What is an Annunciator?

Have you ever watched an episode of Downton Abbey on PBS and wondered what the system was to communicate in the massive estate? An annunciator is a communication device needed to inform servants of the occupants’ needs.

Mounted call bell systems became popular in the early 1700’s and were symbols of wealth and genteel society. An annunciator, like the one in the Orchard House, allows employers to summon servants from anywhere in the house. The annunciator in the Orchard House works using an electromagnetic system rather than an actual bell wired to each room.

In 1907, when General Palmer was envisioning Colorado Springs as a “Little London” occupying vast incorporated areas filled with educational facilities with enhanced cultural family values he also envisioned building an estate that would house the family of “Queen” Palmer’s half sister, Charlotte, and her husband William Sclater, which is now called the Orchard House.

When the Orchard House was complete in 1907 it consisted of eleven “Master Rooms” with a kitchen, pantry, basement, domestic servant rooms, and living areas. The annunciator in the kitchen helped connect all these bustling spaces with a bell for each!

Educational Outreach : Educators and Families – Melissa Keown (Lead Interpreter)

To Educators & Families
Thank you for all that you are doing to support students at this time. Our experiences with you and your students have been historically “in person.” We miss you! So many families have transitioned to eLearning and some are even learning in small cohorts. We encourage you to continue to enjoy and explore the ranch as you are able! We are an outdoor living history museum with experiences for all ages and offering tours (by reservation only) this winter. Private reservations for students and small groups are available. Safety guidelines are in place and will be enforced.

All New in 2020: BARNYARD BUDDIES FAMILY PROGRAM
Barnyard Buddies was born last March from the challenge by Living History Association (LHA) board members to find new ways to engage LHA member families during the slower winter months. In spite of Covid, what started as a monthly event has morphed into a successful weekly program. The first Thursday of each month is an expanded outdoor story time that includes crafts, activities and a themed snack. This program requires a reservation and is free for members. Non-members are $3 per child. The other weekly story times are free and currently do not require a reservation. See our online calendar for future dates! Visit the website for reservations or email/call for questions: info@rockledgeranch.com or 719-578-6777

Rock Ledge Ranch Christmas Tea : Celebrating a Historic Season

There are always two sides to every story, a ying to every yang. During the Rock Ledge Ranch Christmas Tea, the guests are welcomed into the Orchard House for a peek of what life was like in the early 1900’s, and the guests get to experience what a tea would have been like. However, not only do the guests get to learn, so do the docents of Rock Ledge Ranch. This year I decided to serve the tea in the morning and my mother and I attended the tea in the afternoon.

In preparing for the tea as a house maid at the Orchard house I put the treats onto the three-tiered serving platters, prepared and brought out the tea, offering it to the guests. When everyone was gone, we cleared the tables carefully of the china. The guests were very polite and nice; they had questions and were very interested in the house and the items in it.

When I attended the tea in the afternoon, I was able to appreciate the beautifully decorated Orchard House. I enjoyed my steaming cup of tea, amazing handmade scrumptious treats created by the volunteers, and the company of newly made friends. Although it was hard to decide, I think my favorite part was the musicians in the front parlor. They played beautiful holiday songs from jingle bells to silent night. I felt very special sitting in the dining room and imagining that this was perhaps how the Sclaters must have enjoyed their holiday tea with guests.

I would highly recommend either volunteering or attending any tea at Rock Ledge Ranch. Everything in the Orchard House was so lovely and picturesque during Christmas time. But, how did it get this way? Why it was the work of the wonderful docents and volunteers of Rock Ledge Ranch.

Written by Rebecca Sachaj who is a Junior Docent at The Orchard House

Originally published in Annunciator 2013


Typically, the Ranch celebrates the Christmas season with events such as High Tea and The Holiday Evening, attended by thousands each year. During the Holiday Evening the ranch is transformed with luminaries along walkways, fire pits serving marshmallows with live fiddlers, Horse-drawn Hayrides, a Victorian Santa in the Carriage House, a Barn Dance with live musicians, the houses are decorated for tours, the Blacksmith Shop is creating ornaments and gifts for sale in the General Store. We look forward to when we can host these events again, but enjoy our ideas below to host your own historic holiday tea at home. Send photos of your creations and we’ll share on social media! The General Store will be open for holiday gift shopping during during the Orchard House Tea events in 2020. Check website for most current information.


The concept of a formalized afternoon tea originated in England in the 1840’s. During this time period, dinner was served at the fashionably late hour of 8 o’clock, leaving a long gap between dinner and the noon day meal with a need for a light meal in between. Enjoy Mrs. Keown’s recipe and host your own holiday tea online!

Mrs. Keown’s Honey Cranberry Scones
A Virtual Holiday Tea 2020
Be inspired by Holiday Tea at the Orchard House and host a virtual tea with friends!

Teas to Serve:
Cranberry, Cinnamon, Ginger Spice or Orange
Serve with cream and sugar, with lemon slices

Sandwich filling ideas: (even cut into holiday shapes)
Smoked salmon with cream cheese, sliced cucumber & dill Egg salad, Ham and cheese, Peanut butter and jelly, Chicken Salad with cranberries, Turkey, Cream Cheese & Cranberry Sauce

Cut the crusts off and then cut into an “X” shape to end up with 4 triangles. Display sandwiches on a platter to serve. Garnish ideas: fresh cranberries, rosemary or orange halves

Desserts:
Mrs. Keown’s Honey Cranberry Scones, Gingerbread Cake, Christmas Cookies with whole cloves. Dress up in historical clothing and enjoy!
Tag #RockLedgeRanch on Facebook & Instagram @rockledgeranchatgardenofgods celebrating a historic season

Mrs. Keown’s Honey Cranberry Scones

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup butter
1/3 cup honey
½ cup whipping cream
½ cup of dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)
2 Tbs coarse white sugar crystals
Preheat oven to 350* Grease baking sheet or use parchment paper. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender (or a fork) cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.

In seperate bowl, combine honey and half the whipping cream, then add to the butter mixture and stir until all dry ingredients are coated and moistened. Add in cranberries and mix until evenly distributed. Roll or pat the dough on a lightly floured surface into a circle ½ in thick. Cut into small wedge shapes and place on greased cookie sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with the remaining cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Serve with butter and jam or clotted cream.

Christmas Eve 1880 : The Chambers’ Rock Ledge House – Lauren Dunbar

The Chambers sisters, Eleanor “Nora” (age 7) and Mary (age 4) could barely contain their excitement. They had been helping Mother Elsie (age 35) in their crowded kitchen for days, cooking up the family’s favorite holiday candies—butterscotch drops and sugar fondant balls—ginger cookies and apple pies made with their orchard fruit, and special treats for their Christmas feast that included a birthday surprise for Father Robert, turning 42 on Christmas Day!

The Chambers’ domestic help, sweet Mary Horton (age 23), had gathered in all the ingredients: she dressed a plump wild turkey (shot by Father), selected turnips, gooseberry preserves, and apple cider from the root cellar, winter greens from the greenhouse, all of which made such a difference to Mother.

Everyone had chores in the Chambers family. After feeding the livestock, brother Ben (age 11) was out with Father hitching up the ponies to the town carriage with an assist from the two hired hands, Jacob Steiner and Frank Murr, both “gardeners” who helped Mr. Chambers with the two greenhouses, the fruit orchards, their six dairy cows and four cattle.

Now it’s time to leave for Christmas Eve service at their M. E. Church in Colorado Springs where Father is a trustee. There will be a beautiful, tall Christmas tree with presents for all the children, singing of favorite hymns and carols that Mother had practiced for days with the girls on her beautiful new pump organ—songs from her childhood on the Woolsey family’s apple farm back in Lloyd, in New York’s Hudson River Valley. Home again through the snowy night to find that Mary Horton had tucked warming stones between their cold bed sheets. And, of course, Mother read to her sleepy children their favorite poem, The Night Before Christmas.

Later that night, when all is quiet, the girls keep watch, hoping to hear the jingle of Santa’s reindeer; but Nora imagines they’re elk, like the ones up on Cheyenne Mountain. What will Santa bring the children this year? Nora wants a new dolly—Mother has promised to help sew little clothes—Mary wants a cuddle bear, some new ribbons for her hair, and “an orange, please, Santa,” while Ben would be so happy with a toolkit of his own. Mother has knitted a fine warm sweater for Robert and crocheted colorful wool caps for her three children.

Christmas morning comes and it’s snowing again, but lightly this time, without the fierce winds. Mother tiptoes into the parlor; the tall Regulator clock ticks softly in the corner. It’s time to wake up the entire household with a rousing hymn on her organ,
“Joy to the World!”

A fictional account with real people.

Lauren Dunbar is Elsie and Robert Chambers’ great-granddaughter.

News – Andy Morris (Ranch Manager)

Good Day LHA Members!
With the New Year right around the corner and hope on the horizon, I would like to look back at the year that most of us can’t wait to see gone.

At the start of the season, it was dicey whether or not we would be able to do our summer living history programs but we were given the “go-ahead” in late spring. After making adaptations to keep our visitors, staff and volunteers safe we had a successful summer season. Our numbers were steady and visitors appreciated the opportunity to do safe and educational activities at the Ranch.

This fall we have done several Barnyard Buddies and storytelling programs, facilitated field trips and private tours, and hosted our first Homeschool Day (with over 250 guests in attendance). Unfortunately most of our other fall special events had to be postponed with the exception of a scaled down Harvest Festival.

As we look ahead for next season, we are making plans to have a full calendar of events. Please check our website periodically to keep updated with the latest news from the Ranch.

I hope you and your families are well during this most unusual time. We appreciate your support of Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site and the Living History Association and we look forward to seeing you and your families in 2021.

GREENHOUSE PROJECT: AN UPDATE
The Chambers family who built the Rock Ledge House made many improvements to the ranch during their 26 years of ownership- including planting fruit orchards and vegetable gardens as well as creating a reservoir and irrigation system. They supplied local hotels and markets with produce from their fields and greenhouse. In addition, they operated a dairy and used their home as a boarding house.

The Living History Association has taken on the exciting challenge of raising money to recreate the greenhouse in the back yard of the Rock Ledge House where the original structure stood. Although this building will not be an exact rendition of the original, the goal is to represent what the Chambers built in the 1870’s.

Why is this Important?
Having a greenhouse will allow us to expand on our living history program and to interpret the lives of the Chambers family in a way that we haven’t been able to before. The greenhouse will be used to grow heirloom plants that accurately represent what was grown on the property, as well as ornamental varieties that can be displayed in our historic homes. We will be able to create programs around horticulture and have guest speakers. In a culture that has lost its connection to the land and where their food comes from, the Ranch can fill a much needed gap in education. We can also use the knowledge of master gardeners who have already volunteered their services in order to generate revenue and provide fresh produce to our community.

Tens of thousands of dollars have already been raised for this exciting and important project but more money is needed before we can start to move dirt. I would like to see the remaining funds raised before the end of next year and I am fully confident that this goal can be reached. Please continue to support the Living History Association through your membership and if you so desire, a specific donation to the greenhouse effort.

Andy Morris

Translate »
Skip to content