McAllister House Museum

Lightning – the gift that keeps on giving….

Treasurer — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:32:48 +0000

Looks as though the automatic sprinkler system also was fried when the lightning hit. Our first clue was how dry and brown the grass has gotten in the last week.

Cinnamon Tea

Treasurer — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 21:01:00 +0000

Lightning Strike

Treasurer — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:58:12 +0000

On Saturday, July 9, 2011 very shortly after the museum closed, lightning hit the metal rod on the roof bracing the chimney and spread through the house and into the carriage house. It took out the Internet and Security Systems as well as blew four small holes in the ceiling of the children’s bedroom. Neighbors tell us the sound of the explosion had their homes shaking and car alarms were going off all around. We are still assessing the damage, have repaired the security system, had the fire department out several times to insure the safety of the museum and are working on getting the computer and Internet back up and running. We also we will conducting a fund drive as we carry a high deductible and this clearly was not in the budget for this year. We are looking into a lightning rod system despite its lack of historical accuracy. The McAllisters didn’t have gutters either and yet they are clearly necessary for the good of the House!

In an ironic turn, the chairman and treasurer of McAllister House began a seminar the end of June on Disaster Preparedness and are in the process of updating our disaster plan. The lightning and loss of communication we suffered on Saturday demonstrated how important this plan is. Unfortunately we don’t complete the seminar until the end of July. But we now have hard evidence of how necessary it is.

Pictures from this year’s Ice Cream Social/Anniversary Celebration

Treasurer — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:03:46 +0000

2011 Ice Cream Social and 50th Anniversary Party

Treasurer — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 23:58:34 +0000

http://www.gazette.com/articles/boarding-120418-stratton-living.html

See the article in the Gazette about our Ice Cream Social on June 25th. Hopefully you were there but if not, there will be another one next year, although not the 50th Anniversary Party!

Garden Clubs Help McAllister with new Drip System!!

Treasurer — Tue, 10 May 2011 21:49:35 +0000

Thanks to a grant from the Kissing Camels Garden Club for all the material and thanks to labor provided by the After Hours Garden Club, McAllister House Museum is getting a drip system for its new plantings furnished last year by the After Hours Garden Club, its herb garden planted and maintained by the Front Range Herb Society and to plantings that have been around the museum for years. Here are some pictures of the volunteer labor done by the After Hours Garden Club on May 7, 2011.

National Trust for Historic Preservation lists Colorado Springs as a 2011 Distinctive Destination

Treasurer — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 18:44:20 +0000

Colorado Springs has been selected as a 2011 Distinctive Destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “This award recognizes our dynamic heritage, cultural diversity and strong commitment to historic preservation.” To ensure that our community is designated the MOST DISTINCTIVE DESTINATION please vote early and often for Colorado Springs on the website of the National Trust through March 15th. http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/travel/dozen-distinctive-destinations/vote/

CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING RECEPTION

Treasurer — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 23:14:17 +0000

On December 14, 2010, the Trustees of El Pomar Foundations hosted McAllister House Museum at the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Reception at Penrose House. Over 100 guests were treated to this gala event at the beautifully decorated former home of Spencer and Julie Penrose and watched in amazement as the giant tree lit up with thousands of sparkling blue lights. El Pomar presented The National Society of The Colonial Dames in the State of Colorado with a check for $10,000 to support the operating expenses of our lovely museum. In modest return, the McAllister House Committee presented each of the El Pomar Trustees with the first copies of our new publication, McAllister House Museum, Built 1873, Treasured Memories of 50 Years as a Museum.

Our deepest thanks to El Pomar Foundation for their generous and continued support. It was El Pomar Foundation who 50 years ago granted the Colonial Dames sufficient funds to restore McAllister House to its original Victorian look, allowing us to open it as a museum in June 1961.

Paranormal Investigation of the Museum!

Treasurer — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:21:41 +0000

We have the report from The Night Team Paranormal Project Investigation of McAllister House done on July 9, 2010. Stationary infrared cameras were placed in the parlor, library and each of the bedrooms. Digital audio records were with the investigators and one was left running in the children’s bedroom to conduct EVP sessions. EVP stands for electronic voice phenomena. As they explained it, this is when a voice or noise is picked up on audio recording that are not from anyone present and could not be heard by investigators at the time. Along with the EVP sessions they ran portable video cameras with night vision capabilities, monitored atmospheric conditions and also monitored the static cameras on their DVR system.

Nothing unusual was noted while the investigators were present but a recorder was left running in the children’s bedroom and the static cameras were left running all night long. Nothing that couldn’t be explained was caught on the cameras however there were some EVPs from the digital audio recorders.

At about 9:20 when the investigators said, “We don’t know a lot about you”, what sounds like a female voice whispers something like “Mary Anne” or “Here I am”. (There were two young Mary’s who lived in the house – Mary McAllister and a 12 year old, Mary Coon who helped around the house in 1900. One of the Committee members present the evening of the investigation was named Mary Anne)

In the wee hours of the morning a voice says “Hettie”. (A prized possession in the museum is a pair of dolls donated in 1961 named Hettie and Lettie)

And later in the morning a child’s voice is heard saying, “Mommy”. Later, “Mommy, tell them( or him) to stop…. Mommy.” There is distress in the child’s voice. (Anyone with children might recall a younger daughter calling for help when her older brother is teasing her. Could this be Harry giving Mary or Matilda a hard time?)

There were more sounds as well and The Night Team Paranormal Project will be posting the results on their website, http://www.thenightteam.com/index.html. We will also be having them return for further investigation.

Workshops and yard cleanup – Late October report

Treasurer — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 18:45:20 +0000

On Saturday, October 23, 2010 a workshop was held in our Carriage House to for those who might be interested in becoming members of The National Society of The Colonial Dames in the State of Colorado ( NSCDA in CO) The NSCDA in CO, a lineage society, owns McAllister House Museum as well as Hotel de Paris in Georgetown.

The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America actively promotes our national heritage through historic preservation, patriotic service and educational projects.

Please contact the museum and we’ll get you to the right people if you’re at all interested in becoming a member of the NSCDA in CO!

And, of course, it’s fall. Every July the Rampart Range Rotary spends a day cleaning and beautifying the yard as well as doing repair work on fences and tables and whatever is needed. But come October the leaves fall from the trees and it’s nigh on impossible to see the grass. A major leaf removal was done on 10/24 but there were still leaves hanging on those trees reminding us that this won’t be the end of it.