10/16/2026
Introducing Stanley Fun Facts!
I hope you’re excited to continue learning about F.O. and Flora Stanley! In this new series we will be sharing fun stories, moments and interesting anecdotes that don’t usually make it into our regular tours.
🎻 Did you know that F.O. Stanley built violins? 🎵
We mention it on our tours but the story of his lifelong passion for the craft deserves much more attention than we can give it.
His grandfather taught him the craft in the 1850s and F.O.’s first violin was made in 1859. Despite it being a beloved hobby for his entire life, it wasn’t until 1924 that he decided to pursue it as a serious business venture. And pursuing it he did, he approached this project with the same enthusiasm and vigor that he approached all his passions with.
F.O. became obsessed with making his violins the best that they could possibly be. He traveled to the Stradivarius workshop in Cremona Italy to learn their techniques. F.O. was also determined to learn what the objectively best kind of wood was for making violins. During this quest he miraculously stumbled upon a forgotten Cache of Blue Spruce timbers that had been left in an abandoned mine for nearly 40 years. The conditions had dried the wood to the perfect consistency and Spruce was already well understood to make excellent violins. He would use this cache to make violins for the rest of his life.
During the resurgence of this passion, he also taught his nephew, Carlton, how to make violins. Carlton would go on to make over 400 violins and other instruments. Stanley violins, made both by F.O. and Carlton, were renowned for their quality and are said to rival the creations of F.O. 's personal idol, Antonio Stradivari.
Stanley Violins were and continue to be highly prized collector’s pieces. The Estes Park Museum has a gorgeous violin made personally by F.O. Stanley in their collection.
Source:
James H. Pickering, Mr. Stanley of Estes Park, ed. Susan S. Davis (Maine, Kingsfield: Stanley Museum, Inc., 2000), 274–77.
