The historic Stapleton House, built in 1913 on Owl Creek Road by a second-generation homesteader near what is now the Pitkin Country Airport, will be coming out from under the tent that's been protecting it as workers have set about restoring the 100-year old structure this winter. The 1,300 square foot home has been completely gutted minus the framing, old shingles have been removed and a base layer for a new roof installed while the frame has been jacked up on piles of beams where it will sit plumb until a new foundation can be put in.
The $1.5 million restoration project got underway this winter once Chicago-based private equity firm manager James Gordon proposed restoring the structure and maintaining it as a caretaker unit for a 5,750 square foot single family home he planned to build after buying the 5-acre lot. As part of the deal to remove the deed restriction that reserves the lot for employee housing only, Gordon must either drop $500K into the employee housing pool or buy a comparable property for employee housing elsewhere.
· Old Stapleton house to emerge from cocoon soon [Aspen Times]
· Development to save a piece of Aspen history [Aspen Times]