I have long been curious about the beautiful old Victorian house on the southwest corner of Walnut and Yampa, very near I-25 and Uintah, and across from Bristol Elementary.  It must have been a beautiful home at one time, but has long been in disrepair.  Can you tell me its history?  The large lot beside the house is surrounded by a sturdy rock wall, just high enough so one can’t see over it.  Does that belong to the house?

— Gloria Neuder

ANSWER: The property has an intriguing history dating back to the 1870s and J.E. Liller, brought here by Gen. William Palmer as editor of the city’s first newspaper Out West. In 1882 the owner was listed as John Finlay, who worked for Bloomington Nurseries. His Canadian-born wife was Martha. Also listed were John’s brother-in-law, J.D. Gillette, and his wife, Anna.

John Finlay died in 1883 while on a trip to Arizona for Bloomington Nurseries. His widow lived in the home in what was called “Finlay Orchard Addition,” until she died in 1912.  The property was renowned for its lush apple orchard and shade trees planted over the years by Gillette on the 4.2 acres. The home was regularly described as “dignified,” “beautiful” and part of a  “country estate” with an avenue of trees leading to the front door.

After Mrs. Finlay died, the records of who owned and lived there become tangled, with several different owners and occupants, some of whom may have been at the place at the same time.

J.D. Gillette lived there until his death, at age 95, in 1928. Raised in Illinois, Gillette had wonderful childhood memories of being “dangled on the knee” of  Abraham Lincoln as the future president told him stories and even some “ridiculous” tall tales.

In 1925 Gillette was saluted in Colorado Springs as the city’s oldest volunteer fireman.

Over the years the property’s house numbers included 522 and 526 Mesa Rd. and eventually 1065 Mesa Rd.

In 1909 it was purchased by Percy Hagerman, whose father, J.J., died that year. J.J. Hagerman was president of the Colorado Midland Railroad, owned mining properties, and a building at Colorado College was named for him. Son Percy ran his father’s businesses and was a  golfer, mountain climber who summited 40 of the 14,000-foot peaks and served as president of the Fine Arts Center.

Benn Brewer, president of Brewer Brick Co., and wife Marie, were listed in the city directory at 526 Mesa Rd. in 1913 through the 1920s.

Percy Hagerman, who had an art-filled home on Cascade Avenue for years, and his daughter, Elinor Llewellyn, resided at 526 Mesa in 1945. Percy died in 1950. Elinor “Gigi” Hagerman Llewellyn, described as an “environmental activist,” died in 1994 at a care center.

In a 1994 Gazette story, Elinor’s granddaughter Heather said Llewellyn had been angry with the city since 1956, when residents could no longer access free water from the El Paso Canal. City founder Gen. William Palmer had the 11-mile irrigation canal dug from Fountain Creek near Old Colorado City, across to the yards in the city’s exclusive north end to Evergreen Cemetery. In 1956 the city forced those  residents to pay metered water rates like everyone else.

Elinor apparently retaliated and refused to water her property, including the apple orchard, forever more. It became overgrown and a refuge for wildlife. It remains that way today and is still owned by the Llewellyn estate.

Nevada Avenue tunnel

I wonder if there is still a tunnel under Nevada Avenue leading to the old Lowell School?

— Berg

ANSWER: It was an underpass used by students at Lowell School and South Junior High School (where the Police Operations Center is today). There was a similar underpass beneath North Nevada Avenue for students at Steele School. In 1976 the underpasses were shut down after community pleas to close them off because “undesirables” were using the underpasses, making them dangerous for children.

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Send questions or answers to questions to linda.navarro@gazettedev.gazette.com.