Beaumont Hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in Ouray County
The Beaumont Hotel is a historic structure built in 1886 in Ouray, Colorado, originally equipped with alternating current electricity ahead of its time. The building blends Victorian and French Second Empire architectural styles with a distinctive slate Mansard roof, while inside features a grand staircase and a second-floor rosewood dining room.
The building opened in 1887 and was among the first to use alternating current electricity, making it a cutting-edge property that attracted prominent visitors including two U.S. presidents. After closing in the 1960s due to declining tourism and falling into disrepair, it was purchased in 1998 and reopened in 2003 with a smaller, more intimate footprint.
The hotel served as a beacon of progress when mining brought wealth to the region, and its design still shows the refined tastes of that era. Walking through its spaces today, you notice how the original furnishings and layout reveal what people valued in comfort and style during that time.
The hotel sits on Main Street in Ouray and is easily walkable to local shops and restaurants, with outdoor activities and natural attractions within driving distance. The building sits at about 7,800 feet (2,377 m) elevation, so visitors should allow time to adjust to the altitude when arriving.
The building was one of the first properties to be wired for alternating current electricity, making it a technological marvel that set it apart from other structures of its day. A stone marker from the United States Geological Survey sits at the corner of the foundation, marking the exact elevation and serving as a quiet reminder of the survey work that shaped the region.
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