Ponderosa Lodge, place in Colorado listed on National Register of Historic Places
Ponderosa Lodge is a 1928 historic building in the Black Forest area of El Paso County, designed by architect Jules Jacques Benois Benedict. It features sturdy construction with local ponderosa pine wood, large support beams, a distinctive fireplace with ironwork, and a sloped roof that blends naturally with the mountain environment.
The building was constructed in 1928 as a summer residence and later became part of the La Foret Conference and Retreat Center when the original owner, Alice Bemis Taylor, left the estate to the Colorado Congregational Church. A significant event was the 2013 Black Forest fire, which threatened the region but was managed through fire prevention efforts that protected the lodge and most structures.
The lodge was built as a summer retreat for Alice Bemis Taylor, a prominent art patron from Colorado Springs. The name comes from the ponderosa pine trees that surround the property and were used in its construction.
The lodge is accessible as part of the La Foret Conference and Retreat Center and sits in a quiet mountain setting with ample grounds and parking areas. Visitors should note that the surroundings are densely filled with ponderosa pine trees, which provide both shade and natural quietness, and that the property includes various outdoor spaces for exploration.
The lodge was originally designed as a private summer home and was notable for hosting art programs for artists that Alice Bemis Taylor organized on the estate. Just a year after the lodge was completed, the nearby Taylor Memorial Chapel was built to commemorate Taylor's late husband.
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