Brook Forest History

Built on Arapahoe and Ute Indian hunting grounds, the Brook Forest Inn has more than 90 years of history. According to research by Helen McQuad, there were two failed attempts to homestead this remote property. In 1913 Edwin F. Welz, of Vienna, Austria, and his wife Riggi of Switzerland, heard about the then 350-acre parcel available for homesteading. Upon inspection of the property they found a 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 and 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 stores above it in 1927. By 1935 the Welzes 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.

The Welzes 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, an italian restaurant. 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.

Prior to World War II, the Inn was a meeting place for the Nazis. Stories have been told of how the dining room carpet covered a large swastika painted on the floor. Rumor also had it that a large sum of Nazi gold was buried in or near the Inn at the outbreak of the war. Tales of murder involving Bund members and a secret burial in the Inn have also been told.

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.

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!