The Highlands Ranch Mansion virtual tour will take you through the estate’s full history — from Samuel Allen Long’s 1884 homestead to the present day — blending architectural tours with rich regional narratives.
Kristy Thomas, as docent, will present the virtual tour covering the history of the mansion and ranch from its inception in 1884 to the present.
The mansion’s origins trace to 1884, when Samuel Allen Long filed for a homestead in northern Douglas County, naming it Rotherwood after his boyhood farm. Over the decades, it passed through notable owners including John W. Springer, Col. William Hughes, Waite Phillips, Frank E. Kistler, and Lawrence Phipps Jr.
The property was once part of a vast ranching empire, later becoming a cultural and social hub for Denver’s elite, and today it is preserved as part of the Highlands Ranch Historic Park.
Kristy Thomas Bio
Kristy was born and raised in Evergreen, Colorado. Her family camped every summer, exploring old mining sites in Colorado and always taking driving vacations to visit historic sites throughout the west.
She began her career in mineral exploration as an office manager and developed a lasting interest in the gold and silver mining history of the western United States, visiting many historic mining towns in Colorado as well as several in Nevada, Montana, and Arizona.
From the late 1980s to the early 2000s she lived and worked on the C Lazy U Ranch and Resort in Granby, Colorado. Her ex-husband’s family owned the Ranch and throughout her 20 years there she ran the front office, the dining room, the gift shop, and the landscaping crew. The C Lazy U began as a working ranch and became one of the first to accept paying guests to help with the cattle operation.
Kristy took the position as the Manager of Afternoon Tea at the Brown Palace Hotel in 2008 and worked with the hotel historian in order to speak with guests about the hotel’s history. She occasionally took guests to visit the presidential suites in the hotel. After retiring in 2014, Kristy became a historic interpreter on the 1860s farm at the Littleton History Museum. At the same time, she became a docent at the Highlands Ranch Mansion. In the past two years Kristy has worked weekly in both positions as well as taking part in the public events hosted by both the Museum and Mansion.