Castle History
Jean Baptiste Francolon, Architect of the Castle.
© Copyright 2026 Manitou Springs Historical Society
Father Francolon, born in France in 1854 into a wealthy aristocratic family, was the son of a diplomat who once served as the French consul in what is now Moscow, Russia.
Recruited by Bishop Lamy of Santa Fe, New Mexico while in Rome, Italy, Father Francolon immigrated to the United States in 1878 at the age of 24. He was ordained September 21, 1878, in Santa Fe, serving as assistant priest at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi from 1878-1880.
In March of 1881, he became the priest of Santa Cruz de la Cañada (Holy Cross), Santa Cruz, New Mexico overseeing mission churches at four Tewa-speaking Pueblos of Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, Nambe, and eighteen small chapels in the valley of the Santa Cruz River until June 1886.
He briefly returned to France for health reasons in late 1886 but resumed his parish duties in Santa Cruz from December 1887 to March 1892.
In 1892, seeking to restore his failing health, Father Francolon relocated to Manitou Springs, Colorado, known for its healing waters and clean air, as a missionary priest. His mother joined him in Manitou in July 1893.
Newspaper accounts described the opulent furnishings, artworks, and antiques displayed in their home, indicating their previous wealth, though Father Francolon had experienced financial losses before coming to Colorado. He faced legal issues over payment for construction work on his property and took out a loan to cover expenses.
Father Francolon and his mother were somewhat recluse in the Manitou community, but they hosted two fundraising balls at the castle in 1897, one for a library and one for the poor.
Unexpectedly, the Francolons left Manitou in 1900, taking valuable artwork with them but leaving behind their furniture. Madam Francolon passed away near Beaulieu, France, in 1907. Father Francolon spent his final years in New York City, where he died on December 4, 1922, and was buried in the Archdiocese of New York Cemetery, never returning to Colorado.
© Copyright 2026 Manitou Springs Historical Society
Father Jean Baptiste Francolon’s Family Ancestry
© Copyright 2026 Manitou Springs Historical Society
