{"id":43054,"date":"2021-12-23T00:28:58","date_gmt":"2021-12-23T07:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/owner-of-bauer-house-reflects-on-past-27-years-as-historic-home-is-listed-for-sale\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T03:11:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T09:11:23","slug":"owner-of-bauer-house-reflects-on-past-27-years-as-historic-home-is-listed-for-sale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/owner-of-bauer-house-reflects-on-past-27-years-as-historic-home-is-listed-for-sale\/","title":{"rendered":"Owner of Bauer House reflects on past 27 years as historic home is listed for sale"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The
The Bauer House enjoys a sprinkling of snow.<\/span>Kala Parkinson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

A step into the Bauer House is a journey back in time.<\/p>\n

Current owner Bobbi Black hopes the historic manor lives on this way.<\/p>\n

The landmark mansion has become a distinguished and esteemed emblem of antiquity and culture in Southwest Colorado. Situated on Mancos\u2019 Bauer Avenue, the 3,117-square-foot home dips beneath the shadow of the San Juan Mountains, with visible Mesa Verde National Park and its preserved cliff dwellings in the near western distance.<\/p>\n

But Black, 86, is ready to bestow the keys upon a new owner.<\/p>\n

The 131-year-old property was listed for sale this summer, after appearing on and off the market since 2013. It\u2019s taken on many identities through the decades, debuting as a residence, then as a hospital, hotel, bed-and-breakfast, antique shop, museum and, simply, a social gathering space.<\/p>\n

Origins of the estate<\/div>\n

George Conrad Bauer, an immigrant from what was then Prussia, traveled to Del Norte, Colorado, before landing in Mancos, where he built many of the first buildings, donated land for schools and served as mayor.<\/p>\n

He constructed the Bauer House between 1889 and 1890.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe really was the chief citizen in that period of time, because he was involved in everything having to do with the development of the Mancos community,\u201d said Linda Simmons, president of the Mancos Valley Historical Society.<\/p>\n

\"George
George Bauer and his wife, Augusta, who was ambitious in her own right. She spoke three languages and continued to manage some of Bauer\u2019s business affairs after his death.<\/span>Kala Parkinson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Black also offered background about Bauer, having read a book by his great-grandson, Bill Bauer, and sifted through newspaper articles, and bank checks and logs to piece together his story.<\/p>\n

When he moved West from Del Norte, he traveled by mule, Black said.<\/p>\n

Bauer was a stonemason in Germany, and his buildings are in more than just Mancos, she said \u2013 they\u2019re also in other Colorado towns such as Telluride and Lake City.<\/p>\n

Interactive timeline<\/div>\n\n
The Bauer House under Black<\/div>\n

Black enjoys people.<\/p>\n

She worked as a private hostess for the National Football League for 10 years, coordinating Super Bowl events for then-commissioner Pete Rozelle and his wife.<\/p>\n

She sailed the air as a stewardess for United Airlines and for 14 years managed her own store in California \u2013 \u201cBobbi\u2019s Doors and Decor\u201c \u2013 which helped embellish the renovated Bauer House.<\/p>\n

\u201cI experienced a lot of individuals in my lifetime,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She had always dreamed of running a bread-and-breakfast, though. But California was too expensive.<\/p>\n

She moved to Mancos in January 1994.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was quite a change from the water to the mountains,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was a wonderful, beautiful move.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diane Wildfang, a previous owner of the Leland House and Rochester Hotel in Durango, hailed from Manhattan Beach, California \u2013 just like Black.<\/p>\n

Along with two other women, they went on a San Juan loop trip.<\/p>\n

On the last leg of the road excursion, descending from Telluride about 5 a.m., Wildfang, driving, didn\u2019t turn east to return to Durango.<\/p>\n

She pulled into the parking lot next to the Bauer House.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee that?\u201d Wildfang asked Black. \u201cIt\u2019s got your name written all over it.\u201d<\/p>\n

From that point, Black couldn\u2019t stop thinking about the Bauer House.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat hit me really was the architecture of that building, and all I did was look around from the outside, didn\u2019t go in,\u201d Black said.<\/p>\n

The previous owner told her the home was equipped with a new roof, plumbing and electrical.<\/p>\n

But Black, whose adopted engineer father showed her the ropes of construction, could see that the roof was flapping, rust poured from water faucets, and there wasn\u2019t any new electrical.<\/p>\n

Her third offer on the house was accepted when she offered to pay in cash.<\/p>\n

There was one problem: She didn\u2019t have the money.<\/p>\n

Four of her friends chipped in with loans, and the rest is history.<\/p>\n

Black embarked on a year\u2019s worth of renovations.<\/p>\n

There were 16 layers of wallpaper in first floor dining room. Appliances were withering, cabinets were loose, piping was disconnected, and the porch was rotting. Those were just some of the issues Black addressed in her restoration, aided by a state historical grant. One installment, the fire escape stemming from the third floor, was considered a structural change, and restricted the Bauer House from the National Register of Historic Places, Black said.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Bauer House is listed on the State Register of Historic Properties.<\/span>Kala Parkinson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

At 12:20 a.m. one night during the renovations, Black was sleeping on a cot downstairs. There was a loud crash, and she went to quietly investigate.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh no. George Bauer is the ghost in this house,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

On that instance, a wall sink had fallen to the floor, but that didn\u2019t stop Black and guests from speculating about the presence of spirits whenever there was an unusual noise.<\/p>\n

In July 1994, she had her first guest \u2013 a football coach for the then-Oakland Raiders and the Los Angeles Rams.<\/p>\n

In 2000, Black built the carriage house adjacent to the landmark building. The 1,200-square-foot guesthouse mimics the architecture of the Bauer House and is equipped with a garage, two bedrooms, a living space, kitchen and bathroom.<\/p>\n

\"A
A bedroom in the carriage house adjacent to the Bauer House.<\/span>Kala Parkinson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Black ran the bed-and-breakfast until 2009, when she injured her right ankle and could no longer navigate the stairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo now I\u2019m poor \u2013 only in dollars, not in spirit,\u201d she laughed.<\/p>\n

Black is never without work though. She is known by many for her immersion in the community, particularly Medicine Horse Center for assisted therapy. Black organized Mancos\u2019 Hot Air Balloon festival from 2004 to 2016, and she\u2019s still involved in philanthropy in Phoenix.<\/p>\n

\"Bobbi
Bobbi Black, pictured during her renovations to the Bauer House.<\/span>Kala Parkinson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The porch and surrounding terrace were often buzzing with guests \u2014 for Fourth of July parties, weddings, anniversaries, and Easter egg hunts for children.<\/p>\n

\"Pictured
Pictured here, Sweetwater Station, a Mancos folk band, performs on the porch during the one of the Bauer House Fourth of July celebrations.<\/span>du1-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Black wants to stay involved in Mancos, and is hopeful that she\u2019ll be able to stay with friends when visiting.<\/p>\n

The Journal <\/em>asked Black if reflecting on all of her life experiences made her emotional.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it doesn\u2019t,\u201d she said. \u201cIt makes me smile.\u201d<\/p>\n

She never had a dissatisfied bed-and-breakfast guest, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just unbelievable experiences, and I\u2019ve got a lot of those people that are my friends to this day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The home<\/div>\n

Striking brick, flecked with emerald-green trimmings, local sandstone, hand-hewn cornerstones and curved arches dancing above windows coalesce to form the Italianate Victorian design of the Bauer House.<\/p>\n

Beyond the distinct exterior, the home is surprisingly well illuminated for a building whose roots lie in the nineteenth century.<\/p>\n

Each door on the first floor features etched and beveled glass, and the oval slab of glass in the entryway door is original.<\/p>\n

Light floods the plush arrays of space, which are outfitted with antiques and many of the home\u2019s original fixtures.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For instance, in the kitchen, an original, heavy pine door with a wide glass panel swings between the commercially licensed kitchen and dining area \u2013 which were part of a later expansion.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Bauer designed that new wing to include a maid\u2019s quarters branching from the dining room.<\/p>\n

Original hardwood flooring also runs in the home, and bronzed vintage radiators sing of a century gone by.<\/p>\n

A classic Kohler iron porcelain sink, which at one point was nearly impossible to extract from upstairs, now resides downstairs in a bathroom lined with book-themed wallpaper.<\/p>\n

The first-floor bedroom is doused in shades of gold. Long, velvet mustard curtains drape from near-ceiling to floor. Upstairs, Black curated what she refers to as the \u201cChina room\u201d decorated with shades of blue and porcelain ornaments, which is adjacent to the \u201cBrass room,\u201d named for its brass accents against pale pink walls. On the same floor is the \u201cWicker Room.\u201d Every bedroom has a bathroom, and the second-floor bedrooms even have original standalone antique toilets for show.<\/p>\n

\"The
The third-floor penthouse.<\/span>Kala Parkinson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Ascending the dwelling\u2019s uppermost staircase, one arrives in the third-floor penthouse, converted into a living space around 1944, when Ansel Hall, a National Park Service pioneer and owner of Mesa Verde concessions, bought the property.<\/p>\n

The \u201cCowboy Penthouse\u201d feels reminiscent of a log cabin, with rich wood beams offering comfort among the contrast of the now snow-capped peaks soaring just beyond the window panes.<\/p>\n

\"The
The \u201cCowboy Penthouse\u201d is decorated with furniture exuding Western flair and overlooks the peaks of the La Plata Mountains.<\/span>Kala Parkinson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Black coyly displayed her sense of humor in some of the renovations of the house.<\/p>\n

Next to the third-floor kitchenette, what was once a shower was modified into a closet. The original shower head proudly peeks out from the added storage shelves.<\/p>\n

Rather remarkably, \u201cthere\u2019s been long periods of ownership,\u201d said Realtor Sara Staber.<\/p>\n

Staber hasn\u2019t taken the historic nature of the property lightly, educating herself on its origins and enveloping her shoes in protective coverings when visiting.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got to love it to represent it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The Bauer House will attract a unique customer, she said \u2013 one who perhaps balances a business interest with an desire for consumer cooperation.<\/p>\n

Black has dedicated much thought to the future of the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only only thing I can say is it would break my heart if anybody said, \u2018Oh, we\u2019re going to tear this down,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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