History

High above the North Fork of the South Platte River, perched on the side of a ridge in a dry pine forest, the fabulous Baehrden Lodge was acquired by Jefferson County in 1986 when that land that would become Pine Valley Ranch was purchased. For the past few years, Jeffco Open Space, partnering with Denver-based HistoriCorps America, has been hard at work, helping restore this exquisite example of “Rocky Mountain Rustic” architecture to its previous glory.

This lodge, called “Baehrden (Bear-den) of the Rockies” at the time it was built, was the summer home of the Baehr family of Chicago. William Adolph Baehr, president of Chicago’s North Continent Utilities Company, vacationed in Colorado in 1925. He saw Pine Valley, decided that it would make a fine summer home for his family, and bought what was originally the 4L Ranch. The “ranch” was primarily a timber and ice-cutting operation owned owned by four families – Hildebrand, Busher, Liming, and Eggert.

The valley was serviced by a narrow-gauge railroad, part of the Denver, South Park & Pacific line, which used to make the 42-mile trip to and from Denver in a mere 2.5 hours, hauling timber and ice to the metro area, returning with picnickers and fishermen. The railroad service continued until 1937. The Baehrden Lodge was designed by Denver architect J.J.B. Benedict, who was originally from Chicago. Benedict rose to local prominence, becoming Denver’s greatest master of the architectural Beaux Art style. The private homes he built in the mountains and public spaces like Chief Hosa (1917), Echo Lake Lodge (1926) and St. Catherine’s Chapel at Camp St. Malo (Estes Park, 1935), however, are exemplary of his “Alpine Architecture” phase – what we fondly call “Rocky Mountain Rustic”.

William Baehr, his wife Mabel, son William B. and daughter Irene Mabel were able to move into the Lodge in record time. Baehrden’s original 15 rooms (expanded to 27 rooms over time), were built by 60 skilled workmen in 90 days, during the summer of 1927, at an estimated cost of $1.5M. An estate like Baehrden didn’t run itself; Conrad & Eloise Johnson and their large brood of children were caretakers from the time Baehr bought the ranch. Conrad started as the chauffeur, gardener, and maintenance man, but in 1930 he was promoted to foreman.

It was then that he started improving life at the Lodge by building bridges, a garage and equipment sheds, and a powerhouse for the gasoline-powered lighting system that illuminated the Lodge after dark. He crafted a water delivery system with a 10,000 gallon water tank on the ridge above the house and a water wheel at the river below, which pumped water up into the tank so it could flow down to the house, as well as cascade through the hanging gardens and pools which lie just to the east of the Lodge. The two families spent many fruitful years at Baehrden.

William Baehr was an astronomy buff, so Johnson built an observatory for him in 1937. Mabel Baehr had a Japanese-style pagoda build on an island in the river, so she could picnic and have afternoon tea with friends in a private, quiet space. The pagoda is still there, just a few steps from the picnic shelter at the eastern end of the Park. In June, 1998, the Baehrden Lodge was listed in the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties. The Lodge is currently closed to the public.