This Resort was the Inspiration for the book The Shining

Stanley Hotel, Estes Park Colorado

Date added: April 20, 2024

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Colorado
Hotel

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The Stanley Hotel, one of the important early mountain resorts in north central Colorado, is both a monument to its builder, F.O. Stanley, and an architectural landmark in the Estes Park area. In addition, the hotel played an important role in the growth of the tourist trade in that area.

F.O. Stanley was born in 1849 in Kingston, Maine. He and his twin brother Francis were engineers with several inventions to their credit. Perhaps the most important was the photographic dry plate process which permitted film to be made available in rolls instead of the cumbersome wet plate process and thus opened the way for the simple box cameras of today. This invention was sold to George Eastman who helped found the Eastman Kodak Company.

The two brothers are most famous for something else, the Stanley Steamer. This steam powered automobile, one of the most notable pioneer automobiles, laid the basis for their fortune. The cars were extremely well engineered. Among their early exploits was ascending Mt. Washington (New Hampshire) and setting a land speed record of 127 miles per mile in 1907.

In 1903, F.O. Stanley was told by his doctors that he was dying of consumption and had only three months to live. On the doctors' recommendation, he came west to Colorado, and the high dry climate worked wonders. Stanley lived for another thirty-seven years.

Settling first in Denver, he decided to move to the mountains. The next summer, 1904, he drove a Stanley Steamer from Lyons to Estes Park. Enchanted by the beauties of this high mountain valley, he built a summer home there. Beginning with the summer of 1905, he spent the summer months in Estes and the winters in Massachusetts.

Estes Park has been a tourist center almost from its inception, but most accommodations were simple and spartan. Stanley decided that what his new home needed was a first class resort hotel to draw more visitors to the area. A site, carefully chosen for its views of the mountains and the valley, was purchased from the McGregor Ranch and construction began in 1907.

The buildings which, it is believed, were designed by Stanley, quickly became landmarks in the Estes Park community. Built on a tremendous scale, the local residents could only echo the Rocky Mountain News which described it as "simply palatial equaling anything of its size in the world." The paper went on to note that "it is luxurious and modern even to the great kitchen where cooking is done entirely by electricity."

The hotel was named the Stanley only after some hesitation by its owner. (He originally intended to call it the Dunraven after the Earl of Dunraven who played an important role in the early history of the town). It opened June 23^rd, 1909 and was an immediate success. Because of its location "amid glaciers, peaks, and forests," to again quote the Rocky Mountain News, the Stanley was designed to be a complete resort. Vacationers could come by train to either Lyons or Loveland and then finish the trip by car. Until 1926, this frequently meant a journey in one of the fleet of specially modified Stanley Steamers along roads, now the routes of US 34 and US 36, which had been widened and improved by Mr. Stanley.

From the beginning, Stanley's appeal was much mere than local. While candidly admitting in its early brochures that "in the general plan of things earthly we must count on expense," it offered guests a wide range of activities. These ranged from billiards; Stanley was a fanatic, so if guests misbehaved during a game they were liable to be banished from the hotel; to bowling, tennis, croquet, golf, gourmet dining, dancing to high class orchestra, performing in amateur theatricals, attending concerts in the Stanley Hall, and simply promenading the grounds.

In 1912, the Manor House was finished and opened. Unlike the main hotel building, here the guest rooms were heated, permitting year-round operation.

Both the man and the hotel had a significant impact on the development of the Estes Park area. From the beginning, Stanley took an active role in the development of the town and was even responsible for its first platting. In addition, he built a water system for the Hotel, but then, under public pressure, formed the Estes Park Water Company to serve the town. He also built hydroelectric facilities to provide a firm source of electricity for the hotel, but once again public pressure prevailed. The Stanley Power Company was organized to provide electric power to the town as well. He also gave the village land for the sewage disposal plant, the high school, and Stanley Park. In addition, he paid for transporting elk from Montana to repopulate the depleted herds in the valley.

The presence of the Stanley Hotel had a major impact on the tourist economy of Estes Park and in a very real sense can be said to have placed the town on the map. While it is not the first resort in the area, because of the scope of its operation and its sheer magnificence, it quickly became a major tourist attraction. Unfortunately, most of the early guest records have been lost. Nevertheless, it is known that among its famous guests, including every governor of the state of Colorado, are to be found John Phillips Sousa, the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown, Theodore Roosevelt, Enrico Caruso, George Eastman, Wallace Beery, Lily Pons, Lawrence Welk, Gene Tierney, Wayne Newton, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan.

Perhaps its most well-known guest was Stephen King, who got his inspiration for his top-selling horror novel The Shining, during a stay at the hotel in 1974 at the end of the season. He and his wife were the only guests in the hotel, and the empty halls and dining room inspired the author.

Stanley sold the property in 1929 for a price rumored to be more than half a million dollars, but he continued to live there until he died in 1940. Since then, the property has had only seven owners, including the present one and has remained virtually intact.

It remains today a monument to the man who not only had a significant impact on the town of Estes Park, but on the establishment of tourism in Colorado.

Site Description

The Stanley Hotel District consists of twelve buildings including the Stanley Hotel, the Manor House, Stanley Hall, and the Carriage House.

The Stanley Hotel, the Manor House, Stanley Hall, and the Carriage House are placed in a row, and face south-southwest, overlooking the town and valley of Estes Park and on toward the front range of the Rocky Mountains. (In Colorado place names, the word park means valley; for that reason, the name Estes Park can refer to both the town and the valley discovered by Joel Estes). These buildings were built in 1909 except for the manor house which was completed in 1912.

The buildings, described below, are notable for their horizontal lines and extreme symmetry of different design elements combined with classical detail and ornamentation. This twentieth-century expression of Georgian architecture combined with classical elements is with one exception, unique to the Estes Park area. That exception, located approximately one mile west of the hotel, is the Stanley residence which F.O. Stanley built before building the hotel. Because his residence contains many of the same architectural features as the hotel property, it is believed that Stanley was his own architect.

Six buildings, immediately to the west of the hotel are service buildings which were built between 1909 and 1912. Another small service building, believed to be built at the same time, is located behind the manor house. The final building on the site is the swimming pool cabana which is located adjacent to the swimming pool which is in front of the hotel. Except for the cabana, these buildings are architecturally compatible with the main buildings by the symmetry of their design elements, by their Georgian Revival features, and by their forms and materials. All are more fully described below.

The Stanley Hotel
The Stanley Hotel stands on a cut-stone foundation and is a four-story frame structure with a full basement. The building plan is shaped like an H, and it is topped by a hipped roof. There are two red brick chimneys on the west wing of the building, one on either side of the cupola and a fifth on the roof of the east wing.

The front facade is divided into two equal parts by a hexagonal-shaped cupola topped by a dome which is located on the roof in the very center of the building. Each part is then subdivided by three dormers. Those on each end of the building are notable for their heavy pediments with returns. The remaining four each have angular pediments with friezes. The overall effect is one of symmetry. This is reinforced by the ends of the wings which are treated as extended pavillions and are balanced by a third extended pavilion in the center of the building topped by an angular pediment. Mutule block cornices are used under the roof line of the building and that of the porches as well. This same classical decorative detail is also used inside in the main lobby.

The ground floor of the front facade is taken up by a verandah which ties together the wings of the building. The roof of the verandah is supported by six double sets of plain columns; each column is topped by a plain capital. There is a balustrade on the porch roof permitting this space to be utilized as a sun porch. Entrance to this area is gained by French doors flanked by paneled sidelights. Above the doors is a medallion which has laurel wreaths in bas-relief. This classical decoration appears to have been cast in plaster.

At the end of each wing, a single door flanked by paneled sidelights opens onto a small balcony with a heavy balustrade. Above the doer is a swan's neck pediment in the center of which is a vase set on a plinth. These two sets of decorative elements provide additional balance and reinforce the symmetry of the front facade.

There are what appear to be one-story wings on each side of the building. That on the west is an addition to the main dining room, but a study of historical photographs reveals that most of the addition on the east side of the building is taken up by a long porch similar in design and use to that on the front facade; it is part of the original building. The only addition on that side of the structure is the rounded portion that connects the end of the porch to the main structure. It can be suggested that this was done at the same time that the west addition was added to maintain the symmetry of the overall design.

One thing that does detract from the symmetry is the small dormer-shaped cupola on top of the roof. This addition was put on when the main elevator was remodeled. As originally constructed, the elevator was powered by hydraulic pressure but when it was converted to mechanics, space had to be found for the necessary machinery.

The windows throughout are extremely regular in use and reinforce the symmetry of the design. Palladian windows are used in the dormers on the ends of the wings and the front facade, i.e. those with the pediments and returns; casement windows light the balance. On the second and third stories of the building, the windows, used in pairs except at the ends of the wings, are 10 x 1 double-hung sash set in heavy wood frames. Two oculus windows are positioned on the third floor of the front facade to balance the dormers on the roof above. Directly below each oculus window is a small angular pediment which, even though it is placed above a window, is intended primarily as a decorative feature. These featured oculus windows above small angular pediments are repeated on both wings. On the first floor, the windows are single sash topped by a fanlight except on the east porch. Here, what appear to be windows are in reality French doors, but because of the fanlights, the basic rhythm established by the first-floor windows is maintained.

The Manor House
Immediately to the east of the hotel is the Manor House, a smaller version of the main structure. (At one time the main hotel was known as the Big Stanley and the Manor House as the Little Stanley). A two-and-one-half-story structure with a full basement, the building repeats most of the architectural details of the hotel, but on a smaller scale. Constructed in an L shape, the Manor House has a hipped roof, dormer windows on the front and east side (although the latter are obvious additions), and a verandah on the front and east. Swan's neck pediments are used at both ends of the front facade while mutule block cornices are used inside and out.

Stanley Hall
East of the Manor House is Stanley Hall. This one-story frame structure with a hipped roof has 12 x 1 double-hung sash windows and a large porch topped by a gable supported by four single-turned pillars. There is a second smaller porch on the west side of the building with triple sets of pillars supporting the roof. Once again mutule block cornices are used under the roof line; the result helps strengthen the building's stylistic connections with the other two structures already discussed.

The Carriage House
East of Stanley Hall is the Carriage House, an L-shaped frame building with a hipped roof. Originally constructed to house Stanley Steamers, the building was extensively remodeled in the 1950s to provide additional accommodation for guests. Despite the remodeling, the exterior still blends with the other main structures of the property.

The North Dormitory
West of the hotel are six service buildings for the complex. Except for the Boiler House which faces south, the buildings face east toward the hotel. The northernmost of those buildings is the North Dormitory, a two-story frame building, rectangular in plan with a hipped roof. The building is oriented with a shorter side to the front. A one-story porch is placed completely across the front of the building and is divided into three equal bays by Tuscan columns. The front door is in the center of the center bay and a window is placed in the center of each of the outer bays. The second-story front is subdivided symmetrically by three windows. Windows in the dormitory are 8 x 1 double hung sash.

The South Dormitory
This building, immediately to the south of the North Dormitory, is very similar to its neighbor. Although slightly larger, it is also rectangular in plan, two-story frame with a hipped roof, and has a one-story porch across its front facade. The porch is divided equally into three bays by Tuscan columns, but its first story has two doors and a window asymmetrically placed. The second-story front has three equally spaced double-hung windows. A one-story concrete block wing has been added at the rear of the north side.

The Laundry
The Laundry Building is located to the south of the dormitories. It is a one-story frame building, rectangular in plan with a notch taken out at the southeast corner. It has a hipped roof with a rectangular ventilating monitor placed in the center of the ridge. A small addition has been made to the north facade near the front of the structure.

The Boiler House
The Boiler House, located to the south of the Laundry Building, is a small one-story frame building with a gable roof. It has a rectangular ventilating monitor centered on the ridge of the gable. The boiler inside this building is no longer in use.

The Manager's Cottage
The Manager's Cottage is located between the Laundry Building and the Hotel. It was originally L-shaped in plan, but an addition at the south corner, where there had originally been a porch, has made the present plan rectangular. The house is two-story frame with a hipped roof over the original building and a flat roof on the addition. This is the only building on site for which symmetry was not the primary design characteristic. The porch was the most prominent architectural feature, and its removal has lessened the beauty of the house.

The Gatekeeper's House
The Gatekeeper's House was moved to its present site south of the Manager's Cottage in 1926. Before that, it sat at the bottom of the hill in the town of Estes Park. It is a one and one half-story frame house with a gable roof running parallel to the front facade. Centered on the front is a shallow porch with two pairs of Tuscan columns supporting a pediment. A door with side lights opens onto the porch and an 8 x 1 double-hung window on each side of the porch completes the composition of this facade.

Maintenance Building
The Maintenance Building is located to the north of the Manor House. It is a one-story frame building with a hipped roof. Undistinguished by its architectural detailing, it nonetheless fits comfortably into the site.

Swimming Pool Cabana
The cabana is located on the front lawn of the hotel beside the swimming pool. It is a one-story frame building with a flat roof, built during the 1950s.

There has been remarkably little alteration to the property as a whole, due in part, it may be suggested, to the fact that the property has only had a total of seven owners including its current one.