Aug. 15, 2002 - 17:56 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

They Went

There are treasures among us. Sights we have never dreamed about, in places obscure, but they are there.

In 1920 a rich dude from Boston named Charles Alfred Johnson moved to the Denver area and decided to spend some of the money he made back east in insurance and realty to build a retreat near town, a private getaway away from cares and worries of city life. He commissioned an architect to build whatever he thought fitting on a rock outcropping south of Denver. The architect's name was Burnham Hoyt, the same man who later designed the famed Red Rocks Amphitheater and the Second Denver Public Library at 14th and Broadway.

He told Mr. Hoyt that he wanted a nice, country retreat, told Mr. Hoyt he had a free hand to design and cause to be built what he thought best, made the funds available and went to Europe for two years while Mr. Hoyt proceeded to quarry rhyolite rock from nearby, bring in Cornish stone masons and build a replica of a 15th century Scottish Castle. Copper gutters and slate shingles secured by copper nails covering the roof. And a masterpiece it was, that he designed and had built.

In 1926 Mr. Johnson and family moved in. He raised his family, grew old and died. His sons, some time after his death decided to sell the castle and 4,000 acres of property, and it was sold in 1954.

There is a story about the woman who bought the castle. A southern woman, married to a very rich man. He wanted a divorce from her. He said something like, "I suppose you will tell friends, relatives and acquaintences all about our divorce. "Her reply was to the order of, "Why on earth not ?" Hubby didn't like that idea too much, living, talking evidence of a failed marriage, so he came up with an idea. He told her he would buy her any residence her heart desired, as long as it was west of the Mississippi River. So she and her two children traveled around west of the Mississippi until she ran on to the castle. The price might be somewhere in public records, but wasn't mentioned. In 1954 the castle became the property of Mildred Genevive Kimball, of English and Scottish descent. Nicknamed "Tweet" by her Dad from some action of her young life.

Before her divorce "Tweet" had collected works of art of various kinds, fabulous stuff. It is all on display in the castle today.

So "Tweet" raised her two kids and after her move west, instead of buying art she started a cattle ranch, introducing the Santa Gertrudis strain of beef cattle to this area. It was quite successful and her Cherokee Ranch became well known among cattlemen.

Late in life she contracted with Douglas County to keep her ranch as a wildlife preserve, in perpetuity. So close to town, but yet so far away from the present day hurly burly clash of SUV's and people who grow animosity in clusters like grapes. There is electricity and water there and facilities probably put in and improved over the years, yet they are unobtrusive.

Heather and I had the great pleasure of taking a tour of the castle yesterday. What I saw of the exterior before the tour started was astounding. Incorporated with the rhyolite rocks was petrified wood found on the site. A quite outstanding edifice anywhere I would say.

Inside my mind went back (as it usually does) I stood in the great hall, under the steeply pitched roof which was held with carved wooden beam arches living in the 15th century, shivering, hunched up in the best furs one of my kind could obtain, close to the fireplace and hoping for spring. Wondering if my orders had been obeyed to get enough water from the well so that I could have a heated bath, a man gets a bit ripe in midwinter and women seemed to push that fact. At least they did if their sisters of today are a good example. Wondering who the next group to storm my castle would be and if my men were strong and smart enough to break a seige. Worrying about those of my subjects who were raising foodstuffs and kine around the castle, and the danger of food and water being taken or ruined by battle.

Milling around, going up the narrow spiral stairs, realizing that the windows in the present day castle would have been slits for the archers to use in defense. And thinking about how dark it must have been, even in the great hall with just torches and candles flickering away. Daylight would have probably been needed for reading. Thinking about the need of a good draft to take the smoke on out of the building.

Finally returning to the present day, reluctantly, taking one last view of the valley and the western foothills we bade the docents a fond farewell.

Heather and I had talked about about going to see the castle for several years, summer following winter etc. After the Hayman Fire we realized that something, someday could cause the castle to disappear -- maybe developers finding a loophole in the countract between Tweet and Douglas County. So we made arrangements to take the tour and Heather and I as was the custom of maids and men of old, to the castle They Went . . . . . . . .

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