Astor House

Client: Golden Landmarks Association

Site: Golden, Colorado

The Astor House was built in 1867 by Seth Lake in anticipation of the need for lodging by those coming to do business in the state capital, which Golden then served at. Originally called the Lake House, it was soon renamed after the famous New York institution. The Astor House served as a hotel or boarding house throughout its history, until 1971 when it was purchased by the Golden Downtown Improvement District and slated for demolition. A citizens’ group opposed the demolition and provided an alternative plan, which was accepted and led to this restoration project. The Collaborative, along with JVA Structural Engineers, were retained to complete an assessment of the Astor House and to oversee the restoration process. This all-encompassing project included masonry repair and repointing, repairs to wooden front and back porches, balcony, doors, and window restoration including hardware replacement, paint analysis, and a return to historic colors amongst other things. The Astor House is now a premier house museum in the city of Golden.