Perhaps the most memorable room in the house, the living room has seen several transformations throughout its history, reflecting the personalities of various owners. John Springer, who acquired the property in 1897 after he moved from Texas to Colorado with his wife, Eliza, and daughter, Annie Clifton, constructed this room sometime before 1910. A few photographs of the room’s interior and exterior reveal that the south wall was once the back of the house and the opening into the dining room was simply a window. The former front door of Springer’s home is now a window in the center of the north wall, however, the shape and size of the room have remained unchanged from the original construction.
The living room saw some dramatic changes during Frank Kistler’s renovation in 1929 and 1930. The original fireplace was replaced with an ornate polished sandstone centerpiece that included the building floor plan, date of construction, and ranch brand chiseled into the mantel. The addition of large arched doorways provided elegant transitions into adjoining rooms to the south, east and west. A massive clock, imported from Italy and Germany, was added to the east wall.
Sometime between 1910 and 1920, the home received a centralized heating system with a coal-fired boiler located in a separate building and small tunnels excavated beneath the living room for the pipes that fed radiators beneath the windows. Iron covers that enclosed the radiators display an interesting pattern that is repeated in other ornamental features throughout the Mansion.