06/04/2026
Truly one of the most iconic places.
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Empire, The Peck House. Photos taken in 1901 and 2014.
Built in 1862 by James and Mary Grace Parsons Peck, the Peck House in Empire, Colorado, was the state's oldest operating inn. Originally a family home for the mining magnate known as the "Emperor of Empire," it quickly expanded to host stagecoach travelers, investors, and notable figures like Ulysses S. Grant and P.T. Barnum.
James Peck arrived from Chicago in 1860 to strike gold. His wife, Mary Grace, joined him in 1862 by oxcart and quickly turned their home into an inn to feed and house mining investors.
After James died in 1880, Mary and her son expanded the house significantly. They added a billiard room, a library, and a wrap-around veranda that offered sweeping views of the mountains. It was the first building in Empire to get electricity and a telephone.
The Peck family retained ownership of the property until the death of James's grandson around 1945. In 1956, Louise Harrison and Margaret Collbran (granddaughters of Adolph Coors) purchased the dilapidated inn. They restored the property, installing modern plumbing and central heating, and reopened it as "Hotel Splendide" to emulate a small European hotel.
After decades of serving guests, the inn's final operators retired, and the Peck House closed its doors to the public in the spring of 2014. Today, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Source: Google AI overview)
Original photo provided courtesy Denver Public Library Digital Collection
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