SUMMIT was honored to receive recognition by the Historic Preservation Committee for its work on the restoration of Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colorado. There to accept the award was Principal Jake Holland, along with SUMMIT’s Historic Restoration Project Manager responsible for the project, Derek Reece.

Built in 1889, the Wheeler Opera House is the Roaring Fork Valley’s premiere site for concerts, movies, festivals, lectures, community events, opera, and more. Over the years, the soft sandstone has decayed. This was exacerbated by paint that was applied to the stone which did not allow moisture to escape. Our crews completed a full exterior restoration which included investigation, tuckpointing, painting, and stone replacement.

The damaged stones were surveyed, allowing new stones to be carved. Many of these new stones were hand crafted at our very own stone carving facility, SUMMIT Designer Stone in Sedalia, CO. When the new stones are delivered onsite, they are cut to size and hoisted onto the scaffolding by a variety of creative measures, including mechanical lifts. The replacement stones weigh several hundred pounds each and were treated with great care to keep from being damaged or causing injury. One by one the large stone bricks were replaced on this historic structure. We can’t help but think back on the construction of this structure and what it must have involved with the tools and techniques available in the early 1900s.

SUMMIT looks forward to our continued relationship with the City of Aspen and greatly appreciates this prestigious honor. See more on the project below!