Built on Arapahoe and Ute Indian hunting grounds, the Brook Forest Inn has almost 100 years of history. In 1909 the Westerfields filed a homestead claim on 350 acres where they built a small cabin that is now the main portion of our lounge and parlor rooms. Sometime in 1911 the Westerfields abandoned the homestead and left the area.

Then in 1913 Edwin F. Welz, of Vienna, Austria, and his wife Riggi of Switzerland, heard about the abandoned homestead that was available. Upon inspection of the property they found the original cabin with a board nailed onto it that read “Brook Forest”. Reminiscent of their homeland in the Alps, they decided to settle on the land.

After renovating the old cabin, building some additional structures, planting crops and landscaping the grounds, they opened the Brook Forest Inn in 1919. The Inn boasted every luxury for the times including running water, baths, electricity and could accommodate up to 130 people. Some catered parties were upwards of 400 people. The Swiss cottage was completed in 1923 and an addition of the dining room annex was added to the main building with two stories above it in 1927. By 1935 the Welz’ had built several guest cottages, a stable and swimming pool. In 1937 construction was completed on a magnificent medieval turret of white and rose quartz that still stands across the street and is commonly known as the “Bell Tower House”.

Open seasonally May through October, rooms started at $5.00 per night. The Inn was well known for its horseback trips to Mount Evans, double tennis courts, swimming pool, livery stable, croquet grounds, horseshoe court and recreational hall. Unfortunately, almost all of these features are a part of the past as pieces of the 350 acres were sold off.

Mr. Welz was instrumental in getting the Forest Service to put the very first trail to Mount Evans. The original trail can still be taken to Mount Evans if you know your way around private property boundaries. It begins at lower Maxwell Falls, goes through upper Maxwell Falls, continues on through Cub Creek Trail and on from there. Mr. Welz was also named the Postmaster in 1921 for Brook Forest, Colorado. He and the Inn were the main postal carrier route for the entire area until 1931.

The Welz’ owned and operated the Inn until 1946 when they sold it. Since then several people have owned and operated the property as an Inn and/or restaurant. In 1996, Rubel & Betty Atencio purchased the Inn and converted it from a tenement to a fully functional country Inn. In 2000 the Atencio’s sold it to a computer training school that closed the Inn to the public. Unfortunately due to 9/11, the computer training school went under and the Inn reverted back to Rubel & Betty Atencio in 2003. For a short time the Atencio’s leased the Inn to Gene Accetta who opened Isabellas. After unsuccessfully trying to sell the property over the past few years, the Atencio’s decided that the property should remain in the family. On August 26, 2006 daughter Sheri Atencio-Church and her husband Daniel took over management of the Brook Forest Inn and began implementing their plans to bring the Inn back to an open every day country inn establishment with a full-line, high quality restaurant and spa facility.

The Brook Forest Inn is a true mix of history, legend and folklore. The following represents possible haunts at the Inn:

• The Welz’ had a son born on June 11, 1911 who passed away on March 25, 1922 at ten years old of pneumonia.
• There is a story of a small child who passed away on the 3rd floor of the Inn possibly of influenza. He is said to roam the 3rd floor knocking on doors and running up and down the hallways.
• Carl, the stable hand was rumored to have strangled his significant other, the chamber maid, in the Ambassador Suite. Legend then states that Carl tried to hang himself in the Baby Doe but was unsuccessful. He did however find a suitable spot in the lower level of the Inn to hand himself out of remorse for his actions.
• A full apparition of a woman has been seen outside the Ambassador Suite on the balcony. Neighbors have seen people walking on the 2nd floor in the 2 rooms that face the street as well as walking on the balcony – when the Inn was empty.
• Betty Atencio tells a tale of guests staying on the 3rd floor alone. One morning when they were leaving their room to come down for breakfast they were confronted by a man that was very pale and who said nothing but stood in their way. When the guests finally came down and reported the rude intruder, the Inn manager reported that no one else was in the building. Later that evening when the guests visited the Brook Sports bar downstairs, they recognized the stranger in a picture hung by the bar. Ironically though, the person in the picture was a previous employee of the Inn who had been dead for a few years.
• Finally, the oldest tale told is one of Jesse James and his supposed visit to the Brook Forest area in 1876 after the Northfield, Minnesota Bank robbery to bury the loot for safekeeping.

The Brook Forest Inn has a very rich and colorful history that has invited all types of people to its doors for many years. We hope you find your visit to the Brook Forest Inn as enchanting as its history.

Paranormal History

Photo Credits:
The original founders of the Brook Forest Inn were Edwin & Marie Welz. (Shown far left) Marie Welz is the great Aunt of Richard Jenny and Ariane Meyer, who graciously provided us with copies of their Great Aunt's photographs.

Thank you Richard and Ariane!