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.

The Waverly Ranch (Beckwith Ranch) 1903. The picture above was taken by someone standing on the water tower around 1903. Notice that the gazebo and fountain are being put in.

When Elton and Elsie’s daughter Velma disgraced the family by eloping with a lowly assay clerk, they sold the Denver mansion and returned to Waverly and started extensive additions to restore their reputation.

Waverly Ranch Headquarters, 1901, Note the addition of a water tower, gazebo, and brother Edwin’s ranch house moved to Elton’s property in 1899 after Edwin’s death.

Set against the dramatic Sangre de Cristo Mountain range, the Beckwith ranch stands as a picturesque reminder of the valley’s ranching history. With its signature red roofs and white clapboard siding, the ranch has inspired artists, tourists and history buffs alike.

The Friends of Beckwith Ranch was founded on February 10, 1997 by Linda Kaufman, the first FBR Board of Directors President. It is a non-profit 501(c)(3) entity. The purpose of the corporation was to preserve an historic landmark in the Wet Mountain Valley by restoring and preserving the Beckwith Ranch house and associated buildings donated by Paul and Phyllis Seegers, to preserve the ranching heritage of the Wet Mountain Valley, and to foster and support educational programs concerning the history of the Beckwith Ranch and ranching as a way of life.

After sitting abandoned for almost 15 years and much discussion from burning it down to letting it just continue to fall apart the decision was made to rescue the old mansion. A feat that took 10 years and continues today with the continued restoration of the outer buildings, purchasing of period furnishings, rebuilding of lost buildings, and the never-ending historical research not only of the Beckwith ranch but of the many other ranches from the 1860’s into the 20th century that all played a part in the history of cattle ranching and gold/silver mining in the wet mountain valley.

The ranch complex, consists of the original Beckwith mansion, a bunkhouse, two pegged barns, two guest-houses, a tack building, a blacksmith building, a two-hole outhouse and the old ice house. Below are pictures of the conditions the buildings were in prior to their restoration.

Photo of the 2nd Story Before Restoration

Side View of House prior to Restoration. Small building to the left is an old guest house.

Photo of South Facing Porch Prior to Restoration

Photo of Portico Prior to Restoration

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.

Interior of House

The interior of the house at the time of restoration was in bad condition. Walls removed and reconstructed. But much remains of the original mansion. All efforts were made to keep the history intact. Below are a few photos from the start of the restoration.

Beckwith Ranch Today

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.

Entering the Front Door

Photo Wide View

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 also plan on commencing several proposed educational initiatives that will benefit tourism in the Valley.