Written by Stacey Smith, an Aspen Historical Society research intern in 1998, the paper provides insights into the history of the Wheeler-Stallard House.

Introduction:

For the last thirty years, the Wheeler-Stallard house has served as the headquarters of the Aspen Historical Society and the community’s only historical museum. Yet, at the same time, much of the history of the house remains obscure. The
house’s exact chain of residency, its function and appearance over time, even its architect and date of construction were seemingly lost in the passage of the last one hundred years. This situation posed a problem when the Society began to contemplate an interior restoration of the house-returning the house to its original appearance and interpreting it
to future visitors accurately naturally required an expansion of the concrete knowledge about the house. Therefore, this study is primarily aimed at filling the gaps in the Wheeler-Stallard house history and suggesting interpretative themes that may be useful in the upcoming restoration.