| Tower of Jewels | |
|---|---|
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Lakeside, Colorado |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 39°46′50″N105°03′13″W / 39.78045°N 105.05352°W |
| Construction started | September 24, 1907 |
| Client | Lakeside Realty & Amusement Company |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Edwin H. Moorman |
The Tower of Jewels is the centerpiece of Lakeside Amusement Park in the town of Lakeside, Colorado, just west of Denver. One of the tallest buildings in Colorado when it was built, it stands 150 feet tall and features over 5,000 lights. [1]
The tower was designed by prominent Denver architect Edwin H. Moorman; ground was broken on September 24, 1907. [2] The tower and the adjoining casino building were among the park's original 15 buildings, which were built by the Lakeside Realty & Amusement Company (commonly known as the Brewers Syndicate), headed by prominent Denver brewer Adolph Zang and including Godfrey Schirmer, Peter J. Friederich, John A. Keefe and Albert Lewin. [3]
The tower served as the main entrance to the Park. It was originally topped by a great 10 kilocandela spotlight, which had previously been used on the Ferris Wheel at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. [4] The tower was largely empty, but featured an observation deck and a floor that served as a foyer for the upper level of the adjoining casino theater building. [5] This level of the casino building originally housed a small theater; an expanded 1,700 seat theater was installed in the upper level for the 1910 season, and was removed circa 1918. [6]
The Tower of Jewels has featured prominently in Lakeside advertising since the park opened. A hailstorm in May 2017 did extensive damage to the tower and its lighting. [7] Currently both the tower and casino building are closed to the public, the latter houses park offices and storage space.