History

Founded in 1942 by pianist Beth Miller Harrod, Rocky Ridge Music Center has a uniquely rich history, being one of the oldest music centers of its kind in the nation.

Situated at the foot of Longs Peak, the beautiful Hewes-Kirkwood Lodge, Dining Hall, and many of the surrounding log cabins, were built by novelist and poet Charles Edwin Hewes near the turn of the century. So great was his love for nature that all of the buildings were constructed using only logs of "fire-killed" trees. Not a single living tree fell in establishing the Hewes-Kirkwood Inn.

This love of nature and appreciation of the Center's majestic mountain setting are still carried on at Rocky Ridge. Music is heard along the mountainside as students practice in the woods or beside a nearby stream.