Cliff House History

 Town founder, George Morrison, originally built the mansion in 1864 as his private residence. As a quarryman, Morrison developed the building stone and other industrial stone (lime, gypsum) of the Morrison/ Mt. Vernon area, bringing fame to the region for its high-quality dimension stone. Two of the three stone buildings he built in Morrison, as well as the Mt. Vernon House further north, are still standing; all three surviving buildings are recognized historic sites (National Register of Historic Places, 1976). Before its demolition in 1982, the original Evergreen Hotel, built by George Morrison in 1874, served as the first home of Sacred Heart College (now Regis University), and later as the Mt. Morrison Casino, where John Brisben Walker entertained many of the dignitaries he brought to the foothills as part of his promotional enterprises. The Morrison Schoolhouse he built served the town’s educational needs from its construction in 1875 until 1955, and stands today as a private residence. Morrison died at his residence in 1895. The John Swanson family bought the mansion shortly after Morrison’s death and ran it as a hotel naming it the Cliff House. The Cliff House Lodge now stands as one of the oldest remaining structures in Morrison, Colorado.