George Nettles, Denver CO – Posted April 20, 2012 by David Garber, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Ever dreamed of living in your own castle? With this Tudor Revival home on the market in Denver, that dream could become reality. That is, if you can cough up the $3,750,000 asking price. The home — more formally known as The Richthofen Castle — was completed in 1887 by the uncle and godfather of the WWI Prussian flying ace, Manfred von Richthofen (AKA The Red Baron).
A native of Prussia, original owner Baron Walter Von Richthofen modeled the castle after his ancestral home. He purchased 320 rural acres which he named “Montclair” (now home to the Denver neighborhood of Montclair), and had plans to develop his land into a health and recreational resort — but ended up parceling it out for development.
Some details to note are the coat of arms on the tower above the main entrance, and the sandstone bust of former German King Frederick Barbarossa on the northeast corner of the home.
The house consists of 35 rooms, including a drawing room, library, music alcove, servant’s quarters, butler’s pantry, billiards room, “Red Baron” bar (previously the coal room), eight bedrooms, and seven bathrooms, all fitted out with details like handcrafted woodwork, leaded glass, and hand-tooled leather wallpaper with gold inlays.
But no blog post on the Richthofen Castle would be complete without also acknowledging the home’s less-than-tidy history. In 1911, it was the scene of one of Denver’s most storied domestic killings. Mrs. Gertrude Patterson, the victim of an elaborate marriage hoax, shot her abusive husband twice in the back. The all-male jury accepted her plea of self-defense, noting the lack of chivalry her husband had displayed.
But regardless of its more unsavory history, this is a great opportunity to snatch up the home that the National Register called “the most remarkable residence in Denver.”
Note: As of 5/2/2012, this historic home is under contract.
Photos are copyright National Trust for Historic Preservation – Used with permission.
Original National Trust for Historic Preservation blog link
NOTE: There are many more treasured historic home listings at our historic, vintage home pages in LuxuryHomesInDenver.com.
*George Nettles is an Associate Broker with Brokers Guild Cherry Creek in Denver, CO. He is the founder of www.LuxuryHomesInDenver.com and Denver’s Luxury Home Team. He can be reached at 303-981-7282 or [email protected]
