112-year-old Silt home full of history, charm and gemstones hits the market
Post Independent
Katherine Tomanek/Post Indpendent
There’s a lot of history around Garfield County— from the sacred Yampah Vapor Caves in Glenwood Springs, where Native Americans once sought healing, to the Bookcliffs Arts Center in Rifle, a former homestead for the Morrow family.
Tucked into Eighth Street in Silt sits another local relic: a home built in 1913 that’s still standing, fully functional and about to hit the market for just the second time in its 112-year history.
The home is currently occupied by Dennie Rae, however, Rae hadn’t planned on it: she acquired the house from the estate of her brother, Richard DeWyne, who passed away in 2021. She bought the house to close his estate.
“I was cleaning the basement and what amounts to frosting on a cake came off in my hand,” Rae said. “I looked and there were all these gemstones in my hand.”
A trained gemologist, Rae immediately recognized what she was holding.
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“I wanted to know what an aquamarine was doing in my hand,” she said.
This led her down a rabbit hole of research into the home’s history —who had owned it, who built it and why had they built it with such beautiful stones.
“None of the gems are worth anything, they’re not big enough or good enough to be cut into anything wearable,” Rae said. “But I was living in gems.”
Rae found the house had been built using Coconino sandstone.
Also known as Coconino limestone or quartzite, this geologic formation was formed millions of years ago by shifting plate tectonics, melting glaciers coming down from the north west of the North American continent and settling in the upper walls of the Grand Canyon, the Mogollon Rim and parts of the Colorado Plateau.
The sandstone was created by eolian measures, or wind. There are a great many mineral deposits in the fine-grained quartz, including fossils, along with the aquamarine that Rae recognized in her hand.
“I found out that the house had been built in 1913 by a man named Arthur Grant,” Rae said. “His family owned the house until it was sold to my brother in 2004.”
The house still has some of its original features, like a door that’s been installed since it was built more than a century ago and cut stained glass.
In the basement, the coal and gas furnace that warms the entire house is still standing and working, with the original bucket and shovel for the coal still present as well.
“People used to get paid to go and get coal and throw them down the chute,” Rae said. “Into this room.”
Also in the basement is a room still full of coal. Along the side of the house is a little wood flap that lifts to throw pieces of coal down into the pile in the basement.
“In the basement, along the sides of it, there’s a lip there, like a gutter,” Rae said. “When it rained, the water would go down the walls of the basement and gather in those, and then drain out.”
All of which still work today, more than a century later, which Rae loves but she can’t keep the amazing house.
“I’m selling the house,” Rae said. “I can’t afford to keep it.”
Rae said that people get a kick out of the amazing implementations and machinations in the house.
“Kids get knocked out when they pick up a piece of coal and just beam at me,” she said. “It’s my last opportunity to show a living museum.”
The house will go on the market on May 2 and Rae is holding an open house from May 2-4.
“I’m going to sell the furniture inside the house,” Rae said. “All the money will go to charity.”
Rae said 100% of the proceedswill be donated to Silt’s local programs and the bid winners of the items can choose from a list of where they want their money to go.
“Silt Heyday, the Silt Historical Society, the Silt Library and a couple of youth events are on the list,” Rae said. “Please plan to be generous, Silt folks deserve a helping hand.”
Rae wanted to highlight Brenda Ramirez, the manager of the Silt Branch Library, who helped her immensely.
“Brenda was so helpful in getting the information I needed off my phone and helping me get in touch with the right people, so thank you Brenda,” Rae said. “She’s amazing.”
Rae will be selling 12 items, including a roll-top writing desk, an oak bookshelf and an outdoor swing.
Even if nothing is purchased, Rae said she plans to make a donation to the Silt Historical Society regardless.
“Come to the open house to see this cool little house,” she said. “It won’t cost you anything unless you buy something, come see what it’s like to live in gems.”
“This house will be on sale for only the second time since it was built,” Rae said. “Isn’t that cool?”
Rae said that since she’s been living in Silt, realizing the house had been built so long ago grew her affection for the town.
“One family lived here for almost a century and then when I realized my brother was the first one outside the family to buy the house, it was so fun,” Rae said. “It got me appreciating this little town more and more.”
Coal souvenirs for children will also be available during the open house, at 812 Home Ave. in Silt.
This story is from PostIndependent.com.
