The story of the Beckwith Ranch begins in 1869, when George Beckwith Sr. and his youngest son, Edwin, traveled from Cambridge, Massachusetts to Colorado’s Wet Mountain Valley in search of new business opportunities. The Beckwith’s were a successful ship building family originally from Mount Desert Island, Maine.

During the Civil War, George, and brothers Edwin and Elton served the union by supplying ships and running ships. Following the civil war the family relocated to Cambridge while the three sons completed their education. George Sr. continued to operate his shipbuilding and merchant marine enterprises from the East Coast, but the western frontier was calling.

The youngest son Edwin first arrived in the Wet Mountain Valley in 1869 followed by George Sr. During their exploration of the valley, Edwin became convinced that the sweeping grasslands beneath the Sangre de Cristo Mountains offered the perfect conditions for cattle ranching. Acting on his son’s enthusiasm, George Sr. established the Beckwith and Sons Cattle Investment Company, purchasing 200 head of longhorn cattle from the legendary Charles Goodnight in Pueblo. George eventually purchased an additional 2,000 acre ranch in Longmont and remained active in the cattle trade with his sons.

By 1870 the Beckwith family had sold all business holdings on the east coast and moved to Colorado. George Sr., his wife Taminson, two daughter’s and one more son, relocated in Denver in their own gilded age mansion. Elton joined Edwin in the Wet Mountain Valley.

Despite having no ranching experience, the Beckwith’s built one of the largest and most successful cattle empires in Colorado. Their timing was impeccable: the gold and silver boom was accelerating, and the family positioned themselves to supply miners and growing settlements with cattle and horses.

The history of the ranch is filled with dramatic chapters—cattle rustling, political ambition, world travel, a runaway daughter, and the tragic loss of both brothers. Their legacy is one of boldness, resilience, and at times ruthless determination. Yet those who knew them spoke of a family admired for their vision and tightly knit bond. At the center of it all stood Eltons’s wife Elsie Chapin Beckwith, a formidable woman whose influence shaped the ranch’s most iconic era.

The ranch itself began with a simple log cabin, relocated from twenty miles south of its current site. After Elton married the widowed Elsie Chapin Davis, she encouraged him to transform the humble cabin into a grand Victorian home. The Beckwith’s named their property Waverly Ranch, and the striking white mansion quickly became the talk of Colorado. Today, it remains one of the most photographed and painted buildings in the state.

By 1907, the Beckwith ranching dynasty had come to an end. In just forty years, the family had built—and lost—an empire, with the property sold after Elton’s passing. Over the decades, the ranch passed through multiple owners and eventually the mansion was left empty and fell into disrepair. Its revival began in 1996 with the founding of Friends of Beckwith Ranch, Inc., whose restoration efforts brought the historic property back to life.

Click here to read the story of Willie Hendrickson, a cowboy at the Beckwith Ranch in the late 1890's.

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Set against the dramatic sweep of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Beckwith Ranch stands as a picturesque emblem of the Wet Mountain Valley’s rich ranching heritage. With its distinctive red roofs and white clapboard siding, the ranch has long captivated artists, travelers, and history enthusiasts alike.

The Beckwith mansion sat abandoned for nearly 15 years—from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s—its future uncertain. Proposals ranged from allowing the fire department to burn it down as a training exercise to letting the building continue to deteriorate and collapse. Ultimately, the decision was made to save it—a monumental effort spanning a decade and continuing today.

Restoration work included and continues each year required of a heritage site with stabilizing and repairing outbuildings, acquiring period furnishings, reconstructing lost structures, and conducting ongoing historical research not only on Beckwith Ranch but also on the many ranches from the 1860s through the early 20th century that shaped the region’s cattle and mining history.

The Friends of Beckwith Ranch, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded on February 10, 1997, by the Seeger Family and their close friend Linda Kaufman. Its mission is to preserve this historic landmark by restoring and maintaining the Beckwith Ranch house and its associated buildings while honoring the ranching traditions of the Wet Mountain Valley and supporting educational programs that share the history of the Beckwith family and ranching as a way of life.

The ranch complex includes the original Beckwith mansion, a bunkhouse, two pegged barns, two guesthouses, a tack building, a blacksmith shop, a two hole outhouse, and the old ice house. Below are photographs showing the condition of these buildings before restoration began.

Beckwith Ranch stands today as a testament to the people who believed this historic homestead still had stories worth telling. Restored with care and guided by a deep respect for its Wild West and Victorian roots, the ranch welcomes visitors to step into a living piece of Wet Mountain Valley history.

From June through October, our doors open wide for guided tours, inviting guests to wander the rooms and grounds that once shaped the rhythm of ranch life. During the winter months, we continue to share the ranch’s legacy through private tours and seasonal gatherings that bring the community together — from festive holiday traditions to spirited Victorian themed events. Whether you join us for a tour, attend one of our celebrations, or choose the ranch as the backdrop for your wedding or family gathering, your presence helps keep this landmark alive. Every visit supports the ongoing preservation of a place that has stood watch over the valley for generations.

One of the amazing feats to begin the restoration of the house was to lift the house up 6 feet to remove the rotted wood beams and replace them will steel beams. All the electrical and plumbing from the early 1900’s had to be replaced. The insulation of the day was old newspaper and had to be removed from the walls and replaced with fire resistant material. The original log cabin the Beckwith brothers moved to the ranch from a German colony to the south of Beckwith was found and is still visible today in the parlor. One of the most interesting aspects of the restoration was the discovery of the many layers of wall coverings, from wallpaper, wood panels, and a tapestry in the dining room. There were seven layers of wall covering.

The ranch today is the fulfillment of a dream by those who knew the ole girl still had a place in Wet Mountain history and deserved to be rescued. The house and property are open for guided tours (June – October, Wednesday through Sunday, 11am-4pm. The gift shop is also open June through October. During our off season (November – May) we are happy to give private tours. Please email us at: friendsofbeckwithranch@gmail.com to schedule. During November through May we have many events you might want to attend, such as the Christmas Gift Show, the Victorian Decorating Contest, and a Murder Mystery. Please go to our Events page for dates and times.

Summer events (June – October), we also have several events for your entertainment. These events are listed on our Events page.

The Beckwith Ranch is also available for Weddings, Family Events, Game Nights, Club Events, to name a few. Please go to the Wedding & Venue section or email us at friendsofbeckwithranch@gmail.com to obtain more information.

The Beckwith Ranch has many future restoration projects to be completed, such as the rebuilding of the water tower, the gazebo and Edwin’s home.

As with any volunteer enterprise, the fulfillment of these goals depends on obtaining the necessary funding. The Friends of Beckwith Ranch organization has received support in the form of grants from the Colorado Historical Society and the Frontier Pathway, a National Scenic Byway. Additional support has come from the Elder Hostel organization, the Fremont-Custer Historical Society, the El Pueblo Museum in Pueblo, Colorado, Paul and Phyllis Seeger, the Custer County Tourism Board, the Spirit Campaign and many generous Beckwith board members and individuals we give you our sincerest thanks.

If you're passionate about preserving Colorado's rich ranching heritage, we invite you to get involved. Reach out to us for details on how you can contribute as a donor or volunteer. Together, we can ensure that the romantic history of Colorado's ranching legacy continues to thrive for generations to come. There are many ways to donate including a Legacy Gift. We are available to assist you in setting up your gifts to the Beckwith Historic Ranch.

The two photos of the house after restoration are just two of many that show the dramatic change. Restoration also included the two guest’s houses, barns, sheds and a bunkhouse.

Friends of Beckwith Ranch, Incorporated (FBR)

The Beckwith Ranch (Waverly House) is the most historically significant site in Custer County. The original structure was built of logs circa 1869. It is one of the most photographed locations in Colorado and stands as a testament to the era and the Valley’s ranching roots.

Through philanthropic donations and community member contributions and volunteerism as well as gifts in kind, we have been able to restore The Beckwith Ranch (Waverly House) to its original glory and maintain its exceptional history with educational tours and events.

The proceeds from tours and events are used to benefit the needs of maintaining the Beckwith Ranch. Future events will allow perpetual nonprofit support (tours, school field trips, weddings, meetings, family reunions, banquets, Bar Mitzvahs, workshops, clubs, photography & videography sessions, etc.) This will further enable us to have a significant impact on our community and for us to drive tourism and offer more opportunities to enhance the local economy.

We are also preparing to launch several educational initiatives designed to enrich the lives of school age children in Westcliffe and deepen visitors’ understanding of the Valley’s history. These programs will strengthen local learning while adding meaningful, story driven experiences for those who travel to the Wet Mountain Valley.

The continued support of our community, volunteers, donors, visitors and friends allows us to preserve, restore, and share the significance of this historic ranch and mansion.

To everyone who has stood beside The Friends of Beckwith Ranch, LLC, 501(c)(3), we offer our heartfelt thanks. Your generosity keeps the legacy alive.