Interestingly enough, the Historic Boettcher Mansion was not named after the family who originally built this magnificent home. The Historic Boettcher Mansion was in fact the dream of Walter Cheesman (for whom nearby Cheesman Park was named) and his teenage daughter Gladys. Together, father and daughter designed the beautiful mansion. In 1907, when construction of the Historic Boettcher Mansion was to begin, Walter Cheesman died. Gladys and her mother, Alice, continued on with the construction of the Historic Boettcher Mansion located at 400 E 8th Avenue. When completed, the three story Historic Boettcher Mansion became the talk of Denver's High Society and featured two story Roman Ionic Pillars on the western portico, a gorgeous widow's walk and arched windows.
Soon after the Historic Boettcher Mansion was completed in 1908, young Gladys married John Evans, the grandson of the second governor of the Colorado territory. The couple lived at the Historic Boettcher Mansion with Gladys's mother for several years.
In 1923, Mrs. Cheesman died. With Gladys and John Evans already living in their own home, the Historic Boettcher Mansion was sold. It was purchased by Claude Boettcher, a prominent Denver
businessman, who being a romantic sort, presented the Historic Boettcher Mansion to his wife Edna in 1924 as a Valentine's Day gift. During their "reign", the Boettcher's added many unique items from their world travels. One of those items was a Crystal Waterford chandelier that had previously been installed in the White House in 1876 when Colorado was first admitted to the Union.
During the period that the Boettcher's owned the Historic Boettcher Mansion, they hosted many prominent guests including Charles Lindbergh (for whom one bedroom was named Charlie's Room) and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
In 1957, Claude Boettcher died. His wife Edna passed just one year later. The Historic Boettcher Mansion was bequeathed to a private family foundation. Mrs. Boettcher had requested that the Historic Boettcher Mansion be donated to the State of Colorado to be used as the Governors' Residence. In 1959, then Govenor Stephen McNichols accepted the Historic Boettcher Mansion on behalf of the state.
In 2003, then Govenor Bill Owens signed an executive order renaming the Historic Boettcher Mansion the "Govenors Residence at the Boettcher Mansion".
In 2010, the second and third floors of the Historic Boettcher Mansion serve as the private residence of Colorado's first family, Govenor Bill Ritter, his wife Jeanne and their family. The public is welcome to tour the Historic Boettcher Mansion on Tuesdays between 1:00pm and 3:00pm. There is no cost for these tours. The Historic Boettcher Mansion was added to the National Historic Register of Historic Places in December of 1969
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