlater, an older couple with no children, occupied the house.

This is the front of the house. The front door opens directly into a central hall which runs the width of the house to the back door.

Our tour started at the back. Tours started every 20 minutes. We waited a few minutes here before our tour began.

Our tour of the downstairs living area was led by the housekeeper. When she introduced herself, we discovered that her last name was the same as my maiden name except the last two letters were transposed. We decided that we must be relatives. You see the resemblance, right?

She explained that the upper class at the time was all about proper decorum. When you visited someone who was not at home, you left a card folded a certain way. A fold down the right side said that your family had visited. Each of the four corners held meaning also. For instance, if the lower right corner was folded, that meant that you came alone to convey condolences. Anyone who left a card must have that call returned within three days.

There were visual codes used in the house. Low doorways led into private rooms, and higher doorways were open to guests.

First floor rooms included a men's sitting room/office,

ladies' sitting room,

with a working totally mechanical Victrola,

morning room on the east side to catch the healthy morning sunshine,

and formal dining room. All rooms were tastefully designed to show refined wealth.

The rest of the downstairs was taken up by the servants' area. Here another code was used. The woodwork is painted gray. If a guest got disoriented in the house, he/she would know that this is a place they didn't want to be. This area is where the dishes are done.

This modern innovation is a one piece wooden countertop with drain grooves and a copper basin, and running hot and cold water. Copper was used in the sink so that if a dish was accidentally dropped in it, the sink would be dented but the dish wouldn't break.

In the kitchen the head cook explained that Saturday morning was the time to clean this modern appliance--a coal burning stove/oven. After the appliance was cleaned and polished, the floor was scrubbed (see the second pic above). She explained that with this stove she could bake in the two ovens, cook on the stovetop, and keep food warm or reheat leftovers all at the same time. This was a real labor saver when each evening meal consisted of at least 6-8 courses and sometimes as many as 20 or more.

The kitchen area also included a well stocked pantry, a pastry kitchen, an ice box, .

and on the porch a new washing machine.

Having finished their stove and floor cleaning the staff took a small break.

One of the girls offered to show us the servants' quarters on the third floor.

There are four bathrooms in this house including one in the servants' quarters. The landing at the top of the stairs is the sitting room,

and there are two bedrooms--one for the head cook and one for everyone else. There was also a sewing room with a new Singer sewing machine.

From the servants quarters, we were shown around the upstairs. This is small guest room with fold down bed.

Other rooms included another guest bedroom

the master suite, and two bathrooms,

and Mrs. Schlater's dressing room (One corner with just a few hats shown here). Here we learned two more codes and an interesting fact. First, Mrs. Schlater needed to change clothes several times a day to reflect whatever she was doing and the time she was doing it. Second, the servants also had to change clothes during the day. In the morning they wore white tops and black skirts to do their work. In the afternoon and evening they wore the more formal black and black when they interacted with family and guests.

When I made a comment about all that laundry, we were informed that the in house servants didn't do laundry or the sewing. Ladies came to the house to do those chores.

The domestic servants in Colorado City were happy to have their jobs. They worked just as hard as their east coast counterparts but were paid three times as much.