History of the Ranch

1862
Ranch was homesteaded by George S. Parmalee and the original 3-story barn was built.
1870
George Parmalee applies to open a post office on the Ranch. It was already being used as a Stagecoach stop between Fairplay and Denver, reportedly running 6-9 coaches through it per day.
1927
The original Ranch house/stage office burns down. The chimney lies under what is now Highway 285.
1962
The Ranch is a favorite location to celebrate the opening night of the Central City Opera House.
1984
Jerry Keel purchases the property.
1988
The 126-year-old original barn burns down.
1997
Mr. Keel finds a replacement barn in Parker that fits the original foundation perfectly and has it transported to the Ranch.
2003
Current owner, Tim Marasciullo, buys the Ranch, making his lifelong dream come true.
2006
Tim meets Christian and proposes at the antique hunter’s gazebo on the highest point of the ranch.
2009
The creation of the wedding venue begins, with restoring the Barn as the first project.
2011
The Barn Venue at the Ranch opens for weddings and has its first wedding season!
2013
The Ultimate Man Cave is completed at the Barn
2015
The Fireside Patio with a custom stone fireplace is the newest place for toasts and first dances
2018
Construction begins to transform the original 1940’s house & surroundings into the new Homestead Venue
2019
The Homestead Venue at the Ranch opens for weddings and special events!
2020
The Ranch now offers accommodations for up to 20 guests at the Homestead House!

Deer Creek Valley Ranch History — The 124-year-old original barn burns down

The First to Love This Land

Deer Creek Valley Ranch has a colorful history of a real-deal working ranch. Originally homesteaded by George S. Parmalee (oldest son of John Parmalee, for whom Parmalee Gulch is named), he built the massive original barn in 1862. Crafted with hand-hewn timbers and wooden pegs, it stood over three stories tall on a stone foundation. To put the timeline in perspective, Abraham Lincoln was still president at this time. If you look closely you can even see an old water cistern, hand built into the rock, that once serviced the original residence on the property.

Creative Beginning

What is now a quaint renovated cottage next to the Barn was once the stagecoach stop between Denver and Fairplay. Since it was a natural stopping place on the wagon road, George capitalized on this by applying to open a post office there in 1870. The old stage road passed between the Barn and the original Ranch house. In 1927, that house burned and was replaced by one built just west of the Barn. The original location of the house lies in what is now the US Highway 285 right of way. According to Harold Warren’s Bits and Pieces of History along the 285 Corridor, most of the original chimney is now buried in highway fill.

Horn Cemetery’s First Resident

Warren’s book also includes a colorful account of how the Horn Cemetery came to be situated in such close proximity to the Ranch. It seems that there was a shootout at the stagecoach stop and one of the participants was mortally wounded. He managed to stagger only a short distance before he dropped and died. Of course, they buried him on the spot!

FIRE!!!

Faulty wiring is believed to have caused a fire that destroyed the 126-year-old Deer Creek Valley Ranch Barn (Fairplay Flume, May 13, 1989). Platte Canyon firefighter John Woodward reported smoke in the afternoon, but the Barn was fully involved before firefighters arrived. Dousing the fire required over 50,000 gallons of water over several days due to smoldering hay and manure inside. Fortunately, no livestock were inside. Jerry Keel, who had purchased the Ranch four years prior, called the financial loss incidental, but the historic loss significant. He vowed to rebuild the Barn to restore the charm of the valley.

Restoration

It took a while, but in 1997, Keel discovered a Barn in Parker that was to be destroyed to make way for the development of Highway E-470. Its roof and top floor were almost a perfect fit! In short order, the Parker Barn’s roof and upper story were sliced into two sections lengthwise, transported and placed in position by a crane on the restored lower portion of the historic Barn. After adding new shingles and a fresh coat of paint, the Barn became what we see today, a testament to fortitude and persistence commemorating Colorado’s territorial history.

I’ll Take It!

In 2003, after driving past the Ranch since he was a teen and thinking to himself that he would buy it one day, Tim Marasciullo, noticed the Ranch had come up for sale. Tim contacted the realtor and was told that the Ranch had already sold and was due to close escrow in three days. As Tim and the realtor drove around looking at other properties, the realtor received a phone call; the Ranch had unexpectedly fallen out of escrow! Tim immediately said, “I’ll take it!” and just like that, his dream as a young man came true.

Practically sight unseen, a purchase contract was submitted. Only then did Tim get to see the rest of the property, which included a furnished 4,000 square foot ranch house built in the late 1940’s, with an in-ground swimming pool and all recently renovated. What a bonus! Perfect timing too, as there were three back up offers by the end of the day. At the time, little did Tim know the love and family experiences that were yet to unfold at the Ranch. And little did he know what fabulous memories were to be experienced by all who enjoy their celebrations here as well. The rest, as they say, is history.

Note: Information and some text gleaned from various articles in the Park County Republican and the Fairplay Flume.