You make the reservation, we'll supply the facility and romance.
A brief history of 813 Macon Avenue
1908 Student Housing
1889, William McClure, a successful businessman in the community has plans drawn (1st formal plans submitted to the city for a residence,)submitting same to the city to build a home for his wife, Elizabeth and their ten children. Elizabeth and two children die prior to completion of the house, William remarries, moves in with new wife, eight children.
1908, Structure becomes the housing for students of Dodd’s College, which was located in the five hundred block of main street in downtown Cañon City, (picture to the left shows students.)
1937 Rooming House
1937, structure returns to single family residence use for a family until the husband dies and the mother, daughter decide to turn it into arooming house.Second floor increased in size by adding rooms over the front porch and windows removed for doorways.Mother becomes highly active in the Methodist Church, first floor used for many faith based activities, daughter moves to Washington, D.C.
1960-90’s, home used as primary residence, apartments, falling into disrepair and finally bankruptcy in the late 1990’s.
2001 Bank Repo.
2001, structure found on the internet by Linda Ballard, Westminster, CO., as she was searching for a Victorian home to turn into a Tea House.Linda and herhusband Al had been on a year long search to find a structure within two hours of metropolitan Denver, so they could remain close to their children and seven grandchildren.Negotiations, offers, rejections, until a closing on 12/23/01.
2002, Ballards moved into structure, updated carriage house, move Al’s mother, Ethel, into carriage house.Thanksgiving evening, 10:30 p.m. the Ballards were awaken by their dog, Cowboy, to an electrical fire on the second floor, resulting in the back of the house being burned off.The fire damage was repaired during the remainder of 2002, early 2003, resulting in the updating of the other floors, as Tea rooms being postponed.
2007-2009 "Queen Anne"
2003 to December 10, 2007, worked continued on the updating of the house and the Tea rooms with the addition of a 1,000 square foot, wrap around Veranda, ADA ramp, Landscaping.Completion of thenecessary health department licensing, inspections, city inspections of ADA bathrooms, with the Tea rooms opening prior to Christmas, 2007.
2008, 09, the Queen Anne Tea House has served over two thousandcustomers since opening; hosted Anniversaries, Birthdays, Special Events, Weddings;participated in Open House projects of WesternHeritage Days, other community events and Fund Raisers since opening.
