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.  (2005 photograph.)  Full nomination (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.

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.   Full nomination (PDF, 725 kb).

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Hayden

Bolten Ranch

Hayden vicinity
State Register 12/12/2001, 5RT.1592

Local cattle and sheep rancher Isadore Bolten developed the ranch between 1926 and his death in 1952.  The 52 acre ranchstead illustrates the important role that high country ranching played in the development of Routt County.  In particular, the well maintained collection of wood frame buildings displays a cohesiveness in design and materials that sets it apart from most Routt County ranches.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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Steamboat Springs

Chamber of Commerce Building

1201 Lincoln Ave.
National Register 4/16/2010, 5RT.2616

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.  (2006 photograph.)  Full nomination (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.  Full nomination (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.

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.

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.  (2007 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.

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.  Full nomination (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.

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 Twentieth-Century Commercial style architecture as it appeared in northwest Colorado.  (2006 photograph.)  Full nomination (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, 1858-1948 Multiple Property Submission.

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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

The circa 1904 Antlers Cafe & Bar played an important role in the commercial history of Yampa.  Typical of early small town commercial buildings, the cafe utilizes a false front form to provide an impressive facade to an otherwise simple wood frame structure.

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.  Full nomination (PDF, 1.14 MB).

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