320 West Main Street · Aspen, Colorado · Elevation 7,908 ft

The Smith-Elisha
House.
Since 1886.

Silver boom grandeur of 1886 — offered to guests for the first time

Add Your Support Discover the House
Svea Elisha outside the Smith-Elisha House, 1965

The House

Built in 1886.
Unchanged
ever since.

At 320 West Main Street stands Aspen’s finest Queen Anne Victorian — built for Eben Smith, manager of the Franklin Mine, and later home to the Elisha family for decades. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a City of Aspen Landmark.

The original grand staircase, carved oak newel post, stained glass transoms, wide-plank fir floors, Victorian tile fireplace, and ornate pocket doors are all intact — untouched through more than 140 years. Widely regarded as the best-preserved Victorian interior in the city.

“Residence Built in 1886 for Eben Smith.” — Aspen Historical Society, 1965
1886
Year of original construction
140+
Years of unbroken history
6
Proposed boutique guest rooms
Dining room with original stained glass windows

Interiors

The original dining room — unchanged since the Elisha family’s time

The Boutique Lodge

Sleep inside
Aspen’s past.

Six intimate guest rooms, each preserving the original Victorian proportions and details. No structural changes, minimal modernization. Just Aspen as it was at its most elegant — the silver-boom grandeur of 1886, offered to guests for the first time.

Designed with BendonAdams, Aspen’s leading historic preservation planning firm. Unanimously approved by Engineering, Parks, Environmental Health, Transportation, and the Historic Preservation Commission. Awaiting final City Council approval.

Six historic guest rooms

Each room retains its original Victorian character — walls, transoms, and period details intact throughout.

Morning breakfast in the parlor

In the original dining room, beneath the antler chandelier — as the Elisha family once gathered.

The wraparound Victorian porch

Aspen Mountain through Victorian latticework — the same view the Elisha family enjoyed for decades.

Preservation, not renovation

Original floors, staircase, fireplaces, woodwork, and glass — all intact. Aspen’s past, as it actually was.

Victorian parlor with original tile fireplace
Dining room with antler chandelier
The Elisha family on the porch
Original grand staircase — carved oak

1886 Craftsmanship

The grand staircase — carved oak, intact since the house was built

Arched doorway framing the original Victorian fireplace

City Council · Spring 2026

Help preserve
this piece
of Aspen.

All city departments have approved the project. City Council votes in April and May 2026. Community voices carry real weight — your name becomes part of the public record.

First HearingApril 2026
Final VoteMay 2026
Add Your Name →

140 Years of Aspen

The story of
this house.

1879
Silver Rush. Prospectors flood the Roaring Fork Valley. Aspen becomes one of the wealthiest silver towns in the world.
1886
320 West Main is built for Eben Smith, manager of the Franklin Mine — regarded as the finest private residence in Aspen.
1911
The Elisha family purchases the Hotel Jerome, running it until 1946. Laurence and Svea Elisha were later inducted into the Aspen Hall of Fame.
1936
Roch Run — Aspen’s first ski trail — is cut by Laurence Elisha, launching the ski industry that would transform Aspen.
1946
The Elishas move into 320 West Main. The interior has remained essentially unchanged to this day.
1965
Aspen Historical Society mounts a bronze plaque: “Residence Built in 1886 for Eben Smith.”
1989
National Register of Historic Places — federal recognition of the house’s exceptional architectural significance.
2026
City Council votes on the proposal to restore the property as a six-room boutique lodge. Approved by Engineering, Parks, Environmental Health, Transportation, and the Historic Preservation Commission.

Add Your Voice

Sign in support
of the Smith-Elisha House.

Your name and affiliation become part of the public record. City Council votes April and May 2026.

Thank you — your support has been recorded.