Yet, Steve’s story is more than the tale of a community built, it’s the story of a man who refused to be defined by hardship. From a childhood marked by loss to the challenges of carving out a life in rural Colorado, his path was one of unwavering optimism and resilience. Those early trials forged the determination that would one day shape Pinehaven into the mountain haven he imagined.
Steve Pierotti entered the world on Christmas Day, December 25, 1917, in the quiet farming community of Apache, just outside Rye, Colorado.(1) His childhood was far from easy, by the age of nine, he and his siblings were orphaned, forced to navigate life without the guidance of their parents.(2) But hardship seemed only to sharpen Steve’s resolve. Even as a teenager, he stood apart for his uncommon drive and maturity. By 18, while most young men of the 1930s were still finding their footing, he was already managing local service stations, a role that demanded both responsibility and business savvy.
The Orphaned Coal Worker
Picture a crisp winter morning on the high plains of southern Colorado in 1917. Snow drapes the distant peaks of the Wet Mountains, and the low sun casts a golden light over the patchwork fields of Apache, a tiny farming community outside Rye. Inside a modest farmhouse warmed by a wood-burning stove, a baby’s first cries mix with the muffled laughter of Christmas Day. That child, Steve Pierotti, would begin life in humble surroundings, unaware of the challenges and triumphs that lay ahead.
Restless and ambitious, Steve didn’t linger in one place for long. On September 24, 1938, he married Anna Mae Micor in Denver, beginning a lifelong partnership.(3) Soon after, he traded the smell of gasoline for the grit of the coal mines, the economic backbone of Huerfano County in the years before World War II. When the war effort pulled many young men into military service, the mines faced critical labor shortages. Steve’s skill and reliability were so essential that his employer petitioned the U.S. government for, and received, a military deferment to keep him on the job.
Yet mining alone couldn’t contain Steve’s energy. After long days underground, he would load up his truck and haul coal to homes across the county, often delivering three to four loads a day for the next quarter-century, rain, snow, or blazing summer sun. And still, he found time to teach himself furnace installation, launching a heating and cooling business that ran alongside his coal work.
By combining relentless effort with a knack for seizing opportunity, Steve Pierotti rose to become one of Huerfano County’s largest coal dealers. He built more than a business, he built a reputation as a self-made man whose grit, vision, and work ethic turned backbreaking labor into a lasting legacy.
Opportunity of a Lifetime
The year was 1947, and the smell of coal dust still clung to Steve Pierotti’s jacket as he stood in the forest of Raspberry Mountain. Below him lay a scattering of rough cabins and endless stands of pine, a quiet place few people knew existed. In his hand, he held an offer that could change everything: the entire Pinehaven subdivision for $3,700. It was more than he had, but not more than he could dream. With a loan from a friend and a vision bigger than the valley itself, Steve was about to turn a mining town coal dealer into the unlikely founder of one of Colorado’s most picturesque mountain communities. His boundless energy and likeability took Pinehaven to a whole new level. Under his leadership, Pinehaven soared to new heights.
Steve Pierotti’s Pinehaven achievements include:
- Late 1940s–Early 1950s – Purchased the entire Pinehaven subdivision from John C. Vories for $3,700, borrowing from a friend to make the purchase.
- Early 1970s – Located a hidden spring on Raspberry Mountain and hand-dug a trench to bring water via pipeline to early Pinehaven cabins.
- 1970s (Early–Mid) – Oversaw the completion of Pinehaven Filing #1, selling lots and encouraging cabin construction.
- 1970s (By Mid-Decade) – Planned and launched Pinehaven Filing #2, extending Roads 405, 406, 407, and Road 401; added spacious half-acre lots and oversaw road and waterline installation.
- 1970s–1980s – Managed and maintained Pinehaven roads (unpaved) using local contractors and informal grading, preserving the community’s rustic charm.
- 2007–2008 – CSWD completed Pinehaven’s modern water and sewer integration, replacing the spring-fed system with underground pipelines, pumping stations, and sewer mains, an upgrade Steve had long advocated for.
By the end of the 1970s, Pinehaven had blossomed from a modest resort idea into a thriving alpine cabin community – largely due to Steve Pierotti’s vision and labor. Neighbors recall that Steve was the go-to problem solver and “mayor” of sorts in Pinehaven’s formative decades. Even as he grew older, he remained deeply involved in upkeep and local initiatives, cementing his status as a beloved community patriarch.
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| The land plat under Pierotii's ownership |
Unforgettable Legacy
Steve Pierotti’s mark on Pinehaven is as enduring as the pines that shade its cabins. Local historians still speak of the man who, without seeking applause, shaped the community through steady friendship, bold vision, and unshakable grit. He didn’t just develop land, he nurtured a place where neighbors could become family.
After decades of building and caring for Pinehaven, Steve chose to spend his retirement right where his heart had always been. He lived there until the age of 99, passing peacefully on June 2, 2017. His legacy continues in the most tangible way, his son Bob and daughter-in-law Cindy still reside in the family cabin at 301 Road 401, keeping the Pierotti name rooted in the community he loved.
In the end, Steve Pierotti’s life reads like a classic Huerfano County story, one of enterprise, grit, and deep devotion to the land. He transformed a rugged patch of mountain into a thriving community, and Pinehaven itself now stands as a living monument to his foresight and determination. His name remains woven into the fabric of local history, whispered in the rustle of the pines and remembered in the laughter of neighbors gathered under the mountain sky. (4)
Footnotes
Parenthetical numbers in the text (e.g., 5) correspond to the sequentially numbered citations listed below.
1. Tri-County Obituary Project (Karen Mitchell, compiler), “3P,” accessed August 9, 2025, https://www.kmitch.com/Pueblo/obits/3p.html.
2. Pueblo Obituaries, https://www.kmitch.com/Pueblo/obits/3p.html.
3. Colorado, Statewide Marriage Index, 1853–2006, entry for Steve Pierotti, accessed July 30, 2025, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9B2V-5QF?wc=M6Y5-VM3%3A228963101%26cc%3D1932434&cc=1932434&lang=en&i=2142
4. Author’s note: In preparing this article, the author used AI-assisted tools for research support, proofreading, fact-checking, and stylistic refinement. The narrative, analysis, and historical interpretations are the author’s own, and responsibility for accuracy rests solely with the author. The blog’s research methodology statement is available at:
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