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Saturday Sept. 16th | 10 am - 4 pm
Preview 2017 tour properties
Featured Tour Home
Eco-friendly modern home built to match historic style

On the tour, you'll see:
  • Custom features maximized for efficiency and water conservation
  • In-home heating throughout with individual thermostats in each room
  • Craftsman style moldings on doorways and built-ins
  • Front porch made from reclaimed beetle-kill pine
  • Edible herb gardens in the front yard
  • Back yard built for entertainment with pizza oven, tree house, and gardens


The Carlson home was newly built in 2008 and represents the spirit of Old Town in its comfortable, country-style ethic and Rocky Mountain appeal. With a new kitchen and interior details that range from contemporary to craftsman-era integrity, the home is now a four-bedroom, four-bath structure with flex spaces and unique design elements.

This custom home is built to maximize efficiency and water conservation. Inside, the windows predominantly face south to complement in-floor heating throughout, with individual thermostats in each room. An attic fan disperses the summer heat. There are small sinks for efficiency, and ample built-in storage. The designer incorporated efficiency with classic elements, such as framing built-ins and doorways with craftsman style moldings to augment this beautiful home.

The front porch is made from reclaimed beetle-kill pine. The front yard introduces a bit of Rocky Mountain wilderness into an Old Town urban setting. The exterior landscape and edible herb gardens are the work of the current owners.

The back deck and patio include areas for dining, entertaining and gardening. The backyard features a personalized patio with a handcrafted pizza oven, tree house and distinctive gardens. While the house itself is not historic – built in 2008 – this home is located in a very historic part of Fort Collins, and has cleverly incorporated some traditional elements to complement its environmentally-friendly features.

History of the location
Smith Street is named after the original post surgeon at the early fort, Dr. Timothy M. Smith. Dr. Smith stayed on in the small town when the fort was decommissioned and dismantled in 1867, and was an important contributor to the town’s establishment, not only as a physician, but later as county treasurer in 1872. Building permits suggest a house has been on this site since 1921.

Scroll down to read about other tour stops
Craftsman, Queen Anne, Folk Victorian, oh my!
1890 Queen Anne Cottage with recent renovations & historic roots
The first owner of this 1890 home was Aaron Kitchel, a Mayflower descendant and Civil War veteran who later served as a  Larimer County  Commissioner. The current owners bought the house in 2013 and took the interior down to the studs. They redesigned the house with tall baseboards, crown molding, and new wood floors. They added period touches like the marblebrick fireplace, subway tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms, and furnished the house with family and found antiques.
Craftsman cottage, 1920
This sweet, compact house was built with simplicity and practicality. It is a side-gabled house with a shed dormer. It sits on a small lot created from the larger lots facing Mountain Avenue and Oak Street. This house is an excellent example of how a very small property can become a beautiful, efficient modern home.
1905 Folk Victorian home renovated to double square-footage
This home was originally built in 1905 as a 1,500-square-foot three-bedroom house with no bathrooms, even though Fort Collins had city water available. It has a pitched roof and cross gable with returns. The owners took on a challenge: how do you double the square footage while maintaining the historic appeal?

We'll give you a hint: The lot is over 9,000 square feet, so one part of the expansion was building a carriage house. Because of building codes, they had to connect the two structures with a bridge. See it for yourself on Sept. 16th!
Farm property on Overland Trail with vintage equipment on display
This property is unique to the Historic Homes Tour – in 1905, this property was on 55 acres including pasture, crops and apple orchard. When it was first sold in 1905, it even included shares in the North Poudre Irrigation Company to irrigate the land. At that time, the residents (Farrell family) took a buggy or sleigh ride 4½ miles to town for supplies to run their farm, including coal to feed the brick furnace housed in the basement. The old coal chute and staircase to the basement furnace still remain.

978-square-foot Folk National home built in 1908
This home was originally built in 1908, so it's been around for 109 years! 😲
The Meyers have painstakingly worked to preserve its historic character while adapting it to meet the needs of a modern family. It was 978-square-foot, 2 bedroom home when they purchased it. Want to see how they restored the home, updated the kitchen, and added a master suite? Reserve your tickets for the tour now.
Before the Tour: Presentation & Discussion
Presentation & Discussion:
Wednesday, Sept. 13 | 7 - 8:30 PM
Coloradoan Community Room
Tickets: $10
Upcoming Events
2005 Overland Trail, Fort Collins
  • Saturday, Sept. 16 10-4 PM
  • Saturday, Oct. 14 10-3 PM

The Water Works is a stop on the Historic Homes Tour. If you're not taking part in the Historic Homes Tour, you can still tour the Water Works free (donations appreciated.)

Avery House Open for Tours
328 W. Mountain Avenue, Fort Collins
Saturdays & Sundays, 1 - 4 PM

Join us at the Avery House for docent-led tours to learn about this historic home and the family who lived in it. Free, donations appreciated.

970-221-0533 | 108 N. Meldrum Street Fort Collins, CO | [email protected]
Board Members:
 Thom Tisthammer, President | Jennifer Kutzik, Secretary | Tom Boardman, Vice President | Cheryl Donaldson | Lynda Lloyd | Kimberly Miller | Pat Nelson | Jacques Rieux | Dick Spiess | Robin Stitzel 

Staff
Jennifer Beccard, Exec. Director | Alison Sale, Communications Specialist