Gillespie House Museum

During our visit to Nederland, Colorado, we stopped at the Old Gillespie House Museum, one of the town’s most important historic buildings. Built in 1906, the house was the home of Dr. Carbon Gillaspie and his wife, Grace. At the time, Nederland was a small mountain community whose history was closely tied to mining and the development of the surrounding region.

Dr. Gillaspie was the town physician and served as mayor of Nederland. Historical records indicate that he practiced medicine from the house and cared for residents throughout the community. The simple frame structure reflected the practical nature of life in the Colorado mountains during the early twentieth century, when many homes lacked conveniences that we now take for granted.

The Gillaspies lived here during the early years of their marriage and welcomed their son, John, into the home in 1907. A few years later, the family moved to Boulder, though they continued to maintain a connection to the house. In 1975, Dr. John Gillaspie and his wife, Caroline, donated the property to the Town of Nederland with the condition that it be preserved as a museum for the public.

Today, the house is operated by the Nederland Area Historical Society and is furnished with artifacts, clothing, household items, and other objects that help tell the story of life in Nederland during the first half of the twentieth century. More than just an old house, it serves as a tangible link to the people who helped build and sustain this mountain community.