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OAHP
Summit County
Breckenridge
Dillon
Keystone
Montezuma
Frisco
Slate Creek
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Breckenridge
Boreas Railroad Station Site
Boreas Pass Rd., Pike National Forest, southeast of Breckenridge
National Register 10/28/1993, 5ST.494 / 5PA.585
The site, located at an elevation of 11,498 feet, was a key element of the Denver South
Park & Pacific Railroad’s route that ran from Como to Breckenridge and then on to
Leadville. The DSP&P completed its narrow gauge line 1883. The station functioned as a
major hub both during construction of the route and during its period of operation from
1882 to 1937. The most prominent surviving structure is the one and one half story log
section house, which has been restored. (1998 photograph.)
Breckenridge Historic District
Breckenridge
National Register 4/9/1980, 5ST.130
Located in the Rocky Mountains approximately 100 miles west of Denver, Breckenridge is
an example of a mining boom town that experienced a new era of prosperity as a result of
the post World War II boom in the ski industry. Settlement in the area began in 1859. The
district contains approximately 180 structures and includes excellent examples of the late
19th and early 20th century commercial, residential and religious architecture associated
with Colorado mountain mining communities. The property is associated with the Mining
Industry in Colorado Multiple Property Submission. (1977 photograph.)
Masonic Placer Cemetery ~ Valley Brook Cemetery
905 Airport Rd.
National Register 7/18/2014, 5ST.884
The 1882 Masonic Placer Cemetery - Valley Brook Cemetery has an unusual Celtic cross
design and is important for its association with the development of the Town of
Breckenridge and Summit County. Additionally, it is the final resting place for Edwin
Carter, a naturalist whose life work to study and preserve each type of wildlife found in
Colorado’s Rocky Mountains was important to Breckenridge and Colorado. (2013
photograph.) More information (PDF, 1.31 MB)
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Dillon
Porcupine Peak Site
East of Dillon
National Register 8/1/1980, 5ST.98
Located on a river terrace, this prehistoric site is significant for its numerous occupational
components, extensive time range, and evidence suggesting a variety of cultural activities.
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Frisco
Frisco Schoolhouse
120 Main St.
National Register 9/15/1983, 5ST.258
Built circa 1890, this wood frame rural schoolhouse includes an elaborate bell tower and a
stained glass window. Listed under Rural School Buildings in Colorado Multiple Property
Submission. (1996 photograph.)
Staley-Rouse House
518 Main St.
State Register 5/31/2007, 5ST.1074
The 1909 Staley-Rouse House is a rare example of vertical and horizontal structural log
construction in a domestic design. The juxtaposition of the vertical logs of the first story
with the horizontal logs of the upper story is exceptionally uncommon. The use of difficult
keyed half-notching on the joints of the horizontal logs may reflect Nordic (possibly
Finnish) influences in the house’s design and construction. The building displays a high
level of workmanship. Despite alterations in the 1980s, the house is an example of the
town’s early architecture and is one of the best preserved buildings in Frisco in its original
location. (2005 photograph.) More information (PDF, 1.12 MB).
Wildhack’s Grocery Store - Post Office
510 Main St.
National Register 5/16/1985, 5ST.326
The building, which served as a local gathering place, consists of two wood frame
structures. During the 1920s, the two-story front gabled roof portion was added on to a late
19th century one-story, side gable roof cabin. The building housed the U.S. Post Office
from 1914 to 1966, and for many years was the only general store in Frisco. (1987
photograph.)
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Keystone
Soda Creek Homestead
Off Keystone Ranch Rd.
National Register 3/1/2010, 5ST.366
Soda Creek Ranch was of the region’s earliest homesteads beginning in the late 1880s. It
was used as a dairy and hay ranch through early era and later as a Hereford cattle ranch
with continued hay production into the early 1970s. Soda Creek Ranch served as a
prominent guest ranch between circa 1924-60. The ranch contains intact Pioneer Log
buildings associated with Colorado’s early mining and settlement along with four later log
buildings with hog trough construction and a Rustic style influence.
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Montezuma
Montezuma Schoolhouse
5375 Webster St.
National Register 1/9/2007, 5ST.1043
The school building served as the educational center for this high mountain mining
community from its construction in 1884 up until school consolidation brought about its
closure in 1958. The building embodies the distinctive characteristics of the one-room
schoolhouse building type. Its purpose is easily discerned by its form. The school exhibits
such typical features as a front gabled roof, bell tower, vestibule, tall narrow windows, and
associated privies. Listed under the Rural School Buildings in Colorado Multiple Property
Submission. More information (PDF, 656 kb).
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Slate Creek
Slate Creek Bridge
County Rd. 1450, over Blue River
National Register 6/24/1985, 5ST.324
Constructed by the American Bridge Company in 1924, this replacement bridge over the
Blue River north of Dillon consists of a rigid-connected, eight-panel steel Parker pony truss
with buttresses. It is the only Colorado example of this Pratt subtype. Listed under
Highway Bridges in Colorado Multiple Property Submission.
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Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
San Miguel County
Ophir
Placerville
Telluride
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Ophir
Rio Grande Southern Railroad Bridge 51-A
Forest Service Rd. 626, southeast of Hwy. 145, Ophir vicinity
State Register 5/14/1997, 5SM.2030.14
Constructed between 1910 and 1912, this 146-foot long wooden bridge is associated with
the Rio Grande Southern Railway. Built on a sharp 24-degree curve, its engineering
reflects the suitability of the narrow gauge lines in Colorado’s difficult mountainous
terrain.
Rio Grande Southern Railroad Trout Lake Water Tank
Ophir vicinity
National Register 8/21/2003, 5SM.2030.13
A rare surviving example of a once common structure in Colorado’s railroad landscape, the
tank provided water to countless steam locomotives on the Ridgway to Rico division of the
Rio Grande Southern Railroad (RGS) from its construction in 1891 until the last RGS train
ran the line in 1951. The tank was a very necessary stop, especially for trains that
consumed a great deal of water while working in the area’s heavy snows and difficult
terrain. The RGS constructed sixteen water tanks, at approximately ten-mile increments,
along its 162-mile length to service locomotives. These tanks were of wood construction
with conical roofs and a 50,000-gallon capacity that dispensed water by gravity through a
goose neck delivery spout. After abandonment, all but three of the water tanks were
removed, and Trout Lake is the best preserved. Listed under Railroads in Colorado, 18581948 Multiple Property Submission.
Valley View Leasing & Mining Company Mill
Ophir vicinity
National Register 2/24/2010, 5SM.6717
The 1920 Valley View Leasing and Mining Company Mill, commonly known as the
Matterhorn Mill, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A in
the area of industry at the local level of significance for its contribution to the 20th-century
silver mining in Colorado's San Juan Mountains where it related directly to mining within
San Bernardo Mountain. When constructed the Matterhorn Mill was a state-of-the-art
flotation mill that utilized new technology to produce a higher grade concentrate than could
be accomplished by the old-style stamp mill with concentration (shaker)
tables. Matterhorn Mill remains as nearly complete an example of a concentration mill
using the first generation of the flotation system extant in the American West. Matterhorn
Mill is further eligible under Criterion C in the area of engineering at the local level of
significance.
The mill is listed under the National Register Multiple Property Documentation Form The
Mining Industry in Colorado: Mining Technology, Methods, and Equipment in Colorado:
1858-2005, representing the Ore-Concentration Facility—Concentration Mill property
type. (2009 photograph.) More information (PDF, 108 kb).
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Placerville
Schmid Ranch
4553 County Rd. 60M, Placerville vicinity
State Register 8/14/2002, 5SM.2770
Long associated with the history of high country ranching on Wilson Mesa, the Schmid
Ranch contains three distinct ranchsteads developed on five homestead parcels. The
original 160 acre homestead dates from 1882. Over the years, the ranch functioned as an
important hay producing, cattle, and dairy operation. The collection of buildings, dating
from the 1880s to the 1970s, represents the vernacular nature of agricultural buildings, their
evolution and growth through continued use, and the pattern of relocation to accommodate
changing needs. In addition, many of the buildings illustrate a variety of log construction
techniques. The ranch is the last intact example of the many agricultural operations that
once covered the mesa. Due to increasing development pressures, members of the Schmid
family have placed a conservation easement on the approximately 800 acre property. More
information (PDF, 92 kb).
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Telluride
Fall Creek Tram at Primos Siding
Off Hwy. 145, west of Sawpit, Telluride vicinity
State Register 5/14/1997, 5SM.2847
Constructed in 1918 with some rebuilding in 1940, the tram is important as the last
remaining structure from the vanadium mining industry that operated in the Lower San
Miguel Mining District. The tram is one of very few surviving aerial tramways in the
region. (1997 photograph.)
Fort Peabody
Uncompahgre National Forest, Telluride vicinity
National Register 3/30/2005, 5OR.1377 / 5SM.3805
Straddling the Ouray & San Miguel County lines near Telluride at an elevation of over
13,000 feet, Fort Peabody is associated with Colorado’s hard-rock labor strikes of 190304. A local Colorado National Guard unit constructed this redoubt in early
1904. Consisting of a small guardhouse, a flag mount, and what some characterized as a
sniper’s nest, troops occupied the defensive fortification until martial law was revoked in
June of that year. Built for a single purpose - to prevent members of the Western
Federation of Miners, union sympathizers, and previously deported men from entering San
Miguel County by way of Imogene Pass - the site illustrates how quickly and often illegally
mine owner management gained control of local government and the Colorado National
Guard to run roughshod over the legal, political, and economic rights of union
members. The fort was named for then Governor James H. Peabody, who used the national
guard to realize the anti-union objectives of the mine owners. The site tells the story of
conquest, class, and the role of state government. It epitomizes the conflict between mine
owners and the Western Federation of Miners, the questionable use of the national guard,
and the discrimination faced by union members. (2004 photograph.)
Lewis Mill
Telluride vicinity
National Register 5/6/2009, 5SM.4180
The 1910 Lewis Mill is a distinctive example of engineering and high country milling
technology. At the time of its construction, the Lewis Mill was a state-of-the-art ore
concentration mill. The Lewis Mill is the only transitional mill in Colorado that retains its
original milling equipment. Additionally, the mill utilized technology developed by Robert
H. Richards, a nationally recognized mining engineer from the Massachusetts School of
Technology. The Lewis Mill contains the only remaining example of the Richards method
of ore concentration in Colorado and is listed at the State level of significance. (2008
photograph.) More information (PDF, 7.47 MB).
For information about the State Historical Fund’s participation in the preservation of
this property see the Project Snapshot.
Smuggler-Union Hydroelectric Power Plant / Bridal Veil Powerhouse
East of Telluride
National Register 12/27/1979, 5SM.751
Opened in 1907, the power plant is associated with the development of the SmugglerUnion Mining Company, one of Colorado’s most important producers during the late 19th
and early 20th centuries.
Telluride Historic District
Colo. Hwy. 145, roughly includes all the commercial and residential area as well as the
Lone Tree Cemetery to the east
National Historic Landmark 7/4/1961, National Register 10/15/1966, Boundary
Adjustments: 12/1/1976, 9/30/1988, 5SM.752
The district encompasses most of the original town and is significant for its association
with the settlement of the western frontier and the development of metal mining. The
architecture of its approximately 300 contributing buildings is representative of 19th
century western mining "boom town" construction. The property is associated with the
Mining Industry in Colorado Multiple Property Submission. (Miner's Union Hospital
photograph.)
Vance Junction Coal Chute
Along railroad grade, north of Ilium, Telluride vicinity
State Register 5/14/1997, 5SM.951.8
The circa 1890 chute is associated with the Rio Grande Southern Railway’s narrow-gauge
line that operated through the mountainous regions of southwestern Colorado. Once
common along coal burning railroads, it is Colorado’s only remaining coaling chute on a
narrow-gauge line. (2002 photograph.)
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Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
National & State Register Historians Region Map
Contact Erika Warzel (303-866-4683)
Contact Heather Peterson (303-866if your site is in the following counties:
4684) if your site is in the following counties:
Alamosa
Arapahoe
Archuleta
Chaffee
Conejos
Costilla
Custer
Delta
Denver
Dolores
Douglas
Elbert
El Paso
Fremont
Gunnison
Hinsdale
Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
Huerfano
La Plata
Lake
Mesa
Mineral
Montezuma
Montrose
Ouray
Park
Pitkin
Pueblo
Rio Grande
Saguache
San Juan
San Miguel
Teller
Adams
Baca
Bent
Boulder
Broomfield
Cheyenne
Clear Creek
Crowley
Denver
Eagle
Garfield
Gilpin
Grand
Jackson
Jefferson
Kiowa
Kit Carson
Larimer
Las Animas
Lincoln
Logan
Moffat
Morgan
Otero
Phillips
Prowers
Rio Blanco
Rio Grande
Routt
Sedgwick
Summit
Washington
Weld
Yuma
Saguache County
Crestone Mosca
Location Restricted
La Garita Saguache
Moffat
Sargents
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Crestone
Crestone School
Cottonwood St. & Carbonate Ave.
National Register 1/9/1986, 5SH.1014
Constructed during the 1880s, clapboards were installed over the original board and batten
siding in 1901. This rural schoolhouse continued to serve the area’s children until
1949. Listed under Rural School Buildings in Colorado Multiple Property Submission.
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La Garita
Capilla de San Juan Bautista
La Garita vicinity
National Register 2/8/1980, 5SH.125
The adobe church with its steeply pitched roof, lancet windows, and prominent bell tower
is an example of Territorial Adobe style architecture with Gothic Revival
influences. Replacing an earlier church that burned, construction began in 1912 and was
not completed until 1923. As in most Hispanic communities, the church became the center
of both social and religious activities. The grounds include the ruins of an adobe nunnery
and a cemetery with hand-carved grave markers. Abandoned in 1957 and fallen into
disrepair, the building was restored and converted into a folk art center. (1996
photograph.)
Carnero Creek Pictographs
Rio Grande National Forest
National Register 6/5/1975, 5SH.48
There are several recognizable motifs on these pictograph panels, including spirals,
crescents, bird tracks, ladders, and stick and animal figures. Like most rock art, it has the
potential to provide information regarding ceremonial practices, such as shamanism.
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Moffat
First Baptist Church of Moffat
401 Lincoln Ave.
National Register 7/24/2008, 5SH.1020
The 1911 building is an excellent example of the use of on-site formed, panel-faced
ornamental concrete blocks in a small but elegant church building. The irregular plan and
cross-gabled roof building is also noteworthy for its primary and secondary steeples and its
use of pressed metal roof shingles and siding. Original stained glass windows are present
throughout the building as is the interior pressed metal ceiling. Though structural
deterioration is a current problem, the church retains a high degree of physical integrity in
relation to its original construction. The property is associated with the Ornamental
Concrete Block Buildings in Colorado, 1900-1940 Multiple Property Submission. (2006
photograph.) More information (PDF, 748 kb).
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Mosca
Indian Grove
Mosca vicinity
National Register 3/24/2000, 5SH.1035
Indian Grove, located within Great Sand Dunes National Monument, is a concentration of
72 mature ponderosa pine trees, many of which contain large scars. Archaeologists believe
that Ute Indians peeled the bark from these trees, and that the site can provide important
information about Ute social history and subsistence strategies. The majority of these
culturally modified trees were peeled between 1816 and 1848. Very few definitive Ute
sites have been identified in Colorado.
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Saguache
Dunn's Block / Means & Ashley Mercantile Company
317-325 4th St.
State Register 8/31/2006, 5SH.1901
The property consists of an 1874 building with a ca. 1910 addition. The older portion is
representative of the Italianate style, reflected in its brick walls with quoins, the projecting
metal cornice, and the tall, narrow arched window and door openings marked with hood
molds and keystones. It is the most architecturally sophisticated of Saguache’s early
buildings. A variety of businesses occupied the building, contributing to the commercial
success of Saguache. The building subsequently housed one of the town’s most prominent
businesses-Means & Ashley Mercantile. The building’s history typifies the pattern of
commercial activity experienced in the first fifty years of Saguache’s development. Early
on, the building hosted important political meetings and social gatherings, and served as
the meeting lodge for several of the town’s fraternal organizations, including the Odd
Fellows, Masons, and Woodmen. The Masons continue to meet here. (2006
photograph.) More information (PDF, 1.45 MB).
Saguache County Courthouse
504 4th St.
State Register 8/11/1993, 5SH.1392
Designed by John J. Huddart, this Classical Revival style 1910 brick building includes 2½
stories and a raised basement. (1993 photograph.)
Saguache Downtown Historic District
300 and 400 blocks of 4th Street and adjacent side street parcels
National Register, 7/25/2014, 5SH.4597
The Saguache Downtown Historic District is locally significant in the area of commerce
for its historic role as the commercial center of the Town of Saguache and the upper San
Luis Valley since its founding in 1874. The district is further locally significant in the area
of architecture, representing an intact collection of one- and two-story late nineteenth- and
early twentieth century commercial buildings, including an impressive number of buildings
featuring false front and adobe construction. More information (PDF, 5.73 MB).
Saguache Elementary School
605 Christy Ave.
State Register 8/11/1993, 5SH.1393
The architectural firm of Manning & Frewen designed this two-story H-shaped brick
building that was constructed in 1915. The building is a good example of the
Mediterranean style, as evidenced by its tile roof, restrained ornamentation, and round
arched windows and entrance.
Saguache Flour Mill
County Rd. 57
National Register 9/18/1978, 5SH.458
Constructed in 1873 by Enos Hotchkiss, a prominent Colorado pioneer, the wood frame
three-story building is a lone survivor of an important early industry in Saguache
County. It is believed to be one of the few remaining water powered grist mills in
Colorado. (1976 photograph.)
Saguache School & Jail Building
US Hwy. 285 & San Juan Ave.
National Register 5/2/1975, 5SH.124
One of the oldest buildings in Saguache, the adobe school was constructed in 1874. The
adjoining jail was built in 1908. The buildings have served as the Saguache County
Museum since 1959.
St. Agnes Mission Church
505 Gunnison St.
State Register 9/10/2003, 5SH.1658
The 1947 building is an unusual vernacular expression of Pueblo Deco, a melding of Art
Deco with Southwest Indian designs. The church possesses the distinctive characteristics
of this style as evident in its angular composition, vertical emphasis, stepped parapet,
corbelled cut-outs, and geometric designs. (2003 photograph.) More information (PDF, 60
kb).
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Sargents
Sargents Schoolhouse
346 Hicks Ave.
State Register 12/13/1995, 5SH.1485
The 1924 Sargents Schoolhouse played an important role in the education and social
activities of the residents of Sargents and nearby communities. Even after it ceased to
function as a school in 1960, it continued to serve as a community center, with volunteers
actively supporting its maintenance. (2002 photograph.)
Sargents Water Tank
45 Front St.
National Register 8/12/2010, 5SH.3633
The 1937 Denver & Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) water tank at Sargents is listed as a
subtype defined in the 1998 Railroads in Colorado 1858-1948 Multiple Property
Documentation Form. The tank is significant under Criterion A in the area of
Transportation for its association with the operations of the D&RGW Railroad on its
Marshall Pass Route. The tank provided water for a vast number of steam locomotives
traveling the pass from its construction in 1937 through the closing of the line in 1955. The
D&RGW Sargents water tank is further significant under Criterion C in the area of
Engineering as representative of a distinctive design and construction method associated
with water tanks for the railroad. Tanks of identical design, materials, and construction
were built throughout the D&RGW system with only a handful of these structures
surviving. The Sargents water tank is the only surviving example in its original location
along the entire length of the Marshall Pass route.
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Location Restricted
Biedell Creek Archaeological District
Location Restricted
State Register 10/28/2010, 5SH.3997
The Biedell Creek Archaeological District comprises a cultural landscape representing
approximately 10,000 years of human occupation. Based on the available archaeological
data, this district is significant in the areas of prehistoric archaeology, architecture,
economics, ethnic heritage, and industry. This is an area with great potential for
contributing new knowledge about the prehistoric archaeology of south-central Colorado.
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Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
San Juan County
Howardsville
San Juan
Silverton
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Howardsville
Old Hundred Mine Boarding House & Tramhouse
721 County Rd. 4A, Howardsville vicinity
State Register 3/11/1998, 5SA.32
The boarding house and the adjacent tramhouse reflect important engineering aspects of
high altitude hard rock mining. Constructed in 1904, two-thousand feet up a mountain
face, these buildings illustrate the resourcefulness, perseverance and technology needed to
mine the rugged San Juans. Miners in the San Juans were noted for the engineering
innovation of aerial tramways built above timberline to access the more valuable ore
deposits. This property is associated with the Historic Mining Resources of San Juan
County Multiple Property Submission. (1904 photograph.)
For information about the State Historical Fund’s participation in the preservation of
this property see the Project Snapshot.
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San Juan
Placer Gulch Boarding House
San Juan vicinity
National Register 3/21/2011, 5SA.576
The circa 1905 Placer Gulch Boarding House is a rare surviving example of a 1½ story
boarding house from the hard-rock mining era in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. The
building originally had private living quarters, a kitchen, dining room and large storage
room on the first floor with benches and individual beds on the second. An adit to the
Prospect Mine is just down the slope from the boarding house and the Gold Prince aerial
tramway passes through this site. This property meets the requirements under the draft
Multiple Property Documentation Form titled Mining Resources in San Juan County, a
sub-context of the Multiple Property Documentation Form titled the Mining Industry in
Colorado. It has two property types: 1) Mining Settlement and Residence - Worker
Housing and 2) Hard Rock Prospect – Prospect Adit. (2008 photograph.)
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Silverton
Animas Cañón Toll Road
Between Durango and Silverton in the San Juan National Forest
National Register 3/27/2017, 5SA.1466 / 5LP.1258
Constructed in 1876-77, the Animas Cañón Toll Road was the main route between Animas
City (north of Durango) and Silverton during the development of the mining camps in the
surrounding region. Prior to the toll road’s construction, isolation was an impediment to the
settlement of Silverton and the development of its mines, with trails and roads impassable
for nearly six months of the year. Sufficient supplies and equipment were brought in with
great difficulty and only the highest grade ore was transported out. With the construction of
the Animas Cañón Toll Road, it was possible to freight in and out of Silverton nearly yearround. Of particular importance was the stimulation the road provided for agricultural
production in the Animas Valley. The road was operable from 1877 until 1882 when a
branch of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad was constructed over much of the road’s
original footprint and became the primary means of transport between Durango and
Silverton. Surviving segments of the original toll road are the subject of the nomination.
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Animas Forks
Silverton vicinity
National Register 3/21/2011, 5SA.26
Animas Forks is significant as a representative and relatively well-preserved ghost town for
its association with commerce, industry, exploration and settlement, social history and
architecture. It was active during the peak of hard-rock silver and gold mining in the San
Juan mountains. When established in 1875, the community was strategically situated at the
confluence of the East and West Forks of the Animas River, in the center of a region being
extensively prospected and developed for hard-rock silver and gold mining. After the
initial boom of the early and middle 1880s, the town gradually declined in
prosperity. Animas Forks suffered a cataclysmic fire in 1891 that resulted in it becoming a
virtual ghost town. The establishment of the Gold Prince Mill on the eastern edge of the
town resulted in a resurgence from 1905 to 1910. With closure of the Gold Prince Mill in
1910, another devastating fire in 1913, and the shutdown of the Bagley Tunnel in 1914, the
town once again fell into obscurity, with only sporadic residential use from the 1920s to
1960s. It meets the requirements under the Multiple Property Documentation Form titled
Mining Resources of San Juan County representing the property type Mining Settlement
and Residence - Unincorporated Settlement, and also meets the requirements of the Mining
Industry in Colorado Multiple Property Documentation Form. (2004 photograph.)
Cascade Lodge
Adjacent to Lime Creek Rd., between Durango and Silverton
National Register 9/8/1988, 5SA.184
Constructed in 1928 under a special use permit within the San Juan National Forest, this
two-story Rustic style log building with its unusual cross-shaped plan represents early 20th
century Forest Service land use policies no longer in effect. It was originally built through
community efforts as a summer camp for boy scouts, church groups, 4-H Club members,
and other youth groups from the Durango and San Juan Basin. (1987 photograph.)
Denver & Rio Grande Western Flanger OT
Silverton Northern track on Cement Street between 7th and 10th streets
State Register 9/25/2014, 5SA.1526
Built in the 1890s and rebuilt in 1943, the Flanger OT cleared snow and ice from the side
of the tracks for the Railroad’s narrow gauge lines. DR&G patented “the snow flanger” in
1885, and continued to refine and improve the design, resulting in many different blade
shapes, sizes and configurations over the years. Flanger Car OT is significant for
engineering as a representative of snow removal equipment. The flanger is also significant
for transportation for its rail service from ca.1890-1968. More information (PDF, 2.09
MB).
Denver & Rio Grande Western Flatcar No. 6215
Silverton Northern track on Cement Street between 7th and 10th streets
State Register 9/25/2014, 5SA.1527
Originally built in 1918 as one of ten flatcars in Class 21, Flatcar 6215 was entirely of
wood. In 1937 D&RGW rebuilt the car, extending the length two feet and adding large 8” x
6” angle irons to the center and side sills and other metal bracing to strengthen it. The car is
significant for engineering as a transitional narrow gauge flat car, representing the effort of
the railroad to improve its existing stock of wood flat cars before converting completely to
steel in 1940. Flat Car 6215 is also significant for transportation for its continued service as
a revenue and maintenance car from 1918-1968. More information (PDF, 3.9 MB).
Denver & Rio Grande Western Outfit Bunk Car No. 04432
Silverton Northern track on Cement Street between 7th and 10th streets
State Register 9/25/2014, 5SA.1525
Outfit Bunk Car 04432 is a converted revenue boxcar originally built in 1899 and
repurposed in 1914 as living quarters for rail workers servicing railroad water facilities
along the rail line, work which was critical to the steam-powered narrow gauge railroad.
The car is significant for engineering as a good example of an early narrow gauge box car
converted for use as living quarters. It is also significant for transportation for its continued
service on the narrow gauge rail lines of southwest Colorado from 1899-1968. More
information (PDF, 699 KB).
Denver & Rio Grande Western Tool Car No. 04351
Silverton Northern track on Cement Street between 7th and 10th streets
State Register 9/25/2014, 5SA.1528
Outfit Tool Car 04351 is a boxcar originally built in 1897, reassigned as a work car in 1914
and again in 1927 to carry tools, parts, and supplies for rail crews in wrecker service along
the rail line. The car is significant for engineering as a good example of a Class 6 boxcar.
Its conversion in 1914 to use as a maintenance-of-way tool car required minimal changes.
The car is also significant for transportation from 1897-1968 for its continued service, first
as a revenue boxcar, then as a tool car for the D&RGW Chama Wrecker Train. More
information (PDF, 2.3 MB).
Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Silverton to Durango
National Historic Landmark 7/4/1961, National Register 10/15/1966, 5SA.14 / 5LP.302
The narrow gauge rail line, constructed between 1880 and 1882, connected the rich silver
mines of the Silverton mining district with the smelters in Durango. The line formed an
important transportation link for moving ores to processing centers and supplying the high
mountain community with the necessities and comforts of life. From an engineering
perspective, the route represents the accomplishments of late 19th century railroad builders
who constructed a slender rocky ledge for the railbed through the deep and narrow Animas
River canyon. The railroad continues to operate as a summer tourist attraction. Listed
under Railroads in Colorado, 1858-1948 Multiple Property Submission. (1979
photograph.)
Frisco-Bagley Mill
820 County Rd. 9, Silverton vicinity
State Register 5/18/2005, 5SA.165
Constructed in 1912, the Frisco Mill is important for its distinctive architecture. The 150ton ore concentration mill with its massive post and beam construction is an unusual
example of a prefabricated industrial building. Its pieces were pre-cut, pre-fit, and coded
with numbers and letters before being shipped to the site for assembly. This speeded and
simplified the construction process on site. The Bagley Tunnel, excavated between 1904
and 1911, runs for nearly one and one-half miles and was one of the first examples of
cross-cut tunneling in the area. Such a tunnel allowed several different veins to be mined
simultaneously or individually to meet the needs of the mill. The tunnel is notable for its
size, symmetry and straight northwesterly course through Houghton Mountain. The mill
and tunnel were associated with hard rock mining in the upper Animas River drainage
system of the San Juan Mining District. Although the project accessed the mineral veins
near the town of Mineral Point, the community of Animas Forks ultimately benefited from
the construction and operation of the tunnel and mill building. This property is associated
with the Historic Mining Resources of San Juan County Multiple Property
Submission. More information (PDF, 1.93 MB).
Gold Prince Mine, Mill, and Aerial Tramway
Silverton vicinity
National Register 10/13/11, 5SA.37, 5SA.585 and 5SA.1335
The Gold Prince Mine, Mill, and Aerial Tramway is a representative large-scale industrial
mining and milling complex from the principal period of hard-rock mining in Colorado.
The period of significance for the complex is from 1883, when Rasmus Hansen struck a
rich body of ore and productive mining of the Sunnyside Extension Mine began, to 1910,
when the Gold Prince Mill ceased operation. The complex has four important Areas of
Significance – Archaeology, Engineering, Industry, and Transportation – and exhibits three
property types: 1) Hard Rock Mine – Tunnel Mine; 2) Ore Concentration Facility –
Concentration Mill; and 3) Mining Settlement and Residence – Worker Residence. This is
filed under the Mining Industry in Colorado MPDF. (2006 photograph.)
Martin Mining Complex
6350 County Rd. 2, Silverton vicinity
State Register 12/10/2003, 5SA.1056
The Martin Mining Complex is associated with the mining industry in the San Juan
Mountains and the Eureka Mining District. The complex displays the development of
industrialized hard rock mining and the transportation infrastructure needed to make such
mining profitable in a rugged region. The Martin Mining Complex is representative of the
boom and bust cycle that was always present with industrialized mining. The 1929 Martin
Boardinghouse is one of the best-preserved and largest boardinghouses still standing in the
San Juan Mountains. More precisely, the Martin Boardinghouse can be called a “miners’
hotel” and is one of the largest and best preserved examples of its type. Boardinghouses
typically contained one large room where supplies and materials jostled with double wood
bunks three tiers high. Sometimes twenty or more men lived in this single large
room. Miners’ hotels represented a step up in accommodations. The type generally
contained individual bedrooms with two men to a room. Each man slept on his own bunk
or bed. Indoor bathrooms offered hot water for showers. Other amenities might include a
library stocked with books, magazines, and newspapers, hotel china in the dining room,
and a better quality of food. The property is associated with the Mining Industry in
Colorado and Historic Mining Resources of San Juan County Multiple Property
Submissions. (1940s photograph.)
Minnie Gulch Cabins
Silverton vicinity
National Register 3/21/2011, 5SA.1172
The circa 1904 -1910 Minnie Gulch Cabins site, including the cabins, dugout, and
associated artifact scatters, represent a typical small residential and industrial complex
associated with nearby mining during the turn of the 20th Century. Intact groupings of this
sort from the hard-rock mining period in Colorado are unusual. This complex is significant
for its association with the San Juan Mining boom, the pioneer log cabins typical for
miners, and the potential for the complex to yield important information for history. It
meets the requirements under the Multiple Property Documentation Form, Mining
Resources in San Juan County, and the Multiple Property Documentation Form, Mining
Industry in Colorado for the property type Mining Settlement and Residence.
Shenandoah-Dives Mill
Colo. Hwy. 110
National Historic Landmark 2/16/2000, National Register 2/16/2000, 5SA.398
The Shenandoah-Dives Mill, which was constructed in 1929, is an exceptionally intact
example of a selective flotation mill reflecting the distinctive characteristics of hard-rock
milling processes in the early 20th century Rocky Mountain West. It is also the only intact
and functional late 1920s-era, wooden gravitational selective flotation mill in
Colorado. Listed under the Historic Mining Resources of San Juan County Multiple
Property Submission. 2010 State Historical Fund Project photos on Flickr.
Sound Democrat Mill and Mine and Silver Queen Mine
Silverton vicinity
National Register 4/28/2015, 5SA.1537
The Sound Democrat Mill and Mine and Silver Queen Mine are a representative moderatescale industrial mining and milling complex from Colorado’s period of hard-rock
mining. In 1894 mining began at the Silver Queen, followed by the Sound Democrat in
1898. The Sound Democrat Mill was constructed in 1905 and served both mines by aerial
tramway, which were in turn connected to each other by surface tramway. Productive
mining and mill operations ceased in 1910. The complex meets the registration
requirements of both the Historic Mining Resources of San Juan County and Mining
Industry in Colorado Multiple Property Documentation Forms.
Silverton Historic District
US Hwy. 550, includes the entire city boundaries
National Historic Landmark 7/4/1961, National Register 10/15/1966; Boundary Increase:
National Register 4/3/1997, 5SA.59
The town is situated at the center of the San Juan mining district. Prospecting began in the
1860s, but it was not until 1871 that the first profitable silver vein was discovered in nearby
Arrastra Gulch. The late 19th and early 20th century residential and institutional buildings
within the district reflect the prosperity brought about by one of Colorado’s richest mineral
producing regions. The boundaries of the district were expanded to include the
Shenandoah-Dives (Mayflower) Mill complex, an intact example of a selective flotation
mill and its aerial tram; the office/assay building of Crooke’s Polar Star Mill that reflects
Silverton’s early mining history; the Animas Power and Water Company that diverted
electrical power to the mining and milling operations in the Silverton area; and the Hillside
Cemetery that illustrates the impact of the mining industry on the town’s working class
community. The property is associated with the Mining Industry in Colorado and Historic
Mining Resources of San Juan County Multiple Property Submissions. (1998 photograph.)
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Tobasco Mine & Mill
County Rd. 34 & County Rd. 5, Lake City vicinity
National Register 10/16/2008, 5HN.46 / 5SA.399
The Tobasco Mine and Mill are is associated with the metal mining history of Hinsdale and
San Juan counties. The complex possesses the distinctive characteristics of a moderate size
1900s gold mine and mill operation in which the organization pattern is clearly evident. Its
historical archaeological deposits have the potential to yield important information,
specifically addressing the relationship between milling and mining, understanding the
early use of the cyanide process, and for information on the health, dietary preferences, and
economic status of the inhabitants of the workers at the Tobasco Mine and Mill. Listed
under the Hinsdale County Metal Mining and Historic Mining Resources of San Juan
County Multiple Property Submissions. More information (PDF, 10.91 MB).
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Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
Routt County
Clark
Hayden
Oak Creek
Steamboat Springs
Toponas
Yampa
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Clark
Columbine
64505 Routt County Rd. 129, Clark vicinity
National Register 8/7/2007, 5RT.438
Columbine was established in 1881 to provide housing and provisions for the nearby
miners at Hahns Peak. James R. Caron emigrated from Canada to Columbine with his wife
Martha in 1896. He constructed a post office, then purchased an existing store and moved
its contents into his new Columbine Mercantile building in 1898. He served as
Columbine’s postmaster for 31 years, as well as justice of the peace and coroner.
Columbine functioned as both a major way stop and a destination for visitors in the late
19th century. Miners, loggers, freight drivers, cattlemen and sheepmen came through for
provisions, mail, a hot meal, temporary lodging and camaraderie. Recreational activities
became a popular pastime as mining diminished, and Columbine attracted fisherman,
hunters, trappers and outdoor enthusiasts. The population reached a peak of 68 in 1900 and
rose again to 59 in 1930. At its height the town consisted of a general store and post office,
saloon, several hotels and boarding houses, a blacksmith shop, assay office, mining
company offices, a gas station, restaurants, and cabins.
The district contains representative examples of Pioneer Log construction associated with
the isolated mining camps of the Colorado mountains from the early 1880s up through the
mid-20th century. Builders used locally available logs and stone in the construction of the
various buildings. The earliest were one-room peeled log cabins with notched corners and
front-gabled roofs set on simple stone foundations. A later phase of building began with a
change of ownership in 1936. This phase brought Rustic style cabins blending well with
the natural landscape. (1975 photograph.) More information (PDF, 700 kb).
Hahn’s Peak Schoolhouse
Main St., Hahn’s Peak Village
National Register 2/15/1974, 5RT.72
Built in 1911, this simple wood frame rural schoolhouse continued to house classes during
the fall semester until the mid-1960s. Listed under Rural School Buildings in Colorado
Multiple Property Submission. (1996 photograph.)
Summit Creek Guard Station
Routt National Forest, Columbine and Clark vicinity
National Register 7/28/2004, 5RT.431
The Summit Creek Ranger Station, with its 1912 date of construction, represents the
transition between the 1890-1910 pre-design phase and the 1911-1932 pre-Civilian
Conservation Corps phase of Forest Service construction, exhibiting details and methods of
both phases. The building is also associated with federal activity and conservation during
the early development of the National Forest system, representing the shift in philosophy
from one of custodianship to one of conservation of resources by placing the ranger/guard
stations in the forests. This allowed rangers to react quickly to threats, conserving the
resources entrusted to their care. More information (PDF, 725 kb).
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Hayden
Kimsey-Bolten Ranch
Hayden vicinity
State Register 12/12/2001, National Register 11/28/2012, 5RT.1592
Leslie Kimsey established this ranch just above the Yampa River in 1917. By 1919, he had
a modest craftsman style house and a large Gambrel roof barn constructed to accommodate
his farming and ranching operations. In 1933, Isadore Bolten purchased the ranch where
he raised sheep and cattle, an unusual combination in the range war years, and grew hay. It
continues to illustrate the important role that high country ranching played in the
development of Routt County. (2012 photograph)
Dawson Carpenter Ranch
13250 W. US Hwy. 40
National Register 5/6/1998, 5RT.1207
The ranch has a long association with the agricultural development of the Yampa
Valley. Beginning in 1902, the ranch was a major local producer of hay and livestock
under the ownership of John Barkley "J.B." Dawson. Along with Charles Goodnight,
Dawson was the first to trail cattle in 1859 from Texas to Colorado over what became
known as the "Dawson Trail." The ranch is considered nationally significant for its
association with Farrington Reed Carpenter. He managed the ranch from 1926 until 1946,
at which time he purchased the property. Beginning in 1934, Carpenter served as the first
director of the Federal Grazing Service, and his guidance laid the foundation for public
domain land management which ended the era of free open range grazing in the West. The
Bureau of Land Management recognizes Carpenter as its first director. (1995 photograph.)
Hayden Co-Operative Elevator Company
198 East Lincoln Avenue
National Register 10/23/2015, 5RT.2376
The Hayden Co-Operative Elevator is the only extant grain elevator in the town of Hayden
and in Routt County. A well-preserved example of a rural grain elevator in an everdiminishing agricultural landscape, the Hayden Co-Operative Elevator is a good example
of the wood-frame studded elevator construction method. From its construction in 1917,
the Hayden Co-Operative Elevator bolstered the local agricultural economy by providing a
variety of services and goods to area farmers. The Hayden Co-Operative Elevator is an
important representation of the agricultural, economic, and engineering history of early
twentieth-century Routt County. More information (PDF, 899kb)
Hayden Depot
300 W. Pearl St.
National Register 10/22/1992, 5RT.892
The Denver and Salt Lake Railroad’s arrival in Hayden in 1913 ended the community’s
isolation from eastern Colorado population centers and economic markets. The railroad
constructed the sturdy two story brick depot in 1918 to serve growing freight and passenger
traffic. Although freight shipments continue through Hayden, passenger service ended in
1968. The depot now functions as a local museum. Listed under Railroads in Colorado,
1858-1948 Multiple Property Submission. (1992 photograph.)
Hayden Rooming House
295 S. Poplar St.
National Register 9/17/1999, 5RT.1361
Constructed in 1910, the 2½ story building is a well preserved example of ornamental
concrete block construction. The property is also important for the role it played in the
community’s commercial history. It is the lone survivor of the three buildings in Hayden
that functioned as hotels during the first years of the 20th century. Listed under
Ornamental Concrete Block Buildings in Colorado, 1900 to 1940 Multiple Property
Submission.
Solandt Memorial Hospital
150 Jackson Ave.
National Register 8/10/2011, 5RT.513
The 1923 Solandt Memorial Hospital is significant for its long association as a public
hospital for the town of Hayden and surrounding communities. Serving the community
continuously from 1923 until 1964, the hospital served a vital need. When constructed and
continuing through at least through the 1930s, the hospital was the largest and the only
accredited hospital in northwestern Colorado as well as between Fort Collins and Salt Lake
City. Additionally, it is architecturally important as a good example of a Late Nineteenth
and Early Twentieth Century American Movements style building as applied to a blockplan hospital design. The square columns, modest ornamentation, stately porch, arched
accents and flat brick are a few of the features of the style exhibited by the
hospital. Further, it displays the national architectural trend in hospital design of the post
World War I era, which emphasized a highly functional and technologically advanced
interior to cater to the patients’ health while minimizing exterior ornamentation. Prominent
Laramie, Wyoming, architect Wilbur A. Hitchcock, designed the hospital. Hitchcock
planned and designed other hospitals along with many institutional buildings during his
career. It is the only remaining intact block-plan type hospital design known to exist in
Colorado that has minimal alterations, never had any additions or expansions, and
continues to serve as a medical facility.
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Oak Creek
Bell Mercantile
101-111 Moffat Ave.
National Register 6/7/1990, 5RT.364
Constructed in 1910 by the Bell brothers, Samuel and Edward, on a portion of their ranch
property, the two-story wood frame building has housed a company store, a bank, and a
doctor’s office in its first floor retail space. The second floor served as a small
hotel/boarding house. The Bell Mercantile remains a mainstay business in Oak Creek and
continues to stock general merchandise. (1989 photograph.)
Foidel Canyon School
Northwest of Oak Creek
National Register 5/9/1983, 5RT.192
Built circa 1923 during a period of rapid settlement in the area, the building is a late
example of wood frame rural schoolhouse construction. Listed under Rural School
Buildings in Colorado Multiple Property Submission. (1980 photograph.)
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Steamboat Springs
Chamber of Commerce Building
1201 Lincoln Ave.
National Register 4/16/2010, 5RT.2616
The 1960 Chamber of Commerce Building in Steamboat Springs is architecturally
significant in the area of architecture as a superior local example of the Modern
Movement’s Usonian design philosophy. Integrated into the surrounding landscape and
oriented toward the nearby Soda Creek and Little Toots Park, the building embodies many
of the defining characteristics of the design philosophy, including the use of natural
materials, which help blend the building into the site, dominant horizontal lines, integrated
windows, and an inverted gabled roof with wide overhanging eaves. Notable are two
cottonwood trees extending through the porch floor and roof and incorporated into the
overall design. Architect Eugene Sternberg designed the Chamber of Commerce Building
as one of several commissions he received in the Steamboat Springs area. The building’s
small-scale is unusual within the architect’s broad body of work, but typifies his interest in
economical construction through its utilization of donated materials and volunteer
labor. More information (PDF, 245.06 kb).
Christian Science Society Building
641 Oak St.
National Register 8/22/2007, 5RT.1053
The 1934 log building is a good local example of Rustic style architecture. It embodies
many of the defining characteristics of the design philosophy, including the use of native
materials in its log construction and stone foundation, the multi-light windows, simple
ornamentation, and log wall interior. The building is in harmony with its mountain setting,
an important quality of naturalistic design encompassed in the Rustic style. More
information (PDF, 896 kb).
Crawford House
1184 Crawford St.
National Register 8/7/2005, 5RT.473
The 1894 Crawford House is important for the local contributions of its original owners,
James and Margaret Crawford. The couple was among the most influential pioneering
families in northwest Colorado. The construction of this, their third home, demonstrated
their faith in the permanence of Steamboat Springs. Further development of the
community resulted from James Crawford’s involvement in many local and regional
enterprises. The house is a rare local example of residential Romanesque Revival style
architecture and the only residence within the city limits built entirely of native ashlar
sandstone. (1985 photograph.) More information (PDF, 732 kb).
First National Bank Building (Rehder Building)
803-807 Lincoln Ave. & 57½ 8th St.
National Register 1/11/2001, 5RT.259
Constructed in 1905, the two-story commercial building is a rare local example of the
Romanesque Revival style. The first floor walls are of heavy native sandstone, and the red
brick walls of the second floor are accented with sandstone quoins. Round arches top the
window and door openings of the first floor. A one-story stone addition at the rear dates
from 1920. Located on a prominent downtown corner, the virtually intact building serves
as a reminder of the successful banking operation it housed during an early period of
economic prosperity in Steamboat Springs.
Howelsen Hill
845 Howelsen Pkwy.
State Register 12/13/2000, 5RT.1048
Located adjacent the downtown area, Howelsen Hill is a highly visible geographic feature
within the community. Encompassing approximately 40 acres, the district includes the
portions of the hill’s north facing slope most closely associated with the history of skiing in
Steamboat Springs. Since 1914, this important cultural landscape has evolved to meet the
needs and desires of the community as well as developments within the worldwide sport of
competitive ski jumping. Owned by the city since 1935, the hill also continues to serve as
the location for the annual Winter Carnival and the wide variety of ski education programs
operated in conjunction with the local school district. (ca. 2000 photograph.)
F.M. Light House
204 Park Ave.
State Register 3/9/1994, 5RT.480
The 1909 1½-story Edwardian Vernacular style wood frame residence has a steeply pitched
cross gabled roof. There are three hipped roof porches with classical columns, and two
historic barns are located on the property. The residence was built for the Francis Marion
Light family. Light arrived in Steamboat Springs in 1905 and open a small retail store. By
1910, his general merchandise business had grown into one of the largest in the
region. (1993 photograph.)
Maxwell Building
840 Lincoln Ave.
National Register 9/29/1995, 5RT.249
Constructed in 1908, the two-story Maxwell building has played an important role in the
commercial and economic development of Steamboat Springs. It still houses the town’s
longest continually operating drugstore. Constructed during a building boom before the
arrival of the railroad, the Maxwell was one of the last buildings in town that used locally
manufactured bricks.
Mesa Schoolhouse
33985 S. US Hwy. 40, Steamboat Springs vicinity
National Register 11/1/2007, 5RT.2389
The 1916 Mesa Schoolhouse, located south of Steamboat Springs, is an excellent local
example of the early 20th century rural schoolhouse building type. Constructed as the
Mesa District’s permanent school, the building reflects the development of the Yampa
Valley and its commitment to education. In the south Yampa Valley area, Germans,
French-Swiss, and Irish immigrants attended classes with children from older generation
immigrant families. Like most rural schools, the Mesa Schoolhouse played a major role in
the assimilation process. Although intended to provide a place for education for the
children of the Mesa District, it also became the social center of the small agricultural
community. School district consolidation closed the Mesa Schoolhouse in 1959. For the
next 30 years the building served as a residential rental and the following decade as a
“party place”.
The City of Steamboat Springs and local non-profit Historic Routt County! acquired
the building and the small parcel of land with the assistance of the State Historical Fund in
1998. The property is associated with the Rural School Buildings in Colorado Multiple
Property Submission. (2004 photograph.)
Perry-Mansfield School & Camp
40755 County Rd. 36
State Register 3/8/1995, National Register 7/14/1995, 5RT.976
Established in 1914, the school/camp is the oldest, continuously operating, modern dance
camp in the United States. Charlotte Perry and Portia Mansfield, two Smith College
graduates instrumental in pioneering theater and dance, founded the camp. (2005
photograph.)
Rabbit Ears Motel Sign
201 Lincoln Ave.
State Register 8/31/2006, 5RT.2296
The 1953 Rabbit Ears Motel Sign remains an enduring and established visual feature of the
community and serves as a source of local identity. The large neon sign with its distinctive
rabbit face survived periods of downtown “modernization” to become a much beloved
local geographic landmark. (2001 photograph.) More information (PDF, 3.15 MB).
Routt County National Bank Building
802 Lincoln Ave.
National Register 5/20/2002, 5RT.242
Constructed in 1919 to house the expansion of the First National Bank, the building reflects
the development of the commercial sector of Steamboat Springs and the economic ups and
downs of Routt County during the first half of the 20th century. In 1938, the Routt County
National Bank emerged as a survivor of the troubled economic times. While a variety of
enterprises have occupied the first floor commercial spaces, the upper story continues to
house the Steamboat Masonic Lodge. Located on a prominent downtown corner lot, the
two-story brick and stone building underwent numerous alterations since its
construction. During 2000-01, the removal of a circa 1980 stucco veneer and faux mansard
roof took place as part of a rehabilitation project utilizing both federal tax credits and a
State Historical Fund grant. (2003 photograph.)
Steamboat Apartments
302 11th Street
National Register 12/7/2011, 5RT.2624
The 1958 Steamboat Apartments in Steamboat Springs are architecturally significant as a
superior local example of the Modern Movement’s Usonian style and as an excellent
example of architect Eugene Sternberg’s body of work. Integrated into the surrounding
landscape with expansive views oriented toward the Old Town area and south Yampa
Valley, the complex embodies many of the defining characteristics of the Usonian design
philosophy, including the use of natural materials which help blend the building into the
site, dominant horizontal lines, integrated windows, and a distinctive butterfly roof with
wide overhanging eaves. Additionally, the Steamboat Apartments evince the local
community’s long-term association with architect Eugene Sternberg, a master of midtwentieth century regional architecture. Sternberg’s personal focus on socially involved
and affordable construction throughout his career is evident in his design for the Steamboat
Apartments. (2004 photograph.) More information (PDF, 1.5MB)
Steamboat Laundry Building
127-131 11th St.
National Register 8/10/2007, 5RT.255
The 1910-20 building was part of the early commercial development of Steamboat
Springs. The firm played an important role in fostering the town’s development through
service industries. The 1910 construction and circa 1920 expansion reflect Steamboat’s
increasing and prospering population, as well as the community’s economic success during
the first two decades of the 20th century. The building is a good example of TwentiethCentury Commercial style architecture as it appeared in northwest Colorado. (2007
photograph.) More information (PDF, 260 kb).
Steamboat Springs Depot
39265 County Rd. 33B
National Register 12/20/1978, 5RT.73
David Moffat’s Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railway reached Steamboat Springs in
1909, thus opening up an important rail link between the community and Colorado’s
Eastern Slope markets. Denver architect Frank Edbrooke designed the two story building
which included a passenger section, with waiting rooms and station office below upper
level living quarters, and a long freight and baggage extension to the west. The depot
closed when passenger service ended in 1968. Listed under Railroads in Colorado, 18581948 Multiple Property Submission. (ca. 2000 photograph.)
Steamboat Springs Downtown Historic District
Lincoln Ave. roughly bounded by 5th to 11th Sts.
National Register 7/11/2014, 5RT.3180
The Steamboat Springs Downtown Historic District, the center of the business district of
the original town site established in 1884, is significant for its long association of providing
the residents of Steamboat Springs and surrounding areas with goods and services for over
127 years. The buildings and objects within the area centered around Lincoln Avenue
(U.S. Highway 40) reflect the development of the community and its growth and
transformation into Yampa Valley’s regional hub. The district comprises approximately
six city blocks, which has a total of fifty-two resources, thirty-six of which are considered
contributing. Three buildings are individually listed on the National Register of Historic
Places. Approximately forty percent of buildings within the district were constructed
during the decade of the train’s arrival in anticipation of growth (1900-1909) or in the
decade immediately following (1910-1920). (2012 photograph.) More information (PDF,
4.2 MB)
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Toponas
Rock Creek Stage Station / Gore Pass Stage Station
Routt National Forest Rd. # 206
National Register 10/21/1982, 5RT.91
A circa 1880 two-story log building remains on the property. The station served the first
mail route into the Yampa Valley which was established in 1878. The difficulty of
transportation in this isolated region made the presence of the station an important factor in
the settlement of the area.
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Yampa
Antler Cafe & Bar
40 & 46 Moffat Ave.
State Register 3/11/1998, 5RT.1254, National Register 5/27/2014
The circa 1903/1904 Antlers Café and Bar in Yampa was initially listed in the Colorado
State Register of Historic Properties on March 11, 1998. Antlers is locally significant
under Commerce for the period 1904 to 1964 as the main stopping place along the historic
road that is now known as the Flat Tops Scenic Byway as well as a long-time community
establishment for food and drink. The building is further locally significant architecturally
for the period 1904, when it was constructed, to 1941, the date of the last significant
modification, the addition of a small storage shed to the south. Antlers Café and Bar is an
excellent intact example of a one-story false front vernacular wood frame commercial
building with a decorative cornice and large storefront windows. Historically, the property,
along with the adjacent Antlers Hotel, destroyed by fire in 1952, served as the main
stagecoach stop between Wolcott and Steamboat Springs between 1904 and 1908. The
property’s evolution from saloon to pool hall, bar with gambling, and, finally, to café and
bar mirrored the times and met the changing needs of the community. Mike and Emily
Benedick purchased the property and business from Mike’s brother-in-law in 1937,
operating it until 1996. By 1940, they completed several additions to the original building
to provide living quarters for their growing family. In 1997, two old college friends
purchased and revived the business as a gathering place for the community. They made
minimal upgrades to the plumbing and electrical systems and to the kitchen. The property
compares favorably with other false front commercial buildings remaining in Yampa. Of
those extant, Antlers, the National Register-listed Bell & Canant Mercantile (also known as
Crossan’s M & A Market), and Montgomery’s Grocery are the most intact examples of the
type. More information (PDF, 67.48 kb).
Bell & Canant Mercantile – Crossan’s M & A Market
101 Main Street
National Register 12/26/2012, 5RT.3120
Bell & Canant Mercantile - Crossan’s M & A Market is significant for its long association
as a general mercantile from 1903 through 1964, always providing a wide variety of meat,
groceries, dry goods, clothing and farm supplies to the residents of Yampa and the
surrounding areas. The building is also architecturally significant as an excellent example
of a two-story False Front commercial building type with a pedimented gable in the
parapet. Character-defining features of this building type exhibited by the mercantile
include a front-gabled roof, main facade parapet extending above the roof, rectangular
plan, and wood-frame construction. Less common for the False-Front commercial building
type is the two-story version. More information (PDF, 1.39 MB).
Boor-Redmond Ranch
22190 County Rd. 13
State Register 9/8/2004, 5RT.1401
The Boor-Redmond Ranch played a significant role in the development of farming and
ranching in Routt County. It is an intact agricultural complex in continuous use since circa
1890 whose buildings have been adapted to meet changing ranch needs. The Redmond
Ranch, more than any other ranch in the community, tells the story of agriculture in
southern Routt County. (2000 photograph.) More information (PDF, 1.14 MB).
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Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
Rio Grande County
Del Norte
Monte Vista
South Fork
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Del Norte
Keck Homestead
12888 County Rd. 15
National Register 5/8/1998, 5RN.529
The homestead includes a remarkably intact collection of log buildings dating from the
mid-1870s. Of particular significance is the two-story log house. Such houses are rare in
any condition, but the Keck house is especially noteworthy for the quality of its
construction and its high degree of integrity. The barn also exhibits a high degree of
craftsmanship for its location and period of construction.
St. Francis of Assisi Mission Church
Del Norte vicinity
State Register 3/13/2002, 5RN.532
Believed to have been built in 1881, the building is an unusual example of an Hispanic
adobe church with a cruciform plan and an apse. The church and the adjacent cemetery are
important for their association with the state’s ethnic heritage, specifically the Hispanos
who settled the San Luis Valley. (2001 photograph.) More information (PDF, 68 kb).
Sutherland Bridge
Off US Hwy. 160
National Register 2/4/1985, 5RN.401
Constructed in 1924, for private access to the Sutherland Ranch east of Del Norte, the
bridge consists of a rigid-connected, six-panel timber Warren pony truss, with verticals at
all panel points, and a log kingpost pony truss approach. The use of timber represents an
unusual adaptation of the Warren truss. Listed under Highway Bridges in Colorado
Multiple Property Submission.
Wheeler Bridge
Off US Hwy. 160
National Register 2/4/1985, 5RN.400
The bridge was constructed in 1924 to access what was then the Wheeler Ranch east of Del
Norte. Featuring a rigid-connected, three-panel timber/steel Howe pony truss, the bridge is
one of the longest and oldest examples of the Howe configuration. Listed under Highway
Bridges in Colorado Multiple Property Submission.
Windsor Hotel
650 Columbia St.
State Register 4/13/1994, 5RN.384
The two-story red brick and stucco building is an important example of early community
planning and development. Recognizing the need for a first-class hotel to insure the
community’s future economic survival and growth, local leaders brought in an experienced
developer from Kansas to build and operate the hotel. It is composed of three major
sections: the original 1874 hotel, the 1882 Windsor Block, and the 1888 Foote Block. (ca.
1999 photograph.)
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Monte Vista
Aldrich House
901 Acequia Dr.
State Register 6/11/2003, 5RN.823
Built in 1885, the Stick style house was one of the earliest residences constructed in the
Monte Vista area. Chauncey S. Aldrich, one of the original founders of the town - which
was first called Henry - had the house built for his family. As town manager and a
publisher of one of the earliest newspapers, Aldrich set the temperate tone for the early
settlement of the town. (2002 photograph.) More information (PDF, 64 kb).
Barlow & Sanderson Stagecoach
916 1st Ave.
State Register 6/14/1995, 5RN.1297 (formerly 5CT.46.1)
This Barlow and Sanderson Stagecoach provided basic transportation throughout the San
Luis Valley of Colorado and New Mexico in the late 19th century. The stagecoach is a rare
example of an Abbot-Downing mud wagon type built around 1871.
The Barlow & Sanderson Stagecoach was listed in the Colorado State Register on June 14,
1995. The Monte Vista Commercial Club, predecessor of the Monte Vista Chamber of
Commerce, donated the stagecoach to the Colorado Historical Society (now History
Colorado) for display at the Fort Garland Museum in 1959. However, the donation was
accepted with three restrictions that do not meet current curatorial standards. While the
stagecoach is an important artifact of Colorado’s history, the restrictions imposed on the
donation are beyond the scope of History Colorado’s collection policy and the stagecoach
was formally de-accessioned by the History Colorado Board of Directors on July 24, 2014.
In July 2014, the coach was removed to the City of Monte Vista, which had requested to
use it, as per conditions imposed in the donation agreement. Pending restoration activity, it
will be placed inside the Transportation Museum of the West located at 916 1st Avenue in
downtown Monte Vista where it will become a key part of their static displays, which are
open to the public. Nomination (PDF, 1.6 MB), Amendment (PDF, 171.11 kb).
Carnegie Library
120 Jefferson St.
State Register 3/8/1995, National Register 4/14/1995, 5RN.513
The 1919 library, designed by Denver architect John J. Huddart in the Colonial Revival
style, is one of 36 Colorado public libraries funded by wealthy industrialist and
philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie. The building represents the community’s longstanding
support of its public library which began in 1885 in the back of the Fassett Department
Store and led to the erection of a small stone library building in 1895. (ca. 2000
photograph.)
Central School Auditorium & Gymnasium
612 1st Ave.
National Register 3/14/1996, 5RN.521
A 1938 project supported by the school district, town leaders and a WPA grant resulted in a
building used for school and sports functions as well as an auditorium for public
gatherings. It is the largest auditorium in the San Luis Valley that continues to serve in the
same capacity for which it was built. It is a unique Monte Vista example of the work of
prominent architect Charles E. Thomas incorporating Mission, Spanish Colonial Revival,
and Romanesque elements. (1938 photograph.)
El Monte Hotel (Monte Villa Inn)
925 1st Ave.
National Register 6/7/1990, 5RN.430
In 1930, this small rural community constructed the $112,000 hotel, which became a center
for community activities. Designed by E. Floyd Redding, the three-story building shows
influences of the Mission and Pueblo Revival styles with its stuccoed exterior, tile roof,
curvilinear parapet walls, wooden lintels, and decorative vigas. It represents a distinctive
architectural style prevalent in hotel construction throughout the pre-World War II
southwest. The intent was to build a "Fred Harvey" style hotel with all the modern
conveniences, including Monte Vista’s first elevator. (2000 photograph.)
Fassett Department Store
102 Adams St.
State Register 8/11/1993, 5RN.486
The store was the first, largest, and longest surviving retail establishment in Monte
Vista. Widow Lillian Loretta Silsby Taylor founded the store in a small wood frame
building in 1881 and, with her new husband Charles Fassett, erected this stone replacement
building in 1898. The couple supplied nearby farmers and miners with groceries, furniture,
and a complete line of dry goods. The store continued under Fassett family management
for ninety-nine years. (1999 photograph.)
First Methodist Episcopal Church
215 Washington St.
State Register 6/11/2003, National Register 10/11/2003, 5RN.782
The walls of the 1922 church are purple tapestry brick with a salt glaze, a firing and glazing
method not used since the 1940s. No other building constructed of this unusual material
has been found in the town of Monte Vista or the San Luis Valley. While the form and
detailing belie its religious function, the building’s massing attests to its Akron Plan
interior. The building has also been host to a wide variety of community activities over the
years, playing an important role in the social history of Monte Vista. (2005
photograph.) More information (PDF, 80 kb).
Monte Vista Cemetery Chapel
4927 County Rd. 27
State Register 8/11/1999, 5RN.646
Constructed in 1912, the chapel is an unusual expression of the Craftsman Style, a style not
well represented in Monte Vista or Rio Grande County. The chapel also represents the
work of Denver architect George Harvey. (ca. 2000 photograph.)
Monte Vista Downtown Historic District
Monte Vista
National Register 11/1/1991, 5RN.484
Monte Vista, Spanish for "mountain view," was incorporated in 1886. Shortly thereafter,
commercial construction moved west along Main Street. The availability of locally
quarried stone resulted in the presence of numerous expert contractors and stonemasons
able to work the distinctive volcanic rock. The buildings within the district were
constructed between 1889 and 1921 and remain as good examples of late 19th and early
20th century commercial architecture. (2005 photograph.)
Monte Vista Library (Monte Vista Historical Society)
110 Jefferson St.
National Register 6/30/1995, 5RN.514
Now the home of the local historical society, this small stone building was constructed in
1895. The Women’s Literary Club was organized on August 4, 1884 for the purpose of
establishing a circulating library. Initially books were kept in the back of the Fassett
General Store, with Lillian L. Fassett serving as the first librarian. On January 18, 1887,
the Monte Vista Library Association was incorporated, and the women of the association
undertook a variety of fundraising activities to finance construction of the Monte Vista
Library. Measuring just 16 by 22 feet, the simple flat roofed building housed the town’s
library until the completion of the Carnegie Public Library in 1919. (1895 photograph.)
Monte Vista Post Office & Federal Building
Washington & 2nd Ave.
National Register 1/22/1986, 5RN.21
Constructed in 1933, the building remains a dominant structure in Monte Vista and is the
community’s finest example of Beaux-Arts-influenced architecture. Listed under U.S. Post
Offices in Colorado Thematic Resource. (1983 photograph.)
Sargent Consolidated School District
7090 N. County Rd. 2E, Monte Vista vicinity
State Register 12/13/2000, 5RN.689
The school district is comprised of 14 buildings, seven of which were constructed between
1917 and 1921. The two largest are the 1917 elementary school and the 1921 high school,
both designed by the prominent architect John J. Huddart. These brick buildings have
grown in size with numerous additions. For example, a 1937 gymnasium, once a separate
building, is now part of the high school. This district is unusual as it was designed to be a
complete facility, a "plant that contained every branch of school work." In addition to the
two schools, the complex includes several bungalows that originally served as men’s and
women’s teacherages, a superintendent’s house, and a duplex for the families of the janitor
and the bus mechanic. Serving a 100-square-mile area, this group of buildings reflects the
spread and influence of formal education on the development of rural communities. (2005
photograph.)
State Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Home
3749 Sherman Ave.
State Register 9/13/1995, 5RN.441
Founded in 1891, the State Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home is the oldest veterans’ home in
Colorado. The self-sufficient complex offered housing, recreational and religious facilities,
and medical care. The property includes a collection of buildings encompassing the 100
year evolution of the facility as well as a cemetery, the final resting place of veterans who
served from the Civil War through Vietnam. (Residential units, 2005 photograph.)
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South Fork
Creede Branch, Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad
South Fork to Creede
National Register 11/27/2002, 5RN.515.1 / 5ML.273.8
The 22.8-mile long Creede Branch originated significant rail traffic from the railroad’s
nearby gold and silver mining operations. Although the complete rail line dates to 1891, the
conversion of the branch from narrow to standard gauge dates from 1902. The branch line
survives as a virtually intact example of early 20th century railroad construction. It retains
its 1902 alignment, railbed and jointed rail with ties, as well as the contemporary bridges,
two depots, water tank, and related track-side setting. Listed under Railroads in Colorado
Multiple Property Submission.
Denver & Rio Grande Railroad South Fork Water Tank
Near US Hwy. 160 at South Fork
State Register 3/13/2002, National Register 10/15/2002, 5RN.352
The 1881 tank provided water for countless steam locomotives from its construction in
1881 until the end of steam locomotive operations in 1956. Tanks of identical design,
materials and construction were built throughout the D&RG system in the last two decades
of the 19th century. Only a handful of these structures survive on the D&RG, and this tank
is the only surviving example along the 66-mile Creede Branch. Listed under Railroads in
Colorado Multiple Property Submission. (2001 photograph.)
Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Engine No. 40
Creede Branch, Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad
State Register 8/14/2002, 5RN.781
This 1942 railroad locomotive is the oldest surviving diesel-electric locomotive to have
operated on the D&RGW system. Designed and built by the General Electric Company for
rail yard switching operations, No. 40 served successfully on the D&RGW from 1942 until
its retirement in 1954. The locomotive was then sold to the Great Western Sugar Company
where it continued to operate well into the 1990s. (2002 photograph.)
Spruce Lodge
29431 West US Hwy. 160
National Register, 10/21/2008, 5RN.1043
The 1927 Spruce Lodge conveys the important role played by the Galbreath Tie and
Timber Company in the existence and longevity of the South Fork community. The
Galbreath Hotel formed an important part of the commercial complex built by brothers
Charles and O.S. Galbreath that served as the early basis of the South Fork economy.
Counted among Colorado’s original lumber barons, the Galbreaths utilized the hotel to
conduct business, and once deals were made, they utilized the Denver and Rio Grande
Western Railroad to ship their lumber throughout the San Luis Valley and the western
United States. In addition to the operation of the Rustic-style hotel, the Galbreaths shipped
produce and owned a general merchandise store. The town owes much of its early
prosperity to the brothers and their business enterprises. (2008 photograph.) More
information (PDF, 472 kb).
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Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
Rio Blanco County
Buford
Meeker
Rangley
Yampa
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Buford
Buford School
40905 County Rd. 17, Buford vicinity
State Register 2/24/2006, 5RB.4419
The 1902 Buford School has long been the educational center of the rural area near Buford
and served as the local school until consolidation in 1952. Its intact setting and associated
privy helps to convey the rural school experience of many children in northwestern
Colorado. For several generations, the building stood at the core of the White River
Valley’s daily life, and it continues to serve this rural community as a gathering and
learning place. The Buford School is a highly recognizable valley landmark. The property
is associated with the Rural School Buildings of Colorado Multiple Property
Submission. (1977 photograph.) More information (PDF, 1.03 MB).
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Meeker
Battle of Milk River Site / Thornburgh
Thornburgh Rd., 17 miles northeast of Meeker
National Register 8/22/1975, 5RB.982
In September of 1879, Ute warriors skirmished here with troops under the command of
Major T.T. Thornburgh as the troops entered the Ute Reservation on an expedition from
Fort Steele, Wyoming to the White River Agency in northwestern Colorado. Located in
the remote Milk Creek Valley, the battle site covers approximately 1,600 acres. Portions of
a historic wagon road remain visible.
Duck Creek Wickiup Village
36 miles south of Meeker
National Register 11/20/1975, 5RB.53
The site is important for its use by Utes well into the late 19th century during their annual
fall and winter gathering of pinyon nuts in the surrounding area.
Coal Creek School
617 Cty. Rd. 6
National Register, 7/18/2014, 5RB.3575
The 1892 Coal Creek School is a good example of a one-room rural schoolhouse that has
also served as a community gathering space and polling place for several decades. The
coal shed/privy and horse shed remain on the property. Although the original cupola was
removed in 1948 when classes were discontinued, the school is still recognizable as such
and meets the registration requirements of the Rural School Buildings in Colorado Multiple
Property Documentation Form. (2013 photograph.) More information (PDF, 1.17 MB).
Hay’s Ranch Bridge
County Rd. 127
National Register 2/4/1985, 5RB.2376
The M.J. Patterson Contracting Company of Denver completed this pin-connected, sixpanel steel Pratt pony truss in 1901. It is one of Colorado’s earliest state-funded vehicular
bridges and one of the oldest roadway trusses in northwestern Colorado. Its slightly bowed
top chord represents an unusual modification of the Pratt pony truss. Listed under
Highway Bridges in Colorado Multiple Property Submission.
Hotel Meeker
560 Main St.
National Register 5/7/1980, 5RB.985
Constructed in 1896, this two-story brick building reflects the characteristics of commercial
structures built in small western towns during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. (1997
photograph.)
I.O.O.F. Lodge – Valentine Lodge No. 47
400 Main St.
National Register 3/19/2014, 5RB.2245
The 1897 I.O.O.F. Lodge – Valentine Lodge No. 47 provided an important social venue,
not only to the I.O.O.F. Lodge members with various assistance, but also to the community
and various organizations. Local engineer Herman Pfeiffer designed the architecturally
significant Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revival style building. The Lodge used the
upper floor while the lower floor was leased to merchants, a government office and for
school classes at one time. A large dance floor and community room also existed on the
first floor where many community dances, dinners, and other events took place. The
community room served as a roller skating rink in the 1940s – 1950s. Mountain Valley
Bank added a drive-up canopy in 2004 and converted the first floor into a bank. (2013
photograph.) More information (PDF, 3.80 MB).
J.W. Hugus Company Building / A. Oldland Building
594 Main St.
State Register 12/11/1991, 5RB.2242
The two-story brick building was constructed in 1911 to house the Meeker operations of
J.W. Hugus & Co. Founded by J.W. Hugus in 1877, the company operated numerous
general and dry goods stores in southern Wyoming and western Colorado. The building
was designed by the prominent Denver architectural firm of Fisher and Fisher. When
Hugus decided to liquidate his assets in 1919, the building was purchased by the retailing
firm of A. Oldland and Company. (1996 photograph.)
Rio Blanco County High School
555 Garfield St.
State Register 3/10/1993, 5RB.2667
The 1924 two-story building of rough-cut thinly coursed local sandstone includes a
gymnasium wing extending from the rear of the rectangular classroom portion. The floor
plan is typical of secondary educational facilities built during the period. Designed by
noted architect Robert K. Fuller, the building served as the county’s only high school
facility from 1924 until 1951. (1992 photograph.)
St. James Episcopal Church
368 4th St.
National Register 3/30/1978, 5RB.983
Constructed in 1890, this stone building was the first church in Meeker and one of the
oldest Episcopal churches in Colorado. The main entrance is topped by a unique bell tower
faced with wood shingles. (2000 photograph.)
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Rangely
Cañon Pintado Historic District
Colo. Hwy. 139
National Register 10/6/1975, 5RB.984
Because of the arid nature of the area, the archeological sites within the district are well
preserved. Early pictographs and accompanying cultural material represent the eastern
periphery of the Fremont culture, which developed out of Utah between AD 800 and
1150. (1996 photograph.)
Carrot Men Pictograph Site
Southwest of Rangely
National Register 8/22/1975, 5RB.106
The cliffs above this prehistoric campsite retain rock art typical of the Fremont people who
resided in Utah and central and western Colorado from AD 800 to 1150. (ca. 1996
photograph.)
Collage Shelter
Rangely vicinity
National Register 8/27/1980, 5RB.820
This repeatedly utilized cultural site has the potential to yield important information about
prehistoric land use patterns and population movements between core and marginal use
areas. (1978 photograph.)
Fremont Lookout Fortification Site
Rangely vicinity
National Register 11/20/1974, 5RB.344
The lookout is on the eastern periphery of the Fremont cultural area which was occupied
from AD400 until AD1150 by agricultural peoples who cultivated corn, beans and
squash. The Fremont people built the stone lookout to defend their fields and hunting
areas, and it is the only known example of such a defensive structure in Colorado.
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Yampa
Pyramid Guard Station
County Rd. 8, Yampa vicinity
National Register 1/10/2008, 5RB.2882
United States Forest Service (USFS) administrative sites like the Pyramid Guard Station
represent the evolution of the agency’s mission from basic custodianship to extensive
resource management and conservation. This shift manifested itself in the placement of
ranger/guard stations within the forests, allowing rangers to react quickly to resource
threats. The Pyramid buildings represent the 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps / USFS
ethics of conservation, efficiency and working for the public good. Begun in 1934 as one
of the first CCC-built complexes in the state, Pyramid is an excellent example of the kind
of work done by the CCC in the national forests during the Great Depression. The
dwelling, combination building, barn, blacksmith shop and wood shed typify
administrative buildings of the USFS Rocky Mountain Region during the CCC era and are
excellent examples of Rustic style architecture. The buildings exhibit key style
characteristics such as log walls, overhanging eaves with exposed rafters, small paned
windows, and the use of local materials in construction. The buildings reflect a local
manifestation of a regional style mandated by the USFS for rural areas. (2005
photograph.) More information (PDF, 1.55 MB).
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Image Callouts
Content Callout Item:
Prowers County
Granada
Hartman
Holly
Lamar
Wiley
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Granada
Douglas Crossing Bridge
County Rd. 28
National Register 2/4/1985, 5PW.44
Constructed in 1936 of locally quarried stone by an eight-man Works Progress
Administration crew, this filled arch was faced with rusticated stone and features six, 14foot span, semicircular arches springing from battered piers. It served as an important
crossing for the nearby agricultural community. The property is associated with the
Highway Bridges in Colorado and the New Deal Resources on Colorado’s Eastern Plains
Multiple Property Submissions. (2005 photograph.)
Granada Bridge
US Hwy. 385, Granada vicinity
National Register 10/15/2002, 5PW.114
Designed by the Colorado Department of Highways, fabricated by Burkhardt Steel
Company, and constructed by C.L. Hubner Company, the 1949 steel stringer bridge runs
for 423 feet across the Arkansas River. It was one of several bridges constructed over the
river during the 1930s and 1940s that replaced timber or steel trusses constructed between
1890 and 1910. Consisting of five spans, the longest of which extends 90 feet, the bridge is
notable for its relatively long spans and excellent state of preservation. Listed under
Highway Bridges in Colorado Multiple Property Submission. (1999 photograph.)
Granada Relocation Center / Camp Amache
Approximately 1 mile southwest of Granada
State Register 3/9/1994, National Register 5/18/1994, National Historic Landmark,
1/16/2009, 5PW.48
The site is nationally significant as one of ten camps which housed Japanese Americans
from 1942 to 1945 following their forced removal from the West Coast by military
authorities. More than ten thousand persons passed through the camp which at its peak
contained 7,318 Japanese Americans, nearly all of whom were former California residents
and two-thirds of whom were United States citizens. Under a presidential executive order,
the forced "evacuation" of Japanese Americans was justified on the basis of "military
necessity" in the months following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and the professed
inability of the military to gauge the loyalty of individual Japanese Americans. (1942
photograph.) More information (PDF, 12.1 MB).
For information about the State Historical Fund’s participation in the preservation of
this property see the Project Snapshot.
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Hartman
Hartman Gymnasium
School Ave.
State Register 3/13/1996, 5PW.74
The circa 1938 gymnasium is associated with New Deal programs in Prowers County. The
building is the only example of Works Progress Administration construction in Hartman
and one of only a few such projects in the county. Its use as a community center continues
to contribute to the social history of Hartman.
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Holly
Holly City Hall
119 E. Cheyenne St.
State Register 6/11/2003, National Register 10/11/2003, 5PW.175
The 1938 Holly City Hall held the town’s police and fire departments, library, and a multiuse community room. The Holly City Hall served effectively for over sixty years as an
important center of town life. The Depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA)
used local labor and materials to construct the hall as a town sponsored project. The
building typifies the simple but dignified designs used by the WPA for city hall and
courthouse construction. The property is associated with the New Deal Resources on
Colorado’s Eastern Plains Multiple Property Submission. (2001 photograph.)
Holly Gymnasium
North Main St.
National Register 4/24/2007, 5PW.268
Built under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration, the building is associated
with the federal relief programs administered in Eastern Colorado during the Great
Depression. Providing employment and increased job skills for the area’s unemployed,
construction began on the Holly Gym in 1936 utilizing a locally quarried chalk-like stone Niobrara. The WPA created an opportunity to provide the town with a more “progressive”
educational facility. This was the first school gymnasium in Holly, which not only
functioned for athletic education, but was also used for music classes and the hot lunch
program. This building was the community’s first modern recreational facility. The Holly
Gym reflects the functional design and use of local materials that is characteristic of WPA
buildings. Some of the largest examples of New Deal resources in eastern Colorado were
the prominent auditorium/gymnasium buildings. The property is associated with the New
Deal Resources on Colorado’s Eastern Plains Multiple Property Submission. (2005
photograph.) More information (PDF, 1.14 MB).
Holly SS Ranch Barn
407 W. Vinson
National Register 2/25/2004, 5PW.172
The 1879 Holly SS Ranch Barn was part of the earliest period of settlement and
development of Prowers County by farmers and ranchers. The SS Ranch with one of the
earliest and largest cattle ranches in the region. Hiram Holly established the ranch at a time
when Colorado’s early dependence on mining ventures increasingly gave way to
agricultural development. The ultimate inception of the town of Holly was an outgrowth of
the Holly SS Ranch. The barn is one of the earliest and most well preserved stone barns in
southeast Colorado, displaying the construction techniques, architectural details, and
material usage of the pioneering period in Colorado. Native stone construction constitutes
an important late 19th and early 20th century building tradition in southeastern
Colorado. (2002 photograph.)
Holly Santa Fe Depot (Town Hall)
302 S. Main St.
National Register 7/28/1995, 5PW.73
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad built the brick second-generation depot in
1912. The Mission Revival style building was a combination-type depot, handling both
passengers and freight. It is one of only four in Colorado possessing the Mission Revival
style detailing that became a trademark of the Santa Fe. The community converted the
building in 1999 to serve as its town hall. The property is associated with the Railroads in
Colorado, 1858-1948 Multiple Property Submission. (1995 photograph.)
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Lamar
Alta Vista School
8785 Road LL, vicinity of Lamar
State Register 6/9/1999, 5PW.42
Constructed in 1917, the two-level red brick building remains a good local example of a
rural school district’s commitment to provide the space required to offer its students a
broader educational program than found in the one-room building it replaced. The building
has remained in continuous use as a public school since its construction and now houses
the Alta Vista Charter School. (1999 photograph.)
Davies Hotel / Payne Hotel
122 N. Main St.
National Register 10/19/1978, 5PW.25
The Davies Hotel is typical of the numerous small town hotels whose location near the
railroad depot provided them with a steady stream of lodgers. The builders of the 1902
hotel utilized locally quarried sandstone for the exterior walls. (1977 photograph.)
Lamar Post Office
300 S. 5th St.
National Register 1/22/1986, 5PW.43
Built in 1936, the building is an especially pleasing example illustrating the Spanish
Colonial / Mediterranean influence on Neoclassicism. Pueblo architect Walter
DeMordaunt designed the building. The property is associated with the U.S. Post Offices
in Colorado and the New Deal Resources on Colorado’s Eastern Plains Multiple Property
Submissions. (1983 photograph.)
Paulsen Farm
39035 Rd. 7, Lamar vicinity
National Register 12/9/1999, 5PW.98
The property has been associated with agriculture in the Lamar area since Claus Paulsen
established the farm in 1901. Between 1910 and 1915, Paulsen represented the Payne
Investment Company of Omaha, Nebraska, and in this capacity escorted would-be
homesteaders from the Midwest to new homes in southeast Colorado. The farmhouse is a
good local example of the Foursquare-type of dwelling. The barn is an important surviving
example of a once popular but increasingly rare type of wood frame gambrel-roofed barn, a
type often replaced by more modern agricultural buildings or lost with the transformation
of agricultural lands to other uses. (1999 photograph.)
Petticrew Stage Stop
Lamar vicinity
State Register 3/8/2000, National Register 8/24/2000, 5PW.62
In the early 1890s, the John L. Petticrew family settled in southern Prowers County and
operated a stage stop between Lamar and Springfield. The house, barn and associated rock
walls are good, intact examples of sandstone construction utilizing locally quarried stone as
designed and executed by the property owner. The barn is also a rare surviving example of
a stone bank barn. The complex is notable as a cultural landscape in which the sandstone
buildings and retaining walls appear to spring organically from the natural shelter and
seclusion of the creek bottom. The recessed location blocks views of modern intrusions
and enhances the historical feeling of the complex as an isolated stop on the Lamar to
Springfield stage. (1986 photograph.)
Prowers County Building / Prowers County Courthouse
301 S. Main St.
National Register 9/21/1981, 5PW.27
The 1929 courthouse served as the center of county political and governmental
activity. Denver architect Robert K. Fuller designed the elegant Neo-classical building
constructed of Indiana limestone. The entrance and main corridor frieze feature panels
displaying carved depictions of the registered cattle brands in Prowers County at the time
of the building’s construction. (1981 photograph.)
Prowers County Welfare Housing
800 E. Maple St.
National Register 12/22/2009, 5PW.259
The Prowers County Welfare Housing is important for its association with President
Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal legislative agenda to rescue the United States from the
Great Depression. Constructed by the WPA, between 1938 and 1941, the Prowers County
Welfare Housing presents an important record of the federal relief programs administered
in Colorado’s Eastern Plains during the Great Depression. The construction of the housing
complex provided much-needed employment in Prowers County over several years. The
housing complex also represents a remarkable effort by Prowers County to provide public
housing for its needy. It is the only complex of the kind constructed in eastern
Colorado. New Deal public housing projects were primarily limited to urban areas.
Additionally, the Welfare Housing property is an excellent example of the WPA Rustic
Style. Rustic characteristics featured in the buildings include the use of native stone,
traditional construction methods, evident hand craftsmanship, and simple, functional
design. The Prowers County Welfare Housing meets the registration requirements under
the New Deal Resources on Colorado’s Eastern Plains Multiple Property Documentation
Form (MPDF). The Prowers County Welfare Housing meets the registration requirements
of one property type delineated in the MPDF-Social Welfare Buildings (subtype: Welfare
Housing and Offices).
Willow Creek Park
Memorial Drive, Parkview Ave. and Willow Valley Rd.
National Register 8/10/2007, 5PW.56
The park is associated with several Great Depression era federal relief
programs. Constructed between 1933 and 1938 under the Civil Works Administration
(CWA), the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) and the Works Progress
Administration (WPA), creation of the park provided a source of employment in Lamar
during much of the Depression. Willow Creek Park was Colorado’s first CWA project and
the first planned park in Lamar, providing a location for active and passive recreation
activities. A prominent feature of the city, the park’s buildings and stone features are good
examples of the Rustic style as interpreted by New Deal agencies. Characteristics include
the use of native stone; traditional construction methods; evident hand craftsmanship; and
simple functional design. The property is associated with the New Deal Resources on
Colorado’s Eastern Plains Multiple Property Submission. (2005 photograph.) More
information (PDF, 1.25 MB).
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Wiley
Wiley Rock Schoolhouse
603 Main St.
National Register 2/20/2004, 5PW.196
The 1938 building served as an annex to the adjacent high school and provided space for
classes in agriculture, a blacksmith shop for manual training, and a sound-proof music
room for the band and orchestra. While successfully serving these purposes, the building
went on to provide other educational opportunities. The Depression-era Works Progress
Administration (WPA) undertook the construction of the school district sponsored
project. The school typifies the WPA’s use of local labor and local materials. The simple
stone building exhibits creative masonry technique and quality craftsmanship. The
property is associated with the New Deal Resources on Colorado’s Eastern Plains Multiple
Property Submission. (2003 photograph.)
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Pitkin County
Ashcroft
Aspen
Independence
Redstone
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Ashcroft
Ashcroft, Colorado
White River National Forest
National Register 5/12/1975, 5PT.37
The townsite is significant as the remains of a prosperous Roaring Fork Valley mining
camp of the 1880s. Originally known as Castle Forks, the town of Ashcroft was
incorporated in 1882. Its peak population of approximately 1,000 supported a variety of
commercial enterprises. By the end of 1883, much of the population, and many of the
buildings, began moving to Aspen. The post office remained open until 1912, and the last
permanent resident left in 1925. Fewer than a dozen of the original log and/or wood frame
buildings remain in place. The most prominent is a two-story false front commercial
building that housed the Hotel View. The townsite is now interpreted for visitors under the
auspices of the Aspen Historical Society. The property is associated with the Mining
Industry in Colorado Multiple Property Submission. (1993 photograph.)
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Aspen
Armory Hall / Fraternal Hall
130 S. Galena St.
National Register 6/5/1975, 5PT.36
Equivalent in height to a three-story building, the hall was constructed in 1892 to house
local militia activities on the first floor and a fraternal hall on the second. Over the years, it
provided space for a wide variety of community activities, and it has served as the city hall
since 1956. The walls are of red brick, and the building’s steeply pitched truncated gable
roof includes three evenly spaced hipped roof dormers on its north and south sides. (1998
photograph.)
Aspen Community Church
200 N. Aspen St.
National Register 5/12/1975, 5PT.33
The building, which rises three stories in height, was dedicated as a Presbyterian Church in
March 1891. Walls are of random coursed, rough cut sandstone. Somewhat fortress like in
overall appearance, the façade is dominated by a large corner bell tower that is cylindrical
in form and topped with a bell shaped roof. A heavy slightly pointed arch of stone defines
the main entry. The top of the arch is filled with a floral fresco carved from a sandstone
slab. Gables extend from the steeply pitched hipped roof. (1974 photograph.)
Boat Tow
700 S. Aspen St. (Willoughby Park)
National Register 6/22/1990, 5PT.560
The original boat tow, which utilized two wooden toboggans was constructed in
1937. Measuring twelve feet in length and three feet in width, the four-seat "boats" were
connected by steel cable to rotating terminals converted from hoist rigs from the dormant
Little Annie Mine on Aspen Mountain. The surviving boat, now located in Willoughby
Park, remains important for its association with the early development of Aspen as an
international ski resort during the late 1930s. Listed under Historic Resources of Aspen
Multiple Resource Area.
Click here to see an image of the boat tow.
Bowles-Cooley House
201 W. Francis St.
National Register 3/6/1987, 5PT.525
The house is located on a large corner lot in the late 19th century West End residential
neighborhood. Constructed in 1889 for Ryland R. Bowles, an early Aspen contractor and
lumber dealer, the two-story brick residence is a good vernacular interpretation of the
Queen Anne style, displaying the asymmetrical massing and steeply pitched cross gabled
roof often associated with the style. The foundation walls and window sills are of
rusticated sandstone. The second owner was William W. Cooley, an Aspen attorney
specializing in mining law, who occupied the property during 1891. Listed under Historic
Resources of Aspen Multiple Resource Area. (1986 photograph.)
Matthew Callahan Log Cabin
205 S. 3rd St.
National Register 3/6/1987, 5PT.149
Believed to date from the early 1880s, the one-story log cabin has a side gabled
roof. Constructed with logs hewn into rectangular shapes of varying size, it is one of the
few remaining pre-mining era structures known to exist in Aspen. As such it is
representative of the materials and technology available at the time of its
construction. Listed under Historic Resources of Aspen Multiple Resource Area. (1980
photograph.)
Collins Block-Aspen Lumber & Supply
204 S. Mill
National Register 3/6/1987, 5PT.113.40
Constructed between 1891-93, this somewhat atypical commercial building is located on a
downtown corner lot. The first story walls are of rusticated sandstone, while the second
story walls are brick. The building exhibits an eclectic mix of Late Victorian and
Neoclassical architectural detailing. Between the floors, a Tuscan column supported roof
extends out over the sidewalk. At the second story level of the Mill Street side, there is a
recessed porch with a wooden balustrade that is topped with Ionic columns. Listed under
Historic Resources of Aspen Multiple Resource Area. (1975 photograph.)
Dixon-Markle House
135 E. Cooper Ave.
National Register 3/6/1987, 5PT.162
Located on a corner lot, this circa 1888 wood frame two-story Queen Anne style
residence’s most distinctive architectural feature is a two-story rectangular bay set at an
angle on its northeast front corner. Exterior walls are clapboard covered. The complex
roof includes a steeply pitched hipped portion and an off-center front gable that is faced
with cut shingles. A large shed roofed porch with turned posts and a spindle frieze runs
across the north façade. Listed under Historic Resources of Aspen Multiple Resource
Area. (1986 photograph.)
D.E. Frantz House
333 W. Bleeker St.
National Register 3/6/1987, 5PT.251
Constructed in 1909 for local sawmill owner D.E. Frantz, the 1¾-story wood frame
residence has a steeply pitched cross gabled roof. An elaborately detailed oriel window;
gable ends, with scalloped wood shingles; and a corner entry porch, with turned posts and
decorative brackets are among the architectural elements of the period displayed in this
well-crafted representative of the Queen Anne style. Listed under Historic Resources of
Aspen Multiple Resource Area. (1986 photograph.)
Samuel L. Hallett House
432 W. Francis St.
National Register 3/6/1987, 5PT.262
Beginning as a circa 1885 hand hewn log cabin, alterations and additions believed to date
from 1892 transformed the simple building into a one-story clapboard sided dwelling in
keeping with the more elegant homes associated with Aspen’s period of development as a
mining center. Late Victorian elements include a large wrap around porch. An early
occupant, S.L. Hallett, was involved in the management of the Smuggler Mine. Listed
under Historic Resources of Aspen Multiple Resource Area. (2000 photograph.)
Holden Mining & Smelting Co.
1000 Block W. Colo. Hwy. 82
National Register 6/22/1990, 5PT.539
From 1891 to 1893, this smelting facility, also known as the Holden Lixiviation Works,
played a significant role in the production of silver during Aspen’s silver mining
boom. The approximately 2½-acre district encompasses the most important components
associated with the operation. The lixiviation process employed salt in the leaching of
silver from the ores extracted from nearby mines. The 1½-story wood frame sampling
works building, measuring 77 in length and 42 feet in width, and a portion of a one-story
salt shed remain on the site. Large portions of the sandstone foundation are all that remain
of the multi-story mill building which appears to have been over 250 feet in length. Listed
under Historic Resources of Aspen and Mining Industry in Colorado Multiple Property
Submissions. (ca. 2000 photograph.)
Hotel Jerome
330 E. Main St.
National Register 3/20/1986, 5PT.113.2
The three-story red brick hotel occupies a prominent corner location in downtown
Aspen. Completed in 1889, the building features numerous round arch window openings
and an unusual parapet, with brick work forming four rows of small square panels. The
construction of the hotel was financed by Jerome B. Wheeler, one of Aspen’s most notable
entrepreneurs, during the town’s early period of development. Many original interior
appointments remain in the first floor level. In 1945, the exterior was painted a pale gray
with blue trim when Walter Paepcke commissioned Herbert Bayer to oversee a remodeling
project on behalf of the Aspen Company. A subsequent project in the mid-1980s included
removal of the paint. (2000 photograph.)
Hyman-Brand Building
203 S. Galena St.
National Register 1/18/1985, 5PT.113.36
Located on a prominent downtown corner, the building was constructed in 1891 by early
Aspen promoter David Marks Hyman, who was among the first large investors in the
Roaring Fork Mining District. One of the largest business blocks constructed during the
boom years before the Silver Crash of 1893, the street walls of the two-story brick building
are faced with heavy rusticated sandstone. An oblique corner entry marks the first floor
retail space that originally housed the First National Bank of Aspen. The second floor
contained office spaces and a lodge meeting hall for the Patriotic Order Sons of
America. From the early 1920s into the 1960s, much of the first floor retail space was
occupied by a variety of automobile related enterprises initiated by M.H. Brand.
Thomas Hynes House
303 E. Main St.
National Register 3/6/1987, 5PT.113.15
This typical clapboard sided miner’s cottage was constructed in 1885. The original onestory dwelling had an L-shaped plan and a steeply pitched cross gabled roof. The west
façade features a large double hung window topped with a decorative pent roof and a flat
roofed porch with built up posts and a decorative frieze. Listed under Historic Resources
of Aspen Multiple Resource Area. (1980 photograph.)
La Fave Block
405 S. Hunter St.
National Register 3/6/1987, 5PT.113.7
The 1888 two-story brick business block was constructed for Frank La Fave. Architectural
details of note include an oblique corner entry and an elaborate cornice. The first floor
storefront area features large windows with transoms. It was originally occupied by the St.
James Restaurant, which was praised by the Aspen Daily Times for being "magnificent,
neat, and clean". During the early 1950s, the building was utilized by architect Fritz
Benedict as an office. Listed under Historic Resources of Aspen Multiple Resource
Area. (2000 photograph.)
Maroon Creek Bridge
Colo. Hwy. 82, Aspen vicinity
National Register 2/4/1985, 5PT.136
In 1887, the Colorado Midland Railroad and the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad raced to
be the first to stretch their rail lines to the mining town of Aspen. The D&RG reached
Aspen by October, and the Colorado Midland reached the Maroon Creek Crossing in
December. The bridge, completed in 1888, features a multi-span trestle with a built-up
steel deck girder. It is one of the last trestles of its design constructed for the state’s narrow
gauge mountain railroads during the late 19th century. Listed under Highway Bridges in
Colorado Multiple Property Submission and under Railroads in Colorado, 1858-1948
Multiple Property Submission. (1980 photograph.)
New Brick / The Brick Saloon / Red Onion
420 E. Cooper Ave.
National Register 3/6/1987, 5PT.113.5
A good local example of Victorian era commercial architecture, this two-story brick
building was constructed in 1892 as a saloon for Tom Latta, a town alderman. The three
second story windows are topped with rounded arches that are defined by dentil-like brick
work, and a pediment is centered above the intricately detailed cornice. Listed under
Historic Resources of Aspen Multiple Resource Area. (1986 photograph.)
Pitkin County Courthouse
506 E. Main St.
National Register 5/12/1975, 5PT.34
Built in 1890, the two-story brick building has a raised basement. The truncated hip roof is
topped with a richly detailed, three-tier turret centered over the main entry. (1974
photograph.)
Riede’s City Bakery
413 E. Hyman Ave.
National Register 3/6/1987, 5PT.528.12
Dating from 1885, the one-story wood frame commercial building features a false front
with bracketed cornice. A bracketed cornice also tops the storefront windows and recessed
double door entry. Although the original use of the building is not documented, Raymond
Riede operated a bakery and confectionery business there from 1890 until 1908. Listed
under Historic Resources of Aspen Multiple Resource Area.
Judge Shaw House / Newberry House
206 Lake Ave.
National Register 3/6/1987, 5PT.116.20
Constructed on a large lot in Hallam’s Addition, the circa 1890 house is best known for its
association with Judge Robert Shaw, which began in 1922. Shaw was a practicing attorney
specializing in water law, and he served as a county judge from 1921 until 1969. A
vernacular interpretation of the Shingle style, the 2½-story wood frame residence has a
complex roof. The walls are faced with clapboards on the first story and shingles on the
second. Other notable features include a large wrap around porch and an unusual carriage
house, which was incorporated into the overall design. Listed under Historic Resources of
Aspen Multiple Resource Area. (1986 photograph.)
Sheely Bridge
Mill Street Park
National Register 2/4/1985, 5PT.23
Completed in May 1911, the bridge consisted of a 120’ steel through truss designed by
Charles G. Sheely. In 1966, it was shortened and moved to its present location near Aspen
where it functions as a pedestrian bridge in Mill Street Park. It is one of the state’s earliest
riveted trusses. Listed under Highway Bridges in Colorado Multiple Property
Submission. (2000 photograph.)
Shilling-Lamb House
525 N. 2nd St.
National Register 3/6/1987, 5PT.528.6
Constructed circa 1890, the large two-story wood frame Queen Anne style residence
features clapboard siding and a distinctive polygonal corner tower. The raised foundations
walls are of sandstone, and the gable ends of the steeply pitched cross gabled roof are wood
shingled. Listed under Historic Resources of Aspen Multiple Resource Area. (2000
photograph.)
Smith-Elisha House
320 W. Main St.
National Register 1/19/1989, 5PT.114.19
The large 2½-story wood frame residence is one of Aspen’s best examples of the Queen
Anne style. Constructed circa 1890, it has an irregular plan, a multi-gabled roof, a wrap
around porch, and a large two-story bay that is topped by a gabled roof dormer. Narrow
clapboards face the first floor walls, and the second floor walls are shingled. An intact
barn/carriage house, with a dormered gable roof and cupola is also located on the large
lot. The first owner was Eben Smith, a successful owner of mining operations, who did
much to promote safety and productivity within Colorado’s mining industry. Listed under
Historic Resources of Aspen Multiple Resource Area. (2000 photograph.)
Smuggler Mine
Smuggler Mountain
National Register 5/18/1987, 5PT.479
In 1879, the Smuggler was among the first strikes made by Charles Bennett when he and
other Leadville miners first came to the Roaring Fork Valley, and the Smuggler Mining
Company was incorporated in November 1881. As one of the top silver and lead producers
in the Aspen area, the mine was among the few that continued to operate after the Silver
Crash of 1893. Active mining ceased in 1918, and the substantial wood frame buildings
associated with the operation were dismantled. In addition to numerous underground
tunnels, early tailings piles remain visible on the site. Mining resumed after World War II,
and most of the wood frame and metal buildings now on the site were constructed after
1950. Listed under Historic Resources of Aspen and Mining Industry in Colorado Multiple
Property Submissions. (1986 photograph.)
Ute Cemetery
Ute Ave.
National Register 4/1/2002, 5PT.122
Ute Cemetery is important for its association with the settlement of Aspen. Beginning with
the first burial in 1880, the cemetery became the final resting place for numerous
settlers. When the community established two other more formally designed cemeteries,
Ute Cemetery remained the burial ground for Aspen residents of modest means and
uncelebrated accomplishments. (2001 photograph.)
Davis Waite House
234 W. Francis St.
National Register 3/6/1987, 5PT.528.7
Constructed in 1888, the Late Victorian style two-story wood frame dwelling was occupied
by Davis H. Waite before and after his two year term as Colorado’s governor. Serving at
the time of the Silver Crash of 1893, Waite also oversaw the enactment of women’s
suffrage in Colorado. A lawyer and member of the Populist Party, Waite was an early
publisher of the Aspen Times. Listed under Historic Resources of Aspen Multiple
Resource Area. (2000 photograph.)
Henry Webber House / Pioneer Park
442 W. Bleeker
National Register 3/6/1987, 5PT.115.10
Often referred to as Pioneer Park, the 1½-story brick house was constructed in 1885 for
Henry Webber, a shoe and boot merchant, who came to Aspen in 1880 and subsequently
amassed considerable wealth through his mining investments. Featuring a mansard roof
with multiple dormers, the well preserved dwelling is a rare local example of the Second
Empire style. Listed under Aspen Multiple Resource Area. (1986 photograph.)
Wheeler Opera House
330 E. Hyman Ave.
National Register 8/21/1972, 5PT.35
Financed by Jerome B. Wheeler, construction of the massive three-story commercial
building located on a prominent downtown corner began in 1888 and was completed in
1898. Designed by early Denver architect Willoughby J. Edbrooke, utilizing a mix of
Romanesque and Italianate style architectural elements, the primarily hipped roof building
has walls of peachblow sandstone. Rounded arches define window and door openings on
the first and third levels. Retail spaces were located on the first floor, professional offices
were on the second, and the Opera House occupied the entire third floor. A fire gutted the
third floor in 1912, and it remained closed off until 1947 when the upper two floors were
leased to the Aspen Company. (1971 photograph.)
Wheeler-Stallard House
620 W. Bleeker St.
National Register 5/30/1975, 5PT.32
Constructed in 1888 for Jerome B. Wheeler, an investor from New York who played an
important role in Aspen’s evolution from a mining camp into a town of culture and
refinement, the two-story brick house also includes a finished attic level. The building’s
importance as a good local example of the Queen Anne style is reflected in its steeply
pitched complex roof, asymmetrical massing, and decorative shingled gable
ends. Purchased by Walter Paepcke in 1945, this distinctive residence was conveyed to the
Aspen Historical Society for use as a museum in 1969. (ca. 2000 photograph.)
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Independence
Independence & Independence Mill Site
Colo. Hwy. 82, White River National Forest
National Register 4/11/1973, 5PT.18
The cluster of log cabins and cabin ruins remaining on the site are associated with early
mining history in the Upper Roaring Fork area of eastern Pitkin County. Most of the
buildings in the settlement, which extended along the Roaring Fork River, have collapsed
or lack roofs. Located on the Independence Pass wagon road between Aspen and
Leadville, the town served as a good stopping point for travelers. Population reportedly
grew from 150 miners in 1881 to approximately 2,000 residents during the mid-1880s. By
the late 1880s, fewer than 100 residents remained, and most commercial enterprises had
either closed or relocated to Aspen. The property is associated with the Mining Industry in
Colorado Multiple Property Submission. (1999 photograph.)
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Redstone
Osgood Castle / Cleveholm
Redstone vicinity
National Register 6/28/1971, 5PT.553.2
Also known as Cleveholm, the sprawling forty-two room mansion is located approximately
one mile south of Redstone. Designed for John Cleveland Osgood, under the direction of
the New York architectural firm of Boal & Harnois, the residence was completed in
1903. Reminiscent of a 16th century Tudor manor house in its overall appearance, towers,
turrets, and oriel windows are among the most interesting architectural details. First and
second story walls are of cut and coursed red sandstone, while the third story and gable
ends are covered with wood shingles. Osgood first traveled west in 1882 and found his
riches in Colorado coal fields. He founded the Colorado Fuel Company, which he later
merged with Colorado Coal and Iron Company to form the powerful Colorado Fuel & Iron
Company, commonly referred to as CF&I. (1994 photograph.)
Osgood Gamekeeper’s Lodge
18679 Colo. Hwy. 133
National Register 7/19/1989, 5PT.556
The 1901 lodge is located slightly north of the Osgood Castle. Designed in the Swiss
Chalet style by architect Theodore Boal, the 1½-story wood shingled lodge served as the
residence for the caretaker of John C. Osgood’s private game preserve. Dominating the
façade are full-width galleries with decorative cut and sawn balustrades. Large carved
spindles support a balcony located under the wide, projecting eaves of the clipped gable
roof. Listed under Historic Resources of Redstone, Colorado Multiple Property
Submission. (1999 photograph.)
Osgood-Kuhnhausen House
642 Redstone Blvd.
National Register 8/18/1983, 5PT.443
Dating from 1901, the small wood frame cottage is topped with a pyramidal roof. It is
representative of the dwellings erected under the direction of John C. Osgood as housing
for married workers associated with his coal related operations, which thrived in the area
from 1899 to 1909. Osgood created his model company town based on a belief that
providing better living conditions would result in greater production. Although the
Redstone cottages were based on standard plans, they exhibited an eclectic mix of then
popular styles in their varied ornamentation. Many of the one hundred cottages constructed
by 1902 were subsequently demolished or moved to other locations.
Redstone Coke Oven Historic District
Colo. Hwy. 133 & Chair Mountain Stables Rd., Redstone vicinity
National Register 2/7/1990, 5PT.451
The District is important for its association with the development of the coal mining and
processing industry in Colorado. The ovens were constructed by the Colorado Fuel and
Iron Company in 1899, during a period of expansion in the processing of coking coal
brought about by the increased demand from the region’s smelting industry. The Redstone
ovens are also an important engineering resource, representing a type of industrial structure
no longer in use and rapidly disappearing from the West. Listed under Historic Resources
of Redstone, Colorado Multiple Property Submission.
Redstone Historic District
Along Crystal River, Hawk Creek to 226 Redstone Blvd.
National Register 7/19/1989, 5PT.553
The Redstone Historic District is a rare, intact Colorado example of an industrial company
town, with examples of buildings ranging from worker’s cottages to the large estate of the
industrial magnate John Cleveland Osgood. Osgood, as head of the Colorado Fuel and Iron
Company from 1892 until 1903, regarded Redstone as his personal project and saw the
town’s development as a model and standard for the industry. The district survives as a
major body of work by architect Theodore Boal. Boal adapted popular Victorian styles to a
mountain setting utilizing unique combinations of wood and stone in his picturesque
designs. Listed under Historic Resources of Redstone, Colorado and Mining Industry in
Colorado Multiple Property Submissions. (Superintendent’s House, 1988 photograph.)
Redstone Inn
82 Redstone Blvd.
National Register 3/27/1980, 5PT.553.1
The inn originally functioned as part of the model community built by John C. Osgood for
the workers associated with his nearby coke producing and coal mining operations. The
2½-story wood frame building was constructed in 1902 for the primary purpose of housing
bachelor miners in somewhat elegant surroundings. A large square clock tower, which
incorporates a red sandstone base; extensive cross-timbering; and a steeply pitched
pyramidal roof, rising a full story above the apex of the building’s roof are among the
distinctive architectural details. The property is associated with the Mining Industry in
Colorado Multiple Property Submission. (ca. 1979 photograph.)
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