On a south-facing hillside in downtown Nederland, a hidden gem awaits a visit. The home of Dr. Carbon and Grace Gillaspie has been turned into a museum, at the bequest of their heirs, to preserve local history. Although the Gillaspies did not reside in Nederland for long, their impact was felt throughout the community for years.

Grace, like many women of her time, has historically been overshadowed by her husband, Dr. Carbon Gillaspie, mayor of Nederland, and their son Dr. John Gillaspie, mayor of Boulder. However, her commitment to the community is now being honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in an upcoming ceremony.

Over the past two years, locals have been working to uncover more information about Grace. Museum caretaker, docent coordinator, and Nederland Area Historical Society (NAHS) board member, Jessie Ansari, researched information about Grace at the Carnegie Museum in Boulder and from genealogical websites to present to the local DAR chapter in 2021. Last summer, she was honored to give a tour of the little to Carbon and Grace’s great niece, who now lives in California. Local historian Lee Tillotson of the Arapahoe Chapter DAR, also found a treasure trove of information about Grace in the chapter’s scrapbooks from the 1920s and 1930s. “Grace was service orientated in a way that is almost impossible for most women today,” said Tillotson.

In addition to being one of the first graduates from the Boulder Business School in 1901, Grace was active in numerous organizations. She was the Boulder County chair of the Cancer Control Board and was active in the Colorado state committee for the control of tuberculosis. She was President of both the American Legion Auxiliary Post 10 and the Boulder Women’s Club and active in the Philanthropic Educational Organization and the Christian Women’s Club. Grace’s most prominent positions were held in the Daughters of the American Revolution where she became a leader at local, state, and national levels. Janis Tennery, regent of the Boulder Arapahoe Chapter DAR and former Nederland resident said, “I was thrilled when Lee made me aware of the museum and Grace.”

The Arapahoe DAR Chapter is honoring Grace Fairchild Gillaspie by placing a bench and plaque in her honor at the Gillaspie house museum. The site will be listed on local, state, and national DAR historical marker registers. This will make the 11th historical site of significance marked by the chapter in Boulder County.

Financing of the marker and bench were provided by the Arapahoe Chapter NSDAR. In-kind support was provided by the Nederland Area Historical Society and its President, Emmit Hoyl, Pat Thomas (Toma Construction), Rich Tillotson, Indian Peaks Ace Hardware, and the Town of Nederland.

Come celebrate the dedication of the Grace Gillaspie DAR bench and plaque at 10 a.m on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at the Gillaspie House Museum. The museum is free to visit and is open to the public this summer on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is located at the corner of Bridge and Fourth Street in Nederland.

To find out more about the Gillaspie House, check out the NAHS website at https://www.nederlandareahistoricalsociety.org/ gillaspie-house.