Discover Aspen Historic Victorian Home: D. E. Frantz House

Step into a true Aspen historic Victorian home with the D. E. Frantz House, Aspen’s only Queen Anne residence that still boasts its original oriel window—an extraordinary glimpse of the city’s silver-mining past and preserved architectural heritage.

 

Property Snapshot

• Location: 333 W Bleeker Street (corner North Third), Aspen, Colorado

• Developer / Builder: Possibly Copeland George, tied to sawmill owner D. E. Frantz

• Designation: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Ref. #87000152 (March 6 , 1987)

• Current Use: Private residence

• Year Built: Circa 1886 (some sources suggest 1909)

• Style: Queen Anne Victorian

• Zoning: Residential (West End historic district)

 

Did You Know?

The D. E. Frantz House is the only Aspen historic Victorian home that retains its original oriel window, and its gabled roof uniquely extends to shelter the porch—a design feature found nowhere else in the city.

 

Why It Matters

This Aspen historic Victorian home isn’t just a house—it is a bridge between Aspen’s rugged mining roots and today’s status as a luxury destination. For over a century, it has stood through cycles of boom, bust, and reinvention. While many homes in the West End have been remodeled into sleek mountain estates, the Frantz House still tells its original story.

 

For heritage-minded buyers, such preservation means more than charm. It offers authenticity in a market where “new” often overshadows “historic.” The property demonstrates how craftsmanship, location, and cultural continuity can align to create lasting real estate value. Owning a home like this is owning a true piece of Aspen’s identity.

 

History Through the Decades

• 1880s: Built circa 1886 during Aspen’s silver boom, possibly using lumber from D. E. Frantz’s sawmill.

• Early 1900s: Remained a private residence with minimal changes, aside from small additions such as a rear gable window.

• Mid-20th century: Survived Aspen’s Quiet Years when many structures were neglected or demolished.

• 1987: Officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural integrity.

• Today: Preserved as a private residence, it stands as one of Aspen’s most authentic architectural treasures.

 

Architectural Features

• Oriel Window: Paired one-over-one sash windows with decorative sunburst panels and fish-scale shingles—an element unique in Aspen.

• Gable-Porch Roof: Extended gable shelters the porch, supported by turned posts and ornate brackets, creating a welcoming yet distinctive façade.

• Foundation: Built of peach-blow sandstone, a warm-toned local stone that grounds the wood-frame structure.

• Materials: Clapboard siding and scalloped shingles highlight the textures of Queen Anne design, while steep cross gables add vertical emphasis.

• Interior & Barn: Inside, high ceilings and unpainted trim remain intact. A small rear barn, still standing, contributes to the property’s historic designation.

 

Explore More of Aspen’s History:

For more stories of Aspen historic Victorian homes, visit the Aspen Historical Society’s Victorian architecture tours and explore the West End’s preserved treasures. The Aspen Inventory of Historic Landmark Sites and Structures. 

 

Sources:

• National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form

• City of Aspen Inventory of Historic Sites and Structures
• Photo By Jeffrey Beall – Own work, via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
• Memorial Site
• Library of Congress