McAllister House Museum

McAllister Display at Penrose Library

Treasurer — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 22:22:10 +0000

If you’re at the Penrose library at 20 North Cascade Ave in Colorado Springs during the month of February 2013, be sure to look at the display case showing the McAllister Family through four generations. Lovingly put together by our volunteers it shows the House and Family that the museum represents.

Cleaning and preparing

Kate VanderBoom, Mary Anne Sehorn and Tricia Guidry clean the shelves before arranging the display.

Arranging our Henry and his family on the middle shelf.

Kate and Mary Anne begin the laborious process of arranging the photos of The McAllister Family.

This is a lovely big display case

Mary Anne, Kate and Lydia Rasmussen continue adding family photos and McAllister treasures to the display.

The finished product

Do try to get by the library to view this exhibit and read all the fun facts that accompany the photos. Special thanks to our volunteers who pulled this all together, especially Kathleen VanderBoom.

Mountain High Tree Service Donation

Treasurer — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:17:21 +0000

Today brave men from Mountain High Tree Service came to McAllister and donated their time and talent to take down the dead branches and perilous limbs from the trees surrounding the museumCan you see the two men in the tree in the center?

Here’s a closer view of the south side of the yard with our noble tree trimmers.

And here’s a close up view of these brave men.

Many thanks to Mountain High Tree Service!

Christmas Tea at McAllister

Treasurer — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:25:54 +0000

Our last tea of 2012 was held on December 8, 2012. Pictures show the early preparation before our guests arrived. If you missed it, feel free to call the museum and get your reservation in for our Valentine’s Tea in February.

El Paso County Roofing Contractors Association to the rescue

Treasurer — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 12:42:34 +0000

In July 2009 the El Paso County Roofing Contractors Association (http://elpasoroofingassociation.com/) made a fantastic donation to McAllister House Museum by donating a new roof, material, labor and all for the Museum. Now, just 3 1/2 years later our Carriage House building with its aged roof is causing problems by leaking near the quilt cabinet. And the El Paso County Roofing Contractors Association has stepped up to the plate again and is donating materials and labor to replace the Carriage House Roof. The act of kindness and generosity will take place when all the supplies are gathered and weather cooperates. Thank you!!

A New Flag for McAllister House

Treasurer — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 19:19:22 +0000

Whenever the weather cooperates and the museum is open an American Flag is flown from the front porch. The flag used these last several years was faded and worn and becoming tattered. It also, amazingly, had 48 stars. This is historically inaccurate both for the opening of the museum (1961) or the time of Major Henry McAllister (a 37 star flag may be seen in the library) So Senator Mark Udall donated a 50 star flag to the Museum. This flag previously flew over our Capital Building in Washington D.C. During the Ice Cream Social a ceremony conducted by Scout Troop 101 removed the worn flag and installed our new one.

Preparing for the flag ceremony

And the Scouts are off for a ride downtown in a Model T Ford

EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT

Treasurer — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 14:47:47 +0000

Saturday, August 4, 2012 saw McAllister House filled with Scouts and friends and family as Tim Force of Troop 101 did an Eagle Scout project that benefited the Museum. With the help of Troop 504 they downed dead trees, stained picnic benches, repainted the flaking porch and redid all the trim on the Carriage House. This involved sanding and priming and painting and hours of work. Upon taking down a large dead tree in the front yard it was discovered it had been invaded by ants and hollowed out and most liked doomed to fall in the next heavy wind. A tree stump in the back yard was laboriously dug out. Paint was donated by Sherwin Williams and all this maintenance was done with absolutely no cost to the Museum! Thank you Tim and all his helpers for a job well done!

Note the hollows made by the ants

Broadmoor Garden Club Grant!

Treasurer — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:59:00 +0000

Thanks to a grant from the Broadmoor Garden Club and labor provided by the After Hours Garden Club and the Front Range Herb Society, we will be planting a multitude of perennials in the yard as well as adding some colorful annuals. Many thanks to these hardworking Garden Club members for their generosity! We look forward to the beauty of these flowers around our treasured house.

Repair to North Foundation Wall

Treasurer — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:32:01 +0000

With the help of Murphy Constructors, we began the repair of the cellar collapse and reinforcement of the North Foundation wall. Work had to be done when the air conditioner could be removed and before any spring rains. (There’s still hope for ’spring rains’ in Colorado Springs!) Murphy Constructors with their vast experience in historical construction brought in experienced crew and old field stone and completed the work in less than two weeks. We are still hoping to receive grant money to finish paying for this work but are delighted we have the building back in good repair!!

Cellar Repair – the need

Treasurer — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:09:00 +0000

The collapse of what was probably the old coal chute in McAllister’s cellar!

The cellar at McAllister House Museum is not open to the public but holds our furnace and is used for storage. Over the past few years the old coal chute which had been covered on the outside by a metal cover began to collapse, causing the plaster and wood lathe in the cellar to deteriorate and dirt to begin falling into the cellar. Much longer and we’d have had water intrusion. So we’ve been raising money and have applied for a grant from the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution to cover the costs of the repair.

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.