A Colorado story
more than a century old.

What began as a grand mountain estate has served over time as a family retreat, working cattle ranch, private guest ranch and private residence — while retaining the buildings, grounds and mountain setting that continue to define the Estate today. 

A 100-year old story

  • 1914 — Greystone begins

    Genevieve Chandler Phipps purchases approximately 1,000 acres along Upper Bear Creek and begins creating the Estate. The Stone Cottage and Guest House are among its earliest buildings.

  • 1916–1917 — The heart of the Estate takes shape

    Construction of the Manor and Carriage House establishes the core of the Greystone campus. The Manor becomes a place for extended stays, entertaining and gatherings in the mountains.

  • 1939 — A working mountain ranch

    Elmer and Peg Wilfley purchase Greystone and expand the property to more than 1,200 acres, operating it as both a family retreat and working cattle ranch.

  • 1946–1981 — The guest-ranch years

    William and Sadie Sandifer turn Greystone into a private guest ranch. For more than three decades, guests come for extended stays, dining, riding, swimming, recreation and time in the mountains. The Estate accommodated as many as approximately 35 guests at a time.

  • Mid-1950s — A signature gathering place

    The original Pavilion and its large stone fireplace are added during the guest-ranch era.

  • 1981–1992 — Greystone returns to private estate life

    The property changes hands and an historic log cabin associated with Wyoming’s dude-ranch history is relocated to Greystone.

  • 1992–2001 — Restoration and reinvestment

    Richard and Pamela Bard begin an extensive restoration of the Estate, renovating the Guest House, Pool House, Carriage House and Manor while modernizing the property for continued use. 

  • 2001 — The Pavilion is rebuilt

    The current white-oak timber-frame Pavilion is constructed around the preserved stone fireplace from the original Pavilion.

  • 2026 — A new chapter

    Mycelia proposes to adaptively reuse Greystone’s existing buildings and developed campus while pursuing formal historic recognition and long-term preservation of the Estate.

Stories from Greystone

Presidents. Performers. Families. Generations of guests.

During its decades as a private guest ranch, Greystone welcomed visitors from Colorado and around the world. Its recorded guests include Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson, Frank Sinatra, Groucho Marx, Mae West, Liberace, Shimon Peres, Helen Hayes, Ethel Merman and others — another reflection of the unusual role Greystone has played in Colorado’s mountain history.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower

John Travolta

John Travolta

Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra

Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson

Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson

Shimon Peres

Shimon Peres

Groucho Marx

Groucho Marx

Ethel Merman

Ethel Merman

Preserving Greystone’s next chapter

Mycelia is pursuing Jefferson County Historic Landmark designation for Greystone as part of its long-term plan for the Estate.

The Jefferson County Historical Commission has already identified Greystone as a significant historic property associated with the era in which lodges, ranches and resort properties became an important part of Colorado’s mountain communities and recommended professional documentation and evaluation of the Estate. 

For someone unfamiliar with historic preservation, landmark designation is fairly straightforward: it is a voluntary process initiated with the property owner’s consent to formally recognize a place with exceptional historic, cultural or architectural significance.

The Landmark Process

Document Greystone
Research and document the Estate’s history, buildings, landscape and significant features.

Landmark Committee Review
Jefferson County’s Landmark Designation Committee reviews the nomination at an open meeting.

Historical Commission Decision
If recommended, the nomination goes to the Jefferson County Historical Commission for final consideration.

Formal Recognition + Decision
If approved, Greystone becomes a Jefferson County Historic Landmark and its historic character becomes part of how the Estate is cared for going forward.


Preservation does not mean turning Greystone into a museum.

The point is to preserve what makes the Estate important while allowing it to continue to have a useful life.

That fits naturally with Mycelia’s approach. The project is centered on rehabilitating and reusing Greystone’s existing buildings, protecting the setting around them and continuing the long tradition of stewardship that has allowed the Estate to survive for more than a century. 

Greystone’s next chapter should add to its history, not erase it.