Several of the stops and sites on our Segway tour are historic sites founded by two of our most influential local legends—Spencer and Julie Penrose. This includes The Broadmoor Resort Hotel, the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, the Penrose House, and the Penrose Heritage Museum. However, these are just a handful of their influential contributions.
Spencer And Julie Penrose
Colorado Springs was founded in 1871. About 20 years later in 1892 one of our local legends Spencer Penrose moved to our city. Originally from Philadelphia, Penrose was a risktaker, adventure seeker, and a bit of a playboy. Not one for a traditional career, he tried his hand at fruit farming, real estate, cattle ranching, and silver, gold, and copper mining. It was the mining for which he earned his fortune. Not bad for a Harvard graduate who came in last in his class. Julie was a lifelong philanthropist who married Spencer in 1906, after moving to COS from Michigan with her late husband Jim McMillian, who died of tuberculosis. Spencer and Julie’s legacy lives on as many of their endeavors are still alive and well. They founded and contributed to projects and landmarks such as:
- The Broadmoor Hotel
- Pikes Peak Highway
- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
- Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun
- Pikes Peak Hill Climb
- Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
- Central City Opera
- The Colorado College Expansion
- Broadmoor Fine Art Academy
- Penrose Paper
- Lake McKinney
- Penrose Hospital
- El Pomar Foundation
- And more!
El Pomar Foundation
The El Pomar Foundation was founded by the Penrose’s in 1937 as a way to inspire ongoing innovation in Colorado locals. The foundation is still thriving, providing grants and community outreach, professional development, local events, and a variety of programs designed to inspire the next generation of local leaders. To date, over 80 years later, the foundation has contributed over 1 billion dollars in programs and outreach.