774 County Road 4, Howard, CO 81233

The Howard Schoolhouse. Built in 1902, this one of a kind, passionately and painstakingly renovated brick building is perched on the top of a hill on two acres with the magnificent Sangre De Cristo mountain range in the front yard. Originally the two-room Howard School, is now a two bedroom, two bath, 1900sf home with soaring 14-foot ceilings, a 375sf loft [that could easily be a third bedroom], restored original wood floors, locally quarried stone foundation and lentils, 6 transoms, new kitchen with quartz countertops, exposed brick mudroom, pantry, closets galore, entirely updated plumbing, electrical and insulation, central vacuum system, newer front load washer and dryer and water softener. Radiant heat warms the core of the house and bathroom floors while a propane stove in the living room serves as extra comfort on cold nights. A brand-new Mr. Cool 32,000BTU Mini Split system delivers whole-house AC or additional heating. Hot Water Solar panels provide hot water for the main house and a grid-tied solar array on the shop/studio keeps electricity bills very reasonable. New shingles in 2015. A 1000+sf unfinished attic with 7-foot ceilings has potential, if need be. House is pre-wired for Starlink internet from the roof. The custom built 1,100sf detached Shop/Studio was built in 2011 and is fully plumbed with a small bathroom and sink. If woodworking is your calling, 220 power is at the ready and the space is designed for a plug-and-play central saw dust collection system with hidden hoses that run to a separate room in the back of the building. It's also plumbed for compressed air with two outlets. The building is fully insulated and could easily be converted to an ADU. The south facing windows and concrete floor provide significant solar gain in the winter months and dumbfounding views of the Sangre Range. A local coffee roaster is currently renting the space on month-to-month lease. The proven, 120-year-old augmented domestic well was inspected at 10 gpm and can water 1 acre of property if need be, but has only been used for a small garden and a patch of grass in the front yard. Brand-new well pressure tank as of last year. A garden shed, a new lean-to chicken coop, a historic wooden RIO GRANDE RAILROAD car and a skateboard ramp also flank the lovingly cared-for two acres. And yes, the antique cast iron school bell is LOUD! The 11 acres of unused field in front of the house is zoned for just one single-family home, so the mountain views are forever preserved. Miles of dirt road access at your doorstep and you can actually hear the Arkansas river from the house during Spring runoff. Salt of the earth neighbors, no barking dogs. 9 miles [14 minutes] to Salida up the river canyon. 45-ish minutes to Monarch Ski Area. 3 Hours to Denver. 2 hours to the Colorado Springs Airport. One hour to the Desert Reef Hot Springs in Florence. Located in Fremont County, but the Salida Schools are an option.