By Joe Contreras, Latin Life Denver Media, (excerpts from the Denver Post)

The iconic “The Fort” restaurant in Morrison, Colorado, now under new ownership (see below), recently hosted a sell-out performance of Jeanette Trujillo-Lucero’s “Flavors & Flamenco on the Terrace.” It was Trujillo-Lucero’s third sell-out flamenco performance in just over a month. The others were at the elegant Cherokee Ranch & Castle in Sedalia and at Dazzle Jazz Club in Downtown Denver.

Jeanette Trujillo-Lucero is the director and founder of the Fiesta Colorado Flamenco Society, a renowned Denver-based arts organization. Trujillo-Lucero is an acclaimed classical dancer and “Living Legend of Dance in Colorado.”

Likewise The Fort restaurant also has a legendary presence in Colorado. Now under new ownership ‘The Fort’ which was famous for it menu of Buffalo, elk, quail, is now a steak house, but is still carrying on the legacy of hosting cultural happenings through The Fort Heritage Events, with programming rooted in the same traditions of storytelling, education, and celebration of past ownership.  See the current listing of events under the Happenings Tab.

The new owners also have big plans for the development of the Morrison area. They are hoping to become part of the town itself and are also eyeing residential development on 50 acres around the restaurant, according to a town notice.

City Street Investors and Revesco Properties, both Denver-based firms, paid $4.5 million in January for the restaurant, which opened in 1963 and sits on 8 acres. It’s known for its adobe architecture and Western cuisine.

The two firms said they were also under contract for an additional 50 adjacent, undeveloped acres, with closing expected in 2027. Revesco CEO Rhys Duggan said in January that the firms were still deciding what to do with the land.

A 50-acre residential development, even at low density, has the potential to noticeably impact Morrison’s population, currently around 400 people. In a 2024 memo, the town planner said 42% of those people live in a single nursing home.

The request regarding The Fort comes two years after Morrison annexed another notable property. In 2024, the town annexed the former Bandimere Speedway property at the request of Copart, an automobile auction firm that purchased the site. Copart requested the annexation in part to secure Morrison water and sewer service.

National Register of Historic Places, and its land remains protected through a conservation easement held by the Colorado Historical Foundation.

The history of The Fort dates back to 1961, Elizabeth “Bay” Arnold and her husband, Sam’l P. Arnold—both passionate amateur historians—set out to build an adobe-style family home in the countryside southwest of Denver so their children could grow up surrounded by clean air, horses, and open space.

Inspired by a drawing of Bent’s Old Fort (1833–1849), the famous fur-trading post on the Santa Fe Trail, Bay proposed building an adobe “castle” modeled after the historic structure.

That same year, the Arnolds purchased dramatic red rock property near Morrison, Colorado, and commissioned renowned adobe architect William Lumpkins of Santa Fe to design an authentic replica.

Sam’l Arnold had a show on PBS from 1968 to 1986 called Frying Pans West. In 1973 in need of a change of scenery, Sam left the restaurant industry and sold The Fort Restaurant.  In 1986 he purchased the restaurant again and got it out of foreclosure.

The Arnold family founded the Tesoro Cultural Center, a Colorado nonprofit dedicated to sharing the rich cultural history of Bent’s Old Fort with the public. Tesoro brought this history to life through signature events like our Indian Powwows and Spanish Rendezvous, each drawing more than 3,000 guests.

The Center closed its chapter in 2025 alongside Ms. Kinney’s retirement, but the story it told continues.