In our previous blog, The Power of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising, we explored how individual supporters help extend preservation efforts by inviting others to give. This blog builds on that idea by focusing on Castle Cheer Champions—community members who support Hartman Castle by sharing its story, encouraging participation, and helping more people understand why preserving this historic place matters.

Preserving Hartman Castle has always been a community effort. While financial contributions are essential, one of the most powerful ways to support preservation is by helping others discover why this place matters.

That’s where Castle Cheer Champions come in.

A Castle Cheer Champion is someone who shares the story of Hartman Castle—online, in conversation, and in everyday moments—inviting others to care about its future. You don’t need fundraising experience, a large audience, or a formal role. What matters most is your voice and your willingness to use it.

Below are simple, meaningful ways to become a Castle Cheer Champion this giving season, whether you prefer to support digitally or in person.

Digital Ways to Support Hartman Castle

Let’s face it, our world often operates virtually these days, for better or for worse. In the case of fundraising, however, that can open up new opportunities for engagement and peer-to-peer fundraising!

Email: Personal Messages That Make a Difference

Email remains one of the most effective ways to reach people who care about you and trust your recommendations. A short, thoughtful note can introduce Hartman Castle to someone who may not yet know its story.

You might email friends, family members, colleagues, or neighbors—especially those who value history, architecture, community heritage, or preservation. Sharing why you care about Hartman Castle helps others understand why it’s worth supporting.

Even a single email sent to a small group can lead to new supporters and lasting awareness.

Social Media: Sharing the Story Where People Already Are

Social media allows you to reach beyond your immediate circle and help Hartman Castle’s story travel further. A post explaining why the Castle matters to you, a favorite photo, or a simple invitation to learn more can have a real impact.

You don’t need to post often or say something perfect. Authentic, personal messages resonate most. Sharing a donation link, encouraging others to follow Hartman Castle, or reposting official updates all help expand visibility.

Every share helps bring new people into the preservation conversation.

Ready-to-Share Messages

If you’d like to help spread the word about Hartman Castle but aren’t sure what to say, feel free to copy and paste one of the messages below—or adapt it to sound like you.

Email (Copy & Paste): 

Warm & Personal

Subject: A Cause I Care About

Hi,

I wanted to share a project that matters to me. Hartman Castle Preservation Corp. is working to protect and preserve the historic Hartman Castle in Gunnison—a landmark that has been part of the community for more than a century.

If you’d like to learn more or support preservation efforts, you can do so here:
https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/HartmanCastlePreservationCorp

Thanks for taking a moment to read this.

Best,
[Your Name]

Short & Simple

Subject: Help Preserve Hartman Castle

Hi,

Hartman Castle Preservation Corp. is working to preserve the historic Hartman Castle in Gunnison. If you’re interested in supporting local history, here’s where you can learn more or donate:

https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/HartmanCastlePreservationCorp

Thanks,
[Your Name]

Social Media (Copy & Paste):

Option 1: Personal & Reflective

I’m supporting Hartman Castle Preservation Corp. because historic places deserve care, not neglect. Hartman Castle has been part of the Gunnison Valley for more than 132 years, and I want to help ensure it’s protected for the future.

Learn more or support preservation efforts here:
https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/HartmanCastlePreservationCorp

#SaveHartmanCastle #HistoricPreservation #GunnisonColorado

Option 2: Short & Shareable

History matters. I’m supporting the preservation of Hartman Castle in Gunnison and inviting others to learn more.

https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/HartmanCastlePreservationCorp

#HistoricPreservationMatters #SaveHartmanCastle

Option 3: Community-Focused

Hartman Castle is an important part of Gunnison’s history and community. I’m proud to support efforts to preserve it and encourage others to do the same.

Learn more here:
https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/HartmanCastlePreservationCorp

#ColoradoHistory #HistoricPreservationMatters

In-Person Ways to Be a Castle Cheer Champion

Not all support happens online. In-person connections often leave the deepest impression and create meaningful conversations about why preservation matters.

• Involve your business or employer – Businesses that donate are listed on our website. Their names and logos will soon be on Gunnison’s main street. The window display will be featured on social media. In the spring, we will host a special ‘Business After Hours.’ Some corporations encourage employees to nominate nonprofits to receive donations. One visitor to the Castle completed the paperwork with her employer. We now receive an annual donation!

• Create a team or class legacy – Were you a member of a local team or class from either Western or Gunnison High School? Pool your team or classmates together and raise $500 or more, and have a permanent listing on our donor wall!

• Do you not need a Christmas gift this year? – Let your loved ones know that what you would really like this year is a lasting gift to the preservation of Hartman Castle. Donations can be made online at our website, through Colorado Gives, Venmo, or by sending a check.

• Host a movie night – Invite your friends over to watch Rocky Mountain PBS’s documentary “Saving Hartman Castle.” A great double feature is to also to show the documentary on Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair. Offer snacks and beverages of your choice. Don’t forget to put out a donation jar! Then share your experiences with all of us!

• Invite three friends to follow us – A personal invitation is one of the quickest ways to grow awareness.

• Tell us your “why” – Record a short video or write a few sentences about why preserving the Castle matters to you. We love featuring supporter stories.

• Celebrate your birthday with us – Consider dedicating your birthday or a special occasion to Hartman Castle. It’s a heartfelt and impactful way to support preservation.

• Start a “Castle Challenge” – Challenge your friends to post their best Castle photo or memory and tag us.

• Match a friend – Small matches go a long way! Try: “I’ll match the next $10 donated to Hartman Castle.”

Why Castle Cheer Champions Matter

Historic places cannot advocate for themselves. They rely on people who care enough to speak up, invite others in, and help carry their stories forward.

Castle Cheer Champions play a vital role in preservation by building awareness, strengthening community connections, and helping ensure that Hartman Castle remains standing for future generations.

If Hartman Castle matters to you, becoming a Castle Cheer Champion is one of the most meaningful ways you can help protect it.

To support HCPC directly, donations can be made through Colorado Gives, or our donation page.

The story of Annie and Alonzo Hartman, the original owners, designers, and builders of the historic Hartman Castle, is so much more than meets the eye. The two played pivotal roles in Gunnison’s earliest years, with Alonzo being one of the town’s founders and Annie helping lead the local Monday Afternoon Club, among other community roles.

Their love story is one for the ages, and also one that all of us who love the Gunnison Valley can relate to. The same love they poured into their marraige and family, they poured into Gunnison, helping it thrive and grow into the wonderful quaint mountain town we know it as today. That same love was also the foundation for their beloved family home, the Hartman Castle.

As we continue raising funds to cover our non-profit’s purchase of the castle, with an ultimate goal of restoration and preservation for the community and visitors alike, we want to officially dedicate space to celebrating Annie and Alonzo’s love story. They initially wed on January 28th of 1982 in Kansas. To follow-up the wedding, they held a reception in Gunnison on February 24th of that same year.

In celebration of the love that brought them together and brought all of us the stunning Hartman Castle, we are running a campaign through February 24th that we’re calling “Keeping the Heart in Hartman!” Continue reading to learn more about Annie and Alonzo’s love story and how YOU can join the movement to help save Hartman Castle.

Annie and Alonzo: Arriving to Gunnison

Alonzo arrived to the Gunnison Valley on Christmas Day in 1872 with what was thought to be the first herd of cattle to cross the continental divide of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. His initial job, as outlined in his biography, was to look after the cattle and the interests of the Ute Indians, on behalf of the government. In fact, he worked closely with Chief Ouray, who, according to his own accounts, he became quick friends with. Hartman was also appointed the first postmaster for Gunnison by General Adams, Colorado’s postmaster inspector. You can still see the small cabin that was used as the first post office at the Gunnison Pioneer Museum. That cabin would serve as the postoffice until December of 1881, when a brick post office building was erected on Main Street and christened via a community dance held by the young people of Gunnison.

Perhaps it was at this dance—held just over a month before their wedding—that Alonzo won the heart of Annie. Alonzo would spend nearly a decade helping establish Gunnison before meeting Annie Haifler, who would eventually become Annie Hartman.

While information on Annie is not as plentiful as that on Alonzo, the information that is available tells a story of a smart young woman and artist dedicated to her community and family. Annie was an avid painter, with historians suspecting her among the group of women who established an art exhibition at the second Gunnison County Fair. She won premiums the fair offered for oil paintings and worked to bring established artists to Gunnison to teach classes and train local artists. Although the exact year of Annie’s arrival to Gunnison is unknown, we do know that she arrived with her sister Lucy and soon took a job as an assistant in the county clerk’s office. According to Alonzo, they “soon became good friends and then engaged to be married.”

Annie and Alonzo pose with a group outside Gunnison County Courthouse before their marriage in 1881

The Early Years: Courtship and Marriage

While we may not know the exact details of Alonzo and Annie’s courtship, the snippets we have tell a fabulous story. Nine years after Alonzo’s Christmas arrival in Gunnison, and just over a month before they married, Annie became the first to ring the church bells at the town’s new Methodist Church on Christmas Day, an honor she earned by collecting the most donations in her name. Legend even has it that all those donations were made by the then-32-year-old-bachelor, Alonzo Hartman. Further, official accounts of their courtship show Alonzo was not the only fan of Annie, with a January 1982 article from The Gunnison Daily News – Democrat stating Hartman and ex-sheriff Yule were “after the same bride.“

Just days later, another announcement appeared in the Gunnison Daily Review announcing Annie and Alonzo’s engagement and plans to marry in Monticello, KS. While the couple didn’t tie the knot in the town that brought them together, they did follow their late-January wedding with a reception in Gunnison on February 24th, 1882. Alonzo recaps the events of the night in his biography, writing “it lasted till about midnight and was followed by supper, then dancing. Suddenly there were shouts of Fire! Then pistol shots. For a moment I thought it was a joke, but it wasn’t. Fire had broken out in a small building…we all rushed to remove the lumber to a safe place, while firemen pulled the shop down…” Thankfully for the lumber and other nearby buildings, their many reception guests were the first on the scene and reacted quickly!

In the first years of their marriage, Annie and Alonzo lived in a small cabin on Dos Rios Ranch. When their first daughter Hazel was born in 1884, they moved to a stone house on Wisconsin street that Alonzo built. Their son Bruce was born in that home two years later. Not long after, Alonzo and Annie decided to move back to the ranch and build a proper home there. And with that decision, Hartman Castle was imagined into existence!

 Bringing Hartman Castle to Life

Based on Annie’s drawings, the couple designed the stunning, gothic home we know today as the Hartman Castle. Construction on the castle commenced in the early 1890s, with one requirement: a turret where Annie could look out at the landscape and paint. Alonzo, having written that detail in his biography, seemed more than happy to oblige. So, we have Annie’s request and Alonzo adoring love for her to thank for what is many of our favorite feature of the castle! To furnish their home, Annie and Alonzo traveled to the World’s Fair in Chicago, a feat worth noting in the local newspapers. By 1900, the Hartman’s welcomed their second daughter, Leah, solidifying their family of five.

As the years went by, Hartman Castle would become the site of many community gatherings and parties. While a family home, the Hartman Castle was also a gathering spot for the Gunnison community to celebrate—and celebrate they did! As the home of a founding resident of the Gunnison, that may not be come as a surprise. In fact, accounts of weddings held at the castle can be found throughout newspaper archives and in Alonzo’s biography, including one of their own daughter’s weddings. Annie also held many meetings at the castle for their local Monday Afternoon Club. 

The Golden Years: Selling Hartman Castle

In 1912, Alonzo concluded that the ‘glory days of the cattlemen’ were behind them. He and others became involved in a real estate development plan in Paradox Valley. The Dos Rios ranch was sold to fund this project, which ultimately proved unsuccessful. Annie and Alonzo followed their youngest daughter, Leah, to California in approximately 1924.

Though they may have spent their golden years in California, Gunnison remained close to their hearts. They frequently visited for important events and to have their photos taken in front of the castle. Even when they weren’t in Gunnison, they maintained strong connections with the town through correspondence with friends and involvement in the Gunnison Pioneer Society and a California-based Gunnison group.

They celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in Lynwood, California, with many Gunnison friends in attendance. As Alonzo writes in his biography, “Gunnison will always feel like home to Annie and me; for we had our happiest days there…” He added, “A million thanks to the best wife on earth.”

Help us Keep the Heart in Hartman

Like many stories of early Gunnison, Annie and Alonzo’s love story is full of historical tidbits that help paint a picture of pioneers and the lives they led in Western Colorado. From the surprise fire that broke up their Gunnison reception to the guests that jumped in to put it out, the small details help us understand where Gunnison came from, and how it’s grown into the community we all love today.

The many stories that make up Annie and Alonzo’s love stories deserve to be passed on. Not only do they tell the story of one of the founders of Gunnison and his wife, they also tell the story of a community born from pioneers and cattlemen. And what better way to preserve this history than by preserving the place where so much of it happened. In the spirit of keeping these stories alive, will you donate $5 or more to help us keep the heart in Hartman?

What is peer-to-peer fundraising?

Peer-to-peer fundraising is a fundraising approach that relies on personal fundraising efforts on behalf of a non-profit. Have you ever had a friend share a GoFundMe page with you? What about a Facebook friend who set up a birthday fundraiser for their favorite non-profit? Maybe you’ve seen a for-profit business run a campaign for a non-profit fundraiser. Those are all examples of peer-to-peer fundraising! Anytime you have one of your peers, including individuals and businesses, reach out—whether in person, via email, on social media, or through any other avenue of communication—to encourage you to donate to a cause, that is peer-to-peer fundraising.

Why peer-to-peer fundraising?

While it may seem obvious that we are more likely to donate to a cause that other like-minded people and businesses support, there is actually a science behind why peer-to-peer fundraising can be so effective. Perhaps even more important though, the research tells us that not all peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns are created equally. For example, one 2019 study found “peer fundraisers who (1) identify more strongly with the selected charity, (2) take more actions to solicit donations, (3) signal their personal investment, (4) signal the efficacy of the charity, and (5) aim for a high target were more successful in raising donations.” In this way, how we engage in peer-to-peer fundraising can be just as important as whether or not we engage at all.

A more recent 2024 study has more useful insights to share: