The History of the Amy Mansion and Hood Mortuary

The Amy Mansion was first conceived of in 1882 when Ernest Amy came to Durango to manage the New York Smelter for his father.  At that time he purchased property on 3^rd Avenue and began the lengthy endeavor of building the mansion.   Mr. Amy had the mansion built in the shingle style of those found on the eastern seaboard to please his wife Isabelle (who was from New York).  The Pullman railroad car company installed the intricate woodwork as a wedding gift from Isabelle's family, of whom they were relatives. The mansion was finished in 1888 at a cost of about $50,000.

The home originally had 17 coal burning fireplaces, many of which have since been covered over. The chimneys of the fireplaces were too narrow for the soft, locally mined coal. Harder coal had to be shipped from back east until the fireplaces were converted over to gas inserts. The mansion was the first home in Durango to have indoor plumbing and electricity. According to reporters the mansion was heated and lighted in "the most modern manner," and was "furnished in elegant taste, heated and lighted as a New York City mansion." Bars were added to the first floor windows around 1893 to protect from the smelter workers who were laid off due to a local depression or to protect from wild Indians and drunken cowboys, depending on which historian tells the story. The bars have since been removed, but a person can still see where they were located. The Amy Family lived in the home until the late 1890's when a large corporation purchased the smelter. The home was then bought by a local family of the name Pingery who owned the home until they lost it during the depression to a gentleman named Hatcher from Pagosa Springs.

The Mansion remained a private home until 1935 when "Speed" Doran, the owner of Hood Mortuary purchased the home for $6,000 and moved the business from its location on 9th Street and 2nd Avenue. The overall appearance of the home remains the same although some interior and exterior modifications have been made.

Andrew Fuller Hood established Hood Mortuary in 1902 in the building behind the old Masonic lodge on 9^th Street.  He also owned Funeral Homes in Aztec, Silverton, Dolores, and Mancos.  The original building now houses offices and the Red Snapper restaurant. Mr. Hood also built the old Masonic Lodge, which originally served as a boarding house. In 1924 Mr. Hood died and in 1926 Mrs. Hood sold the Mortuary to Mr. Doran. In 1945 Hood Mortuary was sold to Ray Calloway who in 1959 sold to Charles Canatsy. In 1971, Harold Young purchased the funeral home from Chuck Canatsy and in 1991 the current owner, William Dunn, bought the funeral home from Harold Young.