Historic Sites
For a quick list of historic locations within the cities and towns, click on the names below. You can also search sites by Gunnison County, State of Colorado or National.
Ohio City
Parlin
Pitkin
Spencer
Taylor Park
Click on each name for details.
GUNNISON COUNTY HISTORIC SITES
Name | Address | Current Use |
---|---|---|
8th Street School | 101 N. 8th Street, Gunnison | Restore/No entry; New school on site |
Aberdeen Quarry | 14 miles SW of Gunnison | Museum Tours |
Alpine Guard Station | 7 miles from Lake Fork Highway Turnoff | Forest Service Use |
Bomber Crash Site | 21 miles NE of Gunnison | Tourist site |
Bon Ton Hotel | 329 Main Street, Pitkin | Rustic Hotel |
Chance Gulch Site | 2.5 miles SE of Gunnison | Grazing |
Dorchester Guard Station | Taylor Park | Tourist site |
Fairview Peak Fire Lookout | Fairview Peak, Pitkin | Forest Service/Tourist site |
Fairview School House | 4514 CR 730, Ohio Creek | Community Center |
Gothic Townsite Buildings | Gothic | Tourist site |
Great Wall | 23 miles N. of Gunnison | Tourist site |
Johnson Building Gallery | 124 N. Main St. Gunnison | Art Gallery |
Mountaineer Site | Top of Tenderfoot Mountain | Radio Transmitters |
Narrow Gauge Railroad Exhibit | 803 W. Tomichi | Museum Exhibit |
Ohio City Jail | Miners Avenue, Ohio City | Storage & Mailboxes |
Ohio City School | Miners Avenue, Ohio City | Community Building |
Ohio City Town Hall | 8502 CR 76, Ohio City | Community Center |
Rock Culverts & Railbed Trail | 23 miles N. of Gunnison | Tourist site |
Sewell's Gulch Gravesite | 10 miles E. of Gunnison | Cemetery/no entry |
Smith Opera House | 114 N. Boulevard, Gunnison | Office building |
Spencer School | 21 miles SW of Gunnison | Tourist site/no entry |
Star Mine | Taylor Park | Tourist site/no entry |
Water Tank at Gothic Mill | Gothic | Tourist site |
COLORADO STATE HISTORIC SITES
Name | Address | Current Use |
---|---|---|
Alpine Tunnel Historic District | Pitkin | |
Bon Ton Hotel | 329 Main Street, Pitkin | Rustic Hotel |
CF&I | 721 Maroon Avenue, Crested Butte | |
Doyleville Schoolhouse | Pioneer Museum, Doyleville | |
Gunnison Hardware (GAC) | 102 S. Main, Gunnison | |
Haystack Cave | Gunnison | |
Leslie J. Savage Library | Western State College, Gunnison | |
Marble St. Bank Building | 105 W. Main, Marble | |
Municipal Building | 201 Virginia Avenue, Gunnison | |
Murray House | 211 S. Main, Gunnison | |
Pitkin Schoolhouse | 800 Main Street, Pitkin | |
Pitkin Town Hall | 400 4th Street, Pitkin | |
Rimrock School | Co Road 24, Sapinero | |
Spencer School | 21 miles SW of Gunnison | Tourist site/no entry |
Star Mine | Taylor Park | Tourist site/no entry |
Tays House | Crystal | |
Tenderfoot | Gunnison |
NATIONAL HISTORIC SITES
Name | Address | Current Use |
---|---|---|
Alpine Tunnel Historic District | Pitkin | |
Crystal Mill | Crystal | |
Curecanti | West of Gunnison | |
D&RG RR Depot | 716 Elk Avenue, Crested Butte | |
Edgerton House | 514 Gunnison Avenue, Gunnison | |
Fisher-Zugelder & Smith Cottage | 601 N. Wisconsin, Gunnison | |
Gunnison RR Bridges I | Highway 50 Frontage, Gunnison | |
Gunnison RR Bridges II | Highway 50 Frontage, Gunnison | |
Haxby House | 101 W. Silver, Marble | |
Historic District | Crested Butte | |
Johnson Building Gallery | 124 N. Main St. Gunnison | Art Gallery |
Marble High School | 412 Main, Marble | |
Marble Mill Site / CO Yule Co. | Park & W. 3rd, Marble | |
Marble St. Bank Building | 105 W. Main, Marble | |
Marble Town Hall | 407 Main Street, Marble | |
Rimrock School | Co Road 24, Sapinero | |
St. Paul's Church | 123 State Street, Marble | |
Webster Building | 229 N. Main, Gunnison | Interiors Furniture Store |
Wm. D. Parry House | 115 Main Street, Marble |
Aberdeen Quarry
Address: 14 miles SW of Gunnison Legal: parts of Sec 4 & 5, T 48N, R1W Current Use: Museum Tours Contact: Gunnison Pioneer Museum Date Designated: December 17,
In March of 1888 the granite was discovered by F.G. Zugelder. It is said that he carried out the first sample of the granite on
Aberdeen had a Post Office, a population of 149, and a school for four pupils. The quarry operated from August 1,
Owned for a number of years by Louis Borland and Bill Endner, both deeded the quarry to the Gunnison County Pioneer and Historical Society. Throughout the summer
Bomber Crash Site
Address: 21 miles NE of Gunnison
Legal: Part of Sec 10,
Current Use: Tourist Site
Contact: USFS
Designated: May 2,
The B-24E Crash Site is located near Forest Service Road 742. The B-24 crashed at the site at about 1145 hours on 19 July 1943. A small clearing in the forest marks the location of the airplane impact. Remains of the bomber are currently located within a
All ten members of the crew and one
Bon Ton Hotel
Address: 329 Main Street, Pitkin
Legal: Blk. 38, Lot 21-24, Pitkin
Current Use: Rustic Hotel
Contact:
Designated: July 5,
The original Bon Ton Hotel burned in December of 1903. It was rebuilt in 1904. The Bon Ton Hotel was considered "modern" not western. The exterior is of stone, and had an awning over the front windows, with a walkway under the balcony. It had a porch roof over the back extending to the outdoor toilets. There was also a pulley upstairs over the balcony door to pull up steamer trunks. Both the exterior and interior of the building is a great example of finer hotels of the era. The original windows, stairway, wainscoting,
Pitkin at one time was 12th in population in Colorado. The Alpine Tunnel was above Pitkin and trains came through three times weekly to carry out the ore from surrounding gold and silver mines. Many people stopped for the night at the Bon Ton Hotel and Restaurant. It is still an active Hotel, and to visit it is to step back into history. This property is also on the Colorado Historic Preservation Register.
Chance Gulch
Address: 2.5 miles SE of Gunnison
Legal: Parts of Sec 16 &
Current Use: Grazing, Research
Contact: WSC/Bureau of Land Management
Designated: September 19,
Gulch Site is a highly significant archaeological site was first recorded about 1980. The site is a multi-component campsite with buried, stratified deposits that represent the Paleoindian through historic periods, circa 11,000 BP (years before present) through 50 years BP. While archaeological remains of all of the encompassed periods of prehistory stand to yield vital new information about past human lifeways, the Chance Gulch site's particular and unique significance lies in its potential to teach us about the land use and subsistence strategies of occupants of the Rocky Mountains during this period. Presently, students at Western State College participate in
Dorchester Guard Station
Address: Dorchester Townsite
Legal: Part Sec
Current Use: Tourist Site
Contact: US Forest Service
Designated: September 18,
The Dorchester Guard Station is one of only two original Forest Service Guard Stations remaining in Gunnison County. It represents a unique Rocky Mountain style cabin construction and remains the only structure of the old town of Dorchester. The cabin is a one-room log cabin, originally built in 1905, in a remote area of Taylor Park. It was adjacent to the stagecoach road from Tincup to Aspen. Postal service was initiated for Dorchester on August 2,
Fairview Schoolhouse
Address: 4514 County Road 730, Ohio Creek
Legal: Parts of Sec 26,
Current Use: Community Center
Contact: Fairview School Association
Designated: September 2,
Fairview School was built shortly after District Number Ten was organized in 1881. The school was located on Ohio Creek on land donated by Lewis Easterly. Because of its location, with its clear views of the Anthracites and Carbon Peak, it was named Fairview School. The original
Gothic Townsite Buildings
The Gothic town site was established in 1879 following a silver strike up Copper Creek in what is now the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness area. The town grew rapidly and within two years contained as many as 3000 residents. The town of Gothic had a brief life and was fading into oblivion. In 1928, Dr. John C. Johnson formerly of Western State College, with others founded the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory on the
Great Wall
Location: 23 miles N of Gunnison, Ohio Creek Pass
Legal: E2, Sec23, T14S, R87W, 6th PM
Current Use: Tourist Site Contact: USFS
Designated: January 6, 1998
Even though this Palisade was never completed, it still is an amazing structure and represents the end of an era for the Denver South Park and Pacific Railroad who dreamed of building a railway over Ohio Pass down to the North Fork of the Gunnison River and on to California.
This Palisade was built by Italian Stone Masons brought over specifically for this job from Italy as masons from this country were not capable of doing the work. This Palisade is almost impossible to see from the Ohio Pass Road even though it is close to the road. An interpretive sign has been placed at this site.
Johnson Building
Address: 122-124 N. Main Gunnison
Legal:
Current Use: Gallery/offices
Contact: Nancy Tredway
Designated:
The property on which the Johnson Building was built changed hands seven times in 1880 with the price fluctuating from $20 to $275. Then in
Mountaineer Site
Address: Top of Tenderfoot Mountain
Legal:
Current Use: Radio
Transmitters/Research Contact: WSC
Designated: September 19,
The Mountaineer Site is an archaeological site with several significant components.
Narrow Gauge Railroad Exhibit at the Pioneer Museum
Address: 803 E. Tomichi, Gunnison
Legal: part of Sec 1, T49N,R1W,NWPM
Current Use: Museum Exhibit
Contact: Pioneer Historical Society
Designated: July 5,
This exhibit consists of the Denver and Rio Grande railroad depot, steam locomotive No 268 and tender, a string of five rail cars, and the
The railroad station and water tank are excellent examples showing the design of railroad buildings and structures in the second half of the 19th century.
In addition to providing transportation to and from the outside world, the D&RG route through the Black Canyon to Cimarron was a popular tourist attraction. It also made moving cattle and sheep viable for the local ranchers.
Ohio City Jail
Address: Miners Avenue
Legal: Lots 26 and 27 Block 16, Ohio City
Current Use: Mailbox site
Contact: Gunnison County
Designated: January 22,
The Ohio City Jail if one of the few original buildings remaining in the small community of Ohio City. The Ohio City Hall which is also on the County Historical Preservation list is adjacent. The jail is in remarkable condition considering that it was built in 1906. The two cells in the back of the building have bars on the doors and windows. After the closure of the Ohio City Post Office, the Postal Service installed "cluster boxes" for the residents of the old mining town, and permitted the community to retain the name of Ohio City.
Ohio City School
Address: 115 Miners Avenue Ohio City
Legal: Lots 26/27 Block A Stephensons Addition
Current Use: Community Center/Tourist site
Contact: Quartz Creek Improvement Assn.
Designated: May 4,
During the early years of Ohio City,
Ohio City Town Hall
Legal Address: Block 16, Lot 24, Roe's Addition
Current Use: Community Center
Contact: Gunnison County Date
Designated: June 18,
The Ohio City Town Hall represents a significant type of architectural style predominant around the turn of the century. This late Victorian vernacular building possesses typical features from this period such as storefront glazing,
Originally, the town hall building was constructed in 1906 as a mercantile company to serve the growing mining community of Ohio City. The building was then used as a restaurant for a short time before it became the Ohio City Town Hall in 1914. Now the center of public activity in town, it serves as a community center.
Alterations to the town hall's exterior are minor. The storefront has been replaced with windows after being boarded up for many years. The rest of the exterior is unchanged. There are two outhouses behind the main building.
Rock Culverts & Railbed Trail
Address: 23 miles N of Gunnison, Ohio Pass
Legal: parts of Sec 23 & 24, T14S, R87W 6th PM
Current Use: Tourist Site
Contact: USFS
Designation: December 8,
The unfinished section of the railbed of the Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railroad on upper Ohio Pass (1881-1882) was known as the Ohio Creek Extension. The DSP&P had plans to access the coal fields
Much work went into the construction of the railbed, and it was simply abandoned before completion. The fact that it was left as "work in progress" gives a better glimpse of the incredible and intact engineering remnants of a bygone era. Among the visible remains are the 3 old rock culverts which were used to divert a tributary of Ohio Creek under the railbed. The water pools on the upstream
Sewell's Gulch Gravesite
Address: 10 miles E of Gunnison
Legal: Part of Sec 16, T498N, R2E
Current Use: Cemetery/no entry
Contact: Bureau of Land Management
Designated: January 21,
This historic site is a gravesite with at least two graves. The graves are outlined with a rectangle of local uncut rocks, which local informants claim were laid out in 1994. The site has one white marble military headstone. The engraving on this stone reads "Charles E. Sewell, CO I 45 PA Inf." The other possible grave has no headstone or
Charles Sewell was born in 1846 in Philadelphia, Pa. In 1864, at the age of 19 Sewell enlisted in the 45 Penn. Infantry. Military records list his occupation as a farmer. He was discharged as a private in 1865 in Alexandria, Va. He settled in the Tomichi Creek Valley before 1880, where he died between 1879 and 1880 aged 33 or 34 leaving behind a wife, Lucinda Sewell, aged 25 and five daughters 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8. Sewell's Gulch is named for him.
Smith Opera House
Address: 114 North Boulevard Street Gunnison
Legal: Blk 13, Lots 1-8 W. Gunnison Addition
Current Use: Offices
Contact: Joe Puchek
Designated: October 5,
The Smith Opera House was constructed in 1882 by Frank C. Smith. It is typical of those constructed in mining towns of the
The building was constructed with commercial use in mind, perhaps retail and office space on the first floor. The second floor was opened as an Opera House in 1883. In 1884, failed economics doomed the opera house and the building was sold at a sheriff's sale. It was then converted to rooming house/apartments and was renamed the Grand Apartments. The building has been renovated and is now in use as offices.
Spencer School
Address: 21miles SW of Gunnison
Legal: part of Sec 4, T47N, R2W, NMPM
Current Use: Tourist Site
Contact: Bureau of Land Management
Designated: January 21,
In September of 1894, the citizens of Spencer petitioned for the formation of a school district. The petition was granted and School District #15 was soon organized. The first school was held in January 1895 in a rented log cabin. After two years, the booming mining town of Spencer decided that they could afford their own school building and in 1897 they bought a lot with a stable on it and converted the stable into a school building. By 1902 the Spencer citizens decided they needed a more substantial school in a more suitable location. They tore down the old schoolhouse and built a new building at a convenient point near the center of the town. This structure served Spencer and the surrounding area as a schoolhouse and social center of many decades, coming to an end after the abandonment of the Lake City Branch of the Rio Grande Railroad and the development of better roads and school buses. The schoolhouse was finally abandoned after the 1945/46 school year. The school is one of the few building left standing in the ghost town of Spencer. During the 1960s and
Star Mine
Address: US Forest Service Road 759, Gunnison
Legal: Part
Current Use: Restoration/No entry
Contact: Dennis Larratt
Designated: January 21,
The Star Mine is located in the Tin Cup Mining District in the Northwestern portion of Taylor Park. It is located in the cirque basin to the east side of Italian Mountain, North Italian Mountain, and Lambertson Peak at an elevation of approximately 11,650 feet, just below timberline. The Star Mine site includes a fully equipped shaft house, and two, two-story bunkhouses/offices. The site also housed a sawmill, of which only the sliding carriage remains.
The site retains a high degree of historical contents including a complete set of equipment and machinery. The hoisting system within the shaft house is intact and possesses all its components. The system includes a single-drum steam hoist, two large locomotive boilers, plumbing, a two-post gallows head frame. The blacksmith shop is equipped with original
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