Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion
Courtesy belmarcolorado.com; eronjohnsonantiques.com; findagrave.com.
Edited by David Barth 16 March 2014.
The original Belmar site was purchased in 1929 by May Bonfils, the daughter and heir of one of the co-founders of the Denver Post. Bonfils lived in the Belmar
Mansion, adjacent to the site, which was either named for Eli Belmar who ranched there or for May's Mother, Belle (Bel) and a derivative of May
(Mar) to make the name, "Belmar".
May lived in the Belmar Mansion, built of the finest Carrara marble, it was an exact replica of Marie Antoinette's Petite Trianon Palace in
France. Belmar was filled with treasures from around the world, collected on extensive travels.
It is said that she slept in a bed once belonging to Marie Antoinette, and owned a piano once played by Chopin. The mansion and grounds were replete with paintings
and reproductions of statues by the greatest artists of Europe. She later purchased adjoining properties, and the estate eventually totaled 750 acres.
Having been divorced from her husband since 1947, Clyde Berryman, May married long-time friend, Charles Stanton in 1956. After her death at Belmar, the mansion was
demolished. It is believed she did not want another woman to ever live in her home.
May was a supporter of numerous philanthropic causes in her native state of Colorado. At her death, her husband Charles established the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, to
help distribute her $13,000,000 estate among various charities. The Foundation still supports Colorado nonprofit organizations in the areas of Arts and Culture,
Community Service, and Science and Medicine.
In 1960, May and her husband Charles Stanton entered into a ground lease with Gerri Von Frellick who developed the Villa Italia Mall.
When Villa Italia Mall opened in 1966, it was said to be the largest indoor, air-conditioned shopping mall between Chicago and California with 800,000
square feet of indoor space and more than 70 retailers. Approximately 750,000 people attended the three-day opening festivities.
The Bonfils-Stanton Belmar Mansion was built in 1937 on 10 acres of land on Kountze Lake in Jefferson County on property Mae Bonfils inherited from her parents,
Belle and Frederick, owners of The Denver Post. She later purchased adjoining properties, and the estate expanded to 750 acres.
The mansion was built of the finest Carrara marble, and was an exact replica of Marie Antoinette's Petite Trianon Palace in France, with the addition of a pink
private chapel.
Despite its extravagance, it was seldom publicized, because Mae strictly guarded her privacy. Belmar was decorated with treasures from around the world, collected on
extensive travels. The mansion and grounds were replete with paintings and reproductions of statues by the greatest artists of Europe.
After her divorce from her husband, Clyde Berryman in 1947, Mae married long-time friend, Charles Stanton in 1956. At her death in 1962, Stanton inherited about half
of her $13,000,000 estate. The mansion was left to the Franciscan Fathers, but was stripped and demolished in 1970 and the land sold to developers. Many of the
original furnishings and architectural elements now grace Denver area homes.
| MAY BONFILS STATISTICS |
|---|
| Born | 1883 |
| Died | March, 1962 |
| Location | Lakewood |
| Jefferson County |
| Colorado, USA |
An eccentric philanthropist, May Stanton was the daughter of Belle and Frederick Bonfils, owner of The Denver Post, and heiress to the Denver Post fortune.
From early childhood, she displayed an interest in jewels and began to assemble a famous collection. This collection included:
- A diamond necklace studded with twelve emeralds weighing 107 carats
- The Liberator Diamond
- The legendary Idol's Eye
| DETAILS OF MAY BONFILS IDOL'S EYE |
|---|
| CHARACTERISTIC | DETAIL |
|---|
| Stone | Diamond |
| Weight | 70.20 carats |
| Color | Blue-white |
| Source | Golconda |
| Setting | Pendant to diamond necklace |
| Accompaning stones | 41 round, brilliant diamonds |
| Weight of accompaning stones | 22.50 carats |
| Additional stones | 45 baguettes (long, rectangular shape) |
| Weight of baguettes | 12 carats |
| When worn by May | At breakfast every morning |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |
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| Remnants of the Belmar Estate and Mansion. |