Est. 1912 · 1912 English Tudor Architecture by Roland Boutwell · One of Colorado's Most Documented Haunted B&Bs · Shared Provenance with Adjacent Craftwood Inn · HuffPost and Regional Media Documentation
Roland Boutwell, an English craftsman who settled in Manitou Springs in the early 20th century, built the Onaledge property at 336 El Paso Blvd in 1912—the same year he constructed the copper-work showroom at 404 El Paso Blvd that later became Craftwood Inn. The English Tudor architectural style Boutwell chose for Onaledge reflects his British origins and the Arts and Crafts movement's influence on residential construction during the period.
The Pikes Peak region in the early 20th century attracted settlers of varied backgrounds—health-seekers, artists, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs drawn by the climate, scenery, and economic opportunity generated by railroad access and Pikes Peak tourism. Boutwell established himself as a craftsman in this environment and left two structures that remain identifiable properties more than a century later.
Onaledge operated as a private residence for portions of its history before converting to a bed and breakfast operation. As a B&B, it accumulated an unusually documented record of paranormal reports—not anecdotal whispers but accounts from guests who submitted detailed written descriptions, psychics who conducted systematic room-by-room assessments, and investigators who recorded observations over extended stays.
HuffPost, the national news outlet, published coverage of Onaledge that brought its paranormal reputation to an audience beyond Colorado's regional travel media, positioning it alongside better-known haunted accommodations in the American West. The 9News segment on Colorado's haunted hotels further established the property's standing among mainstream audiences.
Sources
- https://www.huffpost.com/entry/onaledge-manitou-springs-haunted-hotel_n_1982265
- https://www.9news.com/article/features/colorado-hotels-with-a-haunted-history/73-171041337
- http://www.hauntedcolorado.net/ManitouSprings.html
ApparitionsOrbs captured on videoFurniture movementTemperature anomaliesSensed presence
The paranormal record at Onaledge stands apart from most small-inn haunting narratives because of its documentary density. Across multiple decades, guests, visiting psychics, and independent investigators have submitted accounts that identify specific apparitions by location, dress, and apparent age—a level of specificity that distinguishes Onaledge from sites where reports remain impressionistic.
The most reliably recurring figure is an elderly man described as seated in a reading posture near the fireplace. The description is consistent across accounts from witnesses who had no prior knowledge of previous sightings. A boy in a blue suit has been reported on the upper floors, and a Victorian-dressed couple has appeared to multiple witnesses near the gazebo on the property grounds. Counts of distinct entities observed over the property's documented history range from five to a dozen, depending on the investigator and methodology.
Physical phenomena reported at Onaledge extend beyond visual apparitions. Video equipment operated by investigators has recorded orbs—moving points of light that cannot be attributed to lens flare or identifiable light sources under the recording conditions. Furniture, particularly chairs, has been observed tilting or repositioning without apparent human agency. Temperature anomalies have been logged in specific rooms.
HuffPost's coverage included first-person accounts that detailed the distinct character of the phenomena: not threatening, not dramatic, but persistent and recurring across independent witnesses. The entities are described as occupying the space as if unaware of the living occupants—engaged in routine activities (reading, walking the grounds) rather than performing for an audience.
No specific historical deaths at the Onaledge property have been documented in available public records. The entities, as described, appear to be residual presences associated with the property's history as a private residence rather than anchored to any particular traumatic event.
Notable Entities
Elderly man reading by fireplaceBoy in blue suitVictorian-dressed couple (near gazebo)
