Wa-Ste-La
Wa-Ste-La is the Lienemann Family Home located in Estes Park, Colorado, with stunning views of the Rocky Mountains Front Range. Built on a Mountain side in a setting of pine trees, we think it is a dramatic and pleasant mixture of early American and contemporary living. The view is unobstructed in three directions, giving a spectacular view of the majestic Rocky Mountains. Wa-Ste-La is located at Beaver Point, where U.S. Highway 36, the High Drive and Mary’s Lake Road meet, in Park Entrance Estates. Wa-Ste-La is a short drive from Downtown Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.
After David E. Lienemann passed away from inoperable brain cancer on March 16, 1968, Del Lienemann, Sr, and Charlotte Lienemann decided that they would like to own their own home in Estes Park and name it after their son who died. So, in the summer of 1968, Del Lienemann, Sr., Charlotte Lienemann and Del Lienemann, Jr. began looking for a suitable lot on which to build a home. Our search for a lot brought us to Park Entrance Estates.
We looked at lot 25, which was at the back of the subdivision. This lot had a natural building site down by the road, but that site was directly across the road from the Russell’s home and it did not have a very good view of the Front Range. Del Lienemann, Jr. decided to hike up to the back of the lot and found a small grassy area that was fairly flat with a great view of the Front Range. After convincing Del Lienemann, Sr. and Charlotte Lienemann to hike up to the small grassy area, all agreed that this would be the perfect spot to build the home. However, it would require a very steep road to be built in order to get there.
The lot was purchased on August 19, 1968. Construction of the home began in 1969 and was finished in 1970. Below are some pictures of the home under construction.
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Once the home was completed, a name had to be chosen. Del Lienemann, Sr, and Charlotte Lienemann decided to use a Native American name for the home. The home was to be named after David, which means beloved, and they asked Frederick Dockstader to provide Native American names that they could consider. After reviewing the names submitted, Del Lienemann, Sr. and Charlotte Lienemann selected the Sioux name of Wa-Ste-La, which means beloved. Therefore, the name of the home has great meaning for the Lienemann Family.
Most of the furniture for the home was delivered by a semi-trailer. The driver of the semi-trailer stopped in the cul-de-sac where the road starts, got out of the semi-trailer and walked up the road to the home and back down to the cul-de-sac, got in the semi-trailer and backed it up the road to the home to unload the furniture. This feat is more amazing when you realize that at that time, the road was not paved like it is now, but was a dirt road. If you have driven up the road, you can visualize how difficult backing up a semi-trailer up the road would have been.
If you look above the fireplace mantel, you will see a pair of Elk antlers mounted on a plaque named Que Sera on the fireplace. The Russell’s used to live in the house directly across from our lot on Highview Court. During the winter and spring, Elk would rest in the open area on our side of the road across from the Russell’s to take in the warm sunshine.
In the spring, the male Elk lose their antlers and begin to grow new ones for the fall mating Rut. The Russell’s would go across the road to our lot and pick up the fallen antlers. They selected 2 of the best antlers and had them mounted on the Que Sera plaque, which was the name of their home.
When the Russell’s sold their home and were preparing to move out, they gave the Que Sera plaque with the Elk antlers to Del Lienemann, Sr. and Charlotte Lienemann. They felt that Del and Charlotte should have the Que Sera plaque with the Elk antlers, since they were actually left on our lot by the Elk and as a memento of their long friendship.
