Andrew Jackson Downing called the American farmer “a man of nature” whose dwelling should suggest “simplicity, honesty of purpose, frankness, and a hearty genuine spirit of good will.” This amiability is expressed architecturally by a generous porch and many chimneys to embody hospitality, suggesting that Robert Roeschlaub had read Downing when he designed one of Colorado's first important country homes. The original owner, rancher Joseph W. Bowles, established a 2,000-acre spread along the west bank of the South Platte River. To celebrate his prominent pioneer role, he had Roeschlaub design this front-gabled, L-plan house in pink Castle Rock rhyolite. Built in the fashionable Queen Anne Style, it had hot and cold running water on both floors, gas lighting, a furnace, and extensive landscaping. The house has been home since 1935 to the Paul Wolf family, who raise horses and other live-stock at what they call Willowcroft.