Mesa Verde Spruce Tree House Dr. Jesse Walter Fewkes of the
Smithsonian Institution opened Mesa Verde Spruce Tree House for
visitation following excavation in 1908. Dr. Fewkes removed the
debris of fallen walls and roofs and stabilized the remaining
walls. Due to the protection of the overhanging cliff, Mesa
Verde Spruce Tree House had deteriorated very little through the
years and has required little supportive maintenance. Mesa Verde
Spruce Tree Overview: Mesa Verde Spruce Tree House, the third
largest cliff dwelling (Cliff Palace and Long House are larger),
was constructed between A.D. 1211 and 1278 by the ancestors of
the Puebloan peoples of the Southwest. The dwelling contains
about 130 rooms and 8 kivas (kee-vahs), or ceremonial chambers,
built into a natural alcove measuring 216 feet (66 meters) at
greatest width and 89 feet (27 meters) at its greatest depth. It
is thought to have been home for about 60 to 80 people. The
cliff dwelling was first discovered in 1888, when two local
ranchers chanced upon