Plans for ‘Red House 2.0’ Already Underway

Coffins plan to rebuild fire-ravaged family home, express gratitude
for outpouring of support.

_{^{By Chris Dickey}}

Mere days removed from experiencing the devastating loss of the home that has housed generations of family get-togethers, holidays, birthday celebrations, funerals and a wedding reception, Tracy Nichols-Coffin is remarkably determined about what comes next.
“Heck yes, we’re rebuilding,” she said when asked about such plans by the Silver World this week. “Red House 2.0.”
To Lake City historians, the structure at 521 Gunnison Avenue, which dates to 1876, was known as the Beam-Nichols house. To the family that has occupied it since John and Mary Ann Nichols purchased it in 1969, it’s forever been known as “The Red House” because of the signature (and unchanging) color adorning its log and clapboard siding.
The house was engulfed in flames late Sunday afternoon, Sept. 1, after a barbecue grill caught fire and quickly spread to the house. No one was injured, including pets, and local firefighters’ quick response prevented the blaze from spreading to neighboring homes.
“The scary part happened to us,” Nichols-Coffin said, “but the death of that home is being felt by all of us who have loved it for so long.”
John Hatley Nichols grew up frequenting Lake City from the Texas Panhandle on family fishing trips in the 1940s and ‘50s — before there were any paved roads here. When he and Mary Ann married, they decided they wanted to make Lake City a more permanent part of their family experience, so they purchased the Gunnison Avenue home.
Their three children — Jack, Tracy and Dawson — all grew up with the Red House being a mainstay in their lives.
“We moved around a lot as a family,” Nichols- Coffin explained, noting that her father was an “ad man” from Chicago. “But we spent every summer and Christmas at the Red House. It really is like a family member. It’s been our anchor our whole life.”
The Red House has served as a home to the Nichols’ children as well — fourth generation family members with such connections.
Tracy and her husband Mike Coffin have three grown kids (Tyler Coffin, 30, who lives in New York City; Army Captain Justin Coffin, 28, who is currently stationed at Ft. Liberty in North Carolina; and Mary Hatley Coffin, 19, who recently enrolled at Lake Forest College in Illinois).
Jack Nichols, who died in an ice climbing accident in 2018, and his wife Leslie had two boys (Johnny and Thomas) who grew up in Lake City, spending “tons and tons of time at the Red House,” according to Leslie.
Dawson, his wife Jenny and their two daughters, Hannah and Rosie, live in the Northwest but are also frequent Lake City visitors.
In 2006, Tracy and Mike purchased the home from Mary Ann. For years it served as their family summer retreat, but the couple, who both work remotely, moved into it full time this past June.
And the first Sunday in September was progressing quite normally, until fate intervened.

“We were having guests over for dinner,” Nichols- Coffin explained. “We lit the grill like we always do. Mike was walking in the side door to come grab the chicken. He was maybe three steps away from the grill when I looked out the window and saw the house was on fire.”
The speed with which the flames grew amazed the couple. Mike tried to turn the control knobs to the grill off, but they’d already become inoperable. He was dragging the grill away from the house, but the flames became too intense.
They even had a fire blanket in the home, which Tracy attempted to smother the building flames with. She likened it to “putting a napkin on a fourteener.”
Hinsdale County Sheriff’s Deputy Denim Starnes happened to be patrolling by at the time and was the first official on the scene. Firefighters arrived a reported eight minutes after the call went out. But it was too late.
The Coffins lost most of their possessions to the blaze — clothes, family photos, phones, wallets, computers. But they remain thankful that some items were spared — including Tracy’s wedding ring and Mike’s flyfishing rod and flies.
Mostly, though, they are overwhelmed with gratitude for the “many miracles” of support the community has bestowed upon them in light of the tragedy.
They’ve been housed in town with friends Liz and Kenny Howard. They’ve already received a lead on a potential rental home. Strangers have handed them money. Local businesses — including Climb, The Breakfast Hangout, Packers and Inklings — have offered free food and household necessities.
Jason Santos of the local presbyterian church was on scene and immediately started a food train, eliminating all need of the Coffins doing any cooking or grocery shopping for more than a week now.
“I can’t tell you how many people who have hugged us and prayed for us,” Nichols-Coffin said. “Everybody has been so kind. It’s overwhelming.”

^{The house at 521 Gunnison Avenue before the fire, left photo, and after, right photo.}

Mike Coffin reflects on the incident with gratitude: That wind, which could have spread the flames to other structures, was not blowing; that their kids were not home; that all the firefighters remained safe; that their dogs, Boo the Black Lab and Jack the Corgi, were retrieved from the burning building.
Mostly, though, he’s grateful for the love and support of the Lake City community.
“It’s just an honor to be welcomed here,” he said, “and have these people wrap their arms around us.”
The process of what to do with the charred remains of the home has already begun. An insurance adjuster and forensic fire expert have begun their investigations. A search for potential asbestos comes next, then salvage work will commence.
Gunnison-based architect Jody Reeser and contractor Ken Bodine have already visited the site, with wheels turning on how to rebuild. There is hope that some of the original log structure is salvageable.
“We really value the historic integrity of this community,” Nichols-Coffin said, “so we really want to recreate the facade if we can and the historic nature of the home.”

There is sadness, of course, that the place which served as a family anchor for more than a half century is no more.
“The mementos are gone,” Coffin said, “but the memories aren’t.”

^{Memories of better days – left photo – having a lemonade stand was a Fourth of July tradition at the red house. Mike and Tracy Coffin’s daughter Mary Hatley (middle) is joined by Lake City pals Rowan McNeese (left) and Silas Fox (right) in 2018.
-right photo- Mike and Tracy Coffin celebrated their wedding in the back yard of the Red House on Sept. 28, 2002. Here they are pictured with Tracy’s grandmother, Mary Groseth.}