Financial backing was provided by Thayer Tutt (owner of similar attractions atop Pikes Peak and the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs), and Quigg Newton, future mayor of Denver.

All the materials had to be hauled to the summit or fabricated on site, and the high elevation afforded a building season limited only to summer months.

Amenities provided to travelers by Crest House included a restaurant, gift shop, rest rooms, emergency oxygen, and an observation deck.

[citation needed] Early employees were Denver area college students on their summer break, who resided in bunks located in the rear of the building.

Most of the steel, glass, and wood timbers, paneling, and flooring were destroyed in the fire, leaving only the cast concrete walls and outer stonework.

The U.S. Forest service received a $450,000 settlement from the propane company for the loss—insufficient to cover the estimated $2 million in restoration costs, so the funds were used to rehabilitate the ruins into an observation platform.

[citation needed] Crest House represents a mixture of several different architectural styles, including Organic, Futuristic, Art Moderne.