New Lease On Life: Cheyenne’s Historic 130-Year-Old Sturgis House Has New Owners

CHEYENNE — It’s one of the oldest mansions still standing in Wyoming, but now it’s turning the page on a new chapter.

Cheyenne’s historic 130-year-old Sturgis House, once the home of cattle baron William Sturgis, has new owners. 

Ashley and Paul Savage of Colorado are reimagining the Victorian shingle-style home as a center for craft retreats that they call Hollowberry Manor. 

That’s just the name of the business, Ashley stressed to Cowboy State Daily. 

“This will always be the Sturgis Mansion,” she said. “That is what it is. Our business is Hollowberry Manor, but this will always be William’s house.”

The Savages are betting that historic interest in the 19th century cattle baron’s house and the creative opportunities possible at a women-oriented craft retreat will thrive under the same roof. 

They envision the combination as carrying the Victorian home’s story well into the next century.

Ashley is already working to gather history about each of the mansion’s owners to create a book that will tell the house’s story to guests. 

“We’re just the newest chapter,” she said. “But for all the families who have lived here, I’d like to put together a history to document everyone. 

"They’ve all been part of this house’s story, and I want to make sure that’s recorded for posterity.”

Maintaining The Sturgis Legacy

Paul, meanwhile, said the family has worked hard to keep as much of the historic character of the home as possible while freshening up rooms and adding amenities that modern guests expect.

That includes saving a swatch of the home’s original wallpaper, which is surprisingly vibrant with little fading.

Paul credits that to the number of other layers over it, which helped protect the original wallpaper. 

“It was there underneath about eight layers,” Paul said, shaking his head with a smile. “So, we decided to save a piece of that so people could see it.”

They also saved the laundry chute and kept all of the original wood trim and floors. 

The 1925 hot water boiler in the basement still works, and all the original radiators remain in the rooms. Winter heating for the mansion runs around $400 to $500 a month, Paul said, despite its huge footprint. 

Original built-ins, fireplaces, and door hardware have all been preserved.

“We didn’t want to change anything we didn’t have to,” Paul said. “Mostly, it’s all stuff you can’t see — upgrading pipes and water to make sure it has the right infrastructure.”

A touch of new history has been added here and there, like the HM brand Ashley’s dad built for the couple and a black powder rifle he gave them to display. 

“These windows are still double hung with weights in the side there,” Paul said, demonstrating how the windows work. “That’s how they did it back then.”

Rooms To Spark Imagination

Each of the rooms in the Sturgis House has been given themes that encourage the imagination. 

There’s Wanderlust, as well as Majestic, Opulence, Mysterium, Tranquility and several others.

Some rooms have little pieces of history woven into them. The Charmed room is channeling the early 19th-century trendy color arsenic green, also commonly referred to as Paris green or Scheele’s green. 

The paint’s brilliance came from a highly toxic chemical called copper arsenite. 

It was a relatively affordable color, which made it a favorite — but it also caused many illnesses and even deaths, leading some to nickname it the “color of death.”

Candy-pink trim completes the room’s 1920s vibe, along with pinstriped valences.

Paul and Ashley’s favorite is the Majestic room with its deep forest-green and hunting lodge feel.

“It’s a little more masculine,” Ashley said. “I like that cozy castle feel. I have slept in almost all of the bedrooms as I’ve been working on things and my work evolved. But that’s the one I’ve kind of landed on.”

The star of the craft retreat, though, is what used to be the Sturgis House’s garage. 

That has been revamped into a crafting center that features tables that raise and lower as well as pink-and-white gaming chairs.

Having the crafting area outside of the mansion means the couple can cater to night owls and early birds.

No one will be disturbing anyone who is sleeping, because they’re in a building that’s outside of the mansion itself.

Why Women Are Booking It Solid

Craft retreats are a booming business of late, emerging as a significant slice of travel within a broader wellness and experiential trend. 

They cater in particular to female solo travelers, a demographic that’s a growing segment of the tourism market. 

Because of that, Ashley said she’s has had no trouble filling up Hollowberry Manor, and that she’s already 90% booked. 

The women who stay in Hollowberry Manor are looking for creative connection in a place that feels like an escape from modern life. 

Kelli O’Brien has already stayed at Hollowberry Manor a few times, even though it’s new. 

Her go-to space is the Tranquility room.

“This time, I worked on my own scrapbooks for a change and not my children’s,” she said. “I worked on my retirement party from 10, 11 years ago and a trip to Iowa to meet my mom. And I did my trip to Oregon. 

"That was a blast. I went with my good friend, and her daughter was running the Hood to Coast Race they do every year.”

Her smile as she talks about her scrapbooking adventures left no doubt that what O’Brien had accomplished was akin to therapy. She credits the social nature of the weekend retreat for giving her a new and firmer outlook on life. 

“I’m retired,” she said. “So, meeting new people, having more fun with people — socialization, OK, so we’re not in that society where we’re nothing but social media.”

A Community Of Makers

Another attraction to craftcations is friendly advice and support from a fellow tribe of women.

“It’s more fun to ask somebody, ‘OK, here’s what I’m working on. What do you think of this layout? Do you think I should change something?’” Kathy Hrgich told Cowboy State Daily. “They might have a different idea.

"I have other things I do at home, but scrapbooking I prefer to do with a group of people.”

She loves Hollowberry Manor’s ambiance. 

“To me, this is like coming to a dream castle,” she said. “It’s fun to come here, because you can get away from reality. And like Kelli said, we come up here with our friends and friends we’ve never met, and now we’ve made new friends.”

Most of Hollowberry Manor’s weekends are booked with private retreats by friends who already know one another and plan to do their own projects behind closed doors.

But there are also open retreats where individuals and small groups can join in to meet new people.

The business takes a low-key Airbnb approach to bookings, allowing people to self-check-in and out. A housekeeper handles turnover between groups.

Most of the retreats pair off in groups of two or three and take turns preparing meals. That way no one has to do more than one night’s worth of cooking and cleaning.

Restoring For The Next 130 Years

Ashley and Paul are nowhere near finished with their restoration, although the interior is almost complete. 

After that, there’s plenty of work to do outside, including some structural things as well as the need for a fresh coat of paint.

“We’ve thought about this a lot, and I’ve talked to several contractors, to get opinions,” Ashley said. “And so, we’re going to try to get the house back a little bit more to its original.”

Shingles will remain, but they will be stained instead of painted, and the house will no longer be yellow.

“It will be closer to what it originally was when it was built,” Ashley said. “So, it will look different to all the Cheyenne natives who are used to seeing the yellow house on the corner, but it’s going to be beautiful. 

"We love this house. It’s very special. It’s joyful. Everyone who comes here feels that, and I love that more people get to enjoy it now.”

She said the goal is not just a thriving craft retreat business, but a mansion that will stand another 130 years. 

She firmly believes the house with its turret reading nooks, intricate woodwork, preserved wallpapers and century-old heating system deserves a future as vibrant as its past.

“This is one of the oldest houses in Wyoming still standing, and it’s an important part of history,” Ashley said. “People are interested in it, and I want to respect that. I’m not from Cheyenne, and I recognize that I’m a little bit of an outsider, but I respect the house and the history, and the community has been very supportive. 

"People are very familiar with this house, and they care what happens to it. I’m definitely here in the best interest of the house.”

Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.