Bellvue

Arrowhead Lodge

34500 Poudre Canyon Hwy. (Colo. Hwy. 14), Roosevelt National Forest
National Register 5/27/1992, 5LR.1388

Located approximately 32 miles into the rugged Cache la Poudre Canyon, at an elevation of 7,450 feet, the district’s primarily log, Rustic style buildings accurately portray the physical setting and architecture typical of northern Colorado’s fishing and recreation resorts, dating from the years of the Great Depression.

Jacob & Elizabeth Flowers House

5200 W. County Rd. 52E
National Register 3/1/2007, 5LR.794

Built by Bellvue town founder Jacob Flowers, the 1880 house is associated with the settlement of Bellvue in the late 19th century.  The Flowers House is one of the earliest houses in the area, built in the hopes of encouraging the establishment of a permanent community in the fertile valley.  The vernacular building with Late Victorian/ Italianate elements was erected by local stonemasons using red and pink sandstone quarried locally.  Many buildings in the Bellvue area used this abundant material.  The Flowers House is the only substantial residence in Bellvue constructed of this locally-quarried stone.  Flowers became engaged in local farming, lumbering, and road building operations.  The success of his various enterprises led to the purchase of a large parcel of land to the south, land that he platted and sold as the Town of Bellvue.  His central importance to the town was further cemented by the building of his store, becoming postmaster, constructing a mill, setting up community events, and continuing to sell and develop the lots in town.  (2006 photograph.)  Full nomination (PDF, 972 kb).

Flowers Store (Cache la Poudre Grange No. 456)

2929 N. County Rd. 23
State Register 2/14/2006, 5LR.795

The 1882 Flowers Store was a welcome gathering place for locals to share friendship and a sense of community.  During his ownership of the store, Jacob Flowers provided card tables, a pool table, and snacks to encourage social interaction.  The store served as Bellvue’s only source of groceries, general merchandise, and lumber, all due to the efforts of Jacob Flowers.  After his death, the building continued to provide a place for community members to gather, whether for funerals, elections, dances or roller skating.  The store building exhibits a distinctive local method of sandstone construction and is the only commercial building in town constructed of the local stone.  Full nomination (PDF, 397 kb).

Pleasant Valley School

4042 N. County Rd. 25E, Bellevue vicinity
National Register 10/11/2003, 5LR.792

The 1879 Pleasant Valley School is a rare surviving example of a stone schoolhouse in Larimer County that exhibits the distinguishing characteristics of a rural one-room schoolhouse.  The building also represents the educational history of the County between the years 1879 and 1913 when students of all ages traveled from area farms and ranches to a centrally located school for their early instruction.  The property is associated with the Rural School Buildings in Colorado Multiple Property Submission.

Ramsey-Koenig Ranch

16321 Pingree Park Rd.
State Register 5/14/1997, 5LR.734

Now part of Colorado State University’s Pingree Park Campus, the ranch is associated with the settlement of the Pingree Park Valley.  A cluster of log and rough-cut board structures which includes a homestead cabin, barn, and other agricultural outbuildings, along with a schoolhouse and "rental" cabins remains on the property.

Stove Prairie School

3891 Stove Prairie Rd., Bellvue vicinity
State Register 3/11/1998, 5LR.848

The school began serving the educational and social needs of Rist Canyon families northwest of Fort Collins in 1896.  The community demonstrated its commitment to the original school building by incorporating it into an increasingly larger complex to accommodate growing enrollments and the changing nature of elementary education.

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Berthoud

Bimson Blacksmith Shop (Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum)

224 Mountain
National Register 7/23/1981, 5LR.530

Alfred G. Bimson constructed this one-story building of rough-cut, random coursed pink sandstone in 1893.  Active in community affairs, Bimson’s blacksmith shop served as a community gathering place.

Gustav & Annie Swanson Farm

1932 N. Hwy. 287, Berthoud vicinity
National Register 10/5/2005, 5LR.1714

The Swanson Farm is an excellent example of a northern Colorado plains farm with stock feeding and dairy operations.  In addition to the house and garage, all of the associated agricultural outbuildings remain intact, as well as the extensive irrigation system and a portion of the crop field.  The 1918 farmhouse and garage are excellent examples of the Craftsman style.  Designed and built by prominent local master-builders William Warren Greene and John Frank Greene, this is the only known rural example of their work.  The 1917 barn is an excellent example of balloon framing applied to a large agricultural building.  This form of framing, shown in plan books and farm guides of the time, provided an open, soaring hayloft that could support the weight of the hay as well as the building.  Full nomination (PDF, 2.14 MB).

United Brethren Church

500 4th St.
State Register 5/16/2001, 5LR.839

The 1904 building is a good local example of early 20th century ecclesiastical architecture.  The brick Gothic Revival style church was designed by prominent Fort Collins architect Montezuma Fuller.  It is the oldest church building attributed to Fuller, and virtually no exterior changes have occurred since its construction.

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Estes Park

Baldpate Inn

4900 S. Hwy. 7, vicinity of Estes Park
National Register 1/11/1996, 5LR.484

The 1916 inn is associated with the development of tourism in the Estes Park area.  It is an excellent example of the Rustic style, a popular design for tourist facilities built in the Colorado Rockies during the first half of the 20th century.

Bear Lake Comfort Station

Rocky Mountain National Park
National Register 1/29/1988, 5LR.531

The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed a number of buildings and structures in Rocky Mountain National Park during the 1930s.  The Bear Lake Comfort Station represents a modest structure exhibiting the use of uncoursed rubblestone indicative of the Rustic Style employed by the CCC.  The Rustic Style may be characterized by its use of native materials to blend in with the natural surroundings.  Listed under the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.

Beatrice Willard Alpine Tundra Research Plots

US Hwy. 34 at Rock Cut and Forest Canyon
Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park vicinity
National Register 10/25/2007, 5LR.10540 / 5LR.11754

Dr. Beatrice Willard, an internationally recognized tundra ecologist who made significant contributions to local, state and federal environmental policy, installed two alpine tundra research plots in Rocky Mountain National Park in 1959.  Both properties represent Dr. Willard’s life work as a tundra ecologist and fostered her role as an ecologist, educator, and negotiator.  The plots represent one of the first U.S. efforts incorporating science into long-term land management and planning.  These are among the oldest study plots in alpine tundra or mountain environments in the world.  They are most likely the oldest permanent alpine tundra plots in the National Park System.  These plots have demonstrated the need for careful management of alpine tundra, to protect it from excessive damage from man.  The plots continue to be important to ecologists.  Willard’s studies of how people affect tundra, conducted on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, have influenced the administration of public lands throughout the country.  Full nomination (PDF, 1.55 MB).

Big Thompson River Bridge I

US Hwy. 34, Estes Park vicinity
National Register 10/15/2002, 5LR.9515

Constructed in 1937, the single span of this steel rigid connected camelback pony truss extends for 100 feet across the Big Thompson River.  Designed by the Colorado Department of Highways, fabricated by Midwest Steel & Iron Works, and built by M.E. Carlson, the bridge continues to provide an important transportation link along the route to Rocky Mountain National Park.  The bridge is one of four located on the upper Big Thompson River, comprising the last surviving group of such trusses in the state.  The property is associated with the Highway Bridges in Colorado Multiple Property Submission.

Big Thompson River Bridge II

US Hwy. 34, Estes Park vicinity
National Register 10/15/2002, 5LR.9514

Constructed in 1937, the single span of this steel rigid connected camelback pony truss extends for 100 feet across the Big Thompson River.  Designed by the Colorado Department of Highways, fabricated by Midwest Steel & Iron Works, and built by M.E. Carlson, the bridge continues to provide an important transportation link along the route to Rocky Mountain National Park.  The bridge is one of four located on the upper Big Thompson River, comprising the last surviving group of such trusses in the state.  The property is associated with the Highway Bridges in Colorado Multiple Property Submission.

Birch Cabin

Near MacGregor Ave. & Wonderview Ave.
State Register 12/12/2001, 5LR.10259

Located on a 4.8-acre site, the 1908 cabin served as a vacation retreat for the Albert Birch family until the early 1980s.  A good local example of Rustic style architecture, its natural setting and the use of native log and stone as building materials characterize the style.  In addition to a wood frame utility shed and outhouse, the ruins of a small one-story stone bungalow destroyed by a fire in 1907 remain on the site.  The bungalow was constructed for the family in 1904 by Carl Piltz, a talented local stonemason.

Clatworthy Place

225 Cyteworth
National Register 7/14/2004, 5LR.10748

Located on the side of Prospect Mountain in Estes Park, the Clatworthy Place includes the home and studio of Fred Payne Clatworthy, a highly successful commercial photographer and promoter of American Western landscapes.  Clatworthy was among the first photographers in Colorado to experiment with the Autochrome process.  Invented in France, Autochrome was the first photographic process to successfully produce color images directly from nature without hand coloring.  Clatworthy is best known for his collection of Autochrome glass plates, which he used to illustrate his lecture series on National Parks.  Clatworthy was part of the National Geographic Society’s stable of American Autochrome photographers, and between 1929 and 1934, six issues of the society’s magazine featured his images in photo essays.  His yearly lecture circuits to major American cities, his many images in railroad booklets, and the National Geographic articles introduced millions of potential tourists to the dramatic colors and grandeur of the West.  The greatest significance of his work was its contribution to the promotion and early development of Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, and Front Range tourist attractions.

Colorado-Big Thompson Project Administration Building

850 N. St. Vrain Ave.
State Register 6/10/1998, 5LR.485

Constructed in 1939, the one-story, wood frame building served as the administrative office for the Colorado-Big Thompson project until 1953.  This New Deal era project was the largest water diversion, irrigation, and power generating undertaking in Colorado.  The building is the state’s best surviving example of Depression era, Bureau of Reclamation Colonial Revival design.

Crags Lodge (Golden Eagle Resort)

300 Riverside Dr.
National Register 7/1/1998, 5LR.743

The Crags Lodge, under the guidance of its founder and owner, Joe Mills, offered comfortable lodging, good food, and spectacular mountain scenery to Estes Park tourists from 1914 through 1935.  Mills made a major contribution to the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park through his writings and speeches.  He continued to influence the early management of the park through his spirited and successful advocacy for a policy to limit public conveyances on park roads.

East Long Peaks Trail

Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park vicinity
National Register 7/10/2007, 5LR.11413 / 5BL.10344

The trail to the summit of Longs Peak reflects the principles of National Park Service Naturalistic Design from the 1920s through the 1940s.  Active tourist use of the trail began in 1873 and continues up until the present day with hundreds of personal accounts repeatedly expressing exhilaration over the scenery and exhaustion from this high-altitude effort.  Initially lodge owners maintained the trail and climbers hired local guides to assist in their mountain ascent.  Between 1900 and 1906, Enos Mills forged his skills as a public speaker and naturalist while guiding visitors up the trail.  He used his guided tours to educate visitors about the value of conserving and preserving the surrounding natural environment.  This experience firmly established his reputation as a local mountain expert and he eventually served as the figurehead in the effort to create Rocky Mountain National Park.  The upper portion of the trail remains as Mills experienced it during his 304 treks to the granite summit.  With the establishment of the park in 1915, the National Park Service took over maintenance of the trail and also offered guides for tourists trekking up this well-known “Fourteener”.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.  (2006 photograph.)  Full nomination (PDF, 1.34 MB).

EDGEMONT

1861 Mary’s Lake Rd.
State Register 6/10/1998, National Register 7/15/1998, 5LR.804

The 1881 wood frame residence was built by Loveland cattle rancher William Hallett as part of his summer grazing operations in the Estes Valley.  It is a well-preserved example of Late Victorian era architecture.

ELKHORN LODGE

530 W. Elkhorn Ave.
National Register 12/27/1978, 5LR.476

The compound consists of six vernacular buildings, all constructed between 1877 and 1908 with rough-hewn materials and few decorative elements.  Additions to some reflect the conversion of a working ranch to satisfy the demands of the tourist trade.

ESTES PARK CHALET

2625 Mary’s Lake Rd.
State Register 9/13/1995, 5LR.1876

The Estes Park Chalet, southwest of Estes Park, is associated with the area’s tourism industry.  Constructed circa 1920, the Chalet is an important example of the Rustic style, popular throughout the Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park area.

FALL RIVER ENTRANCE HISTORIC DISTRICT

Rocky Mountain National Park
National Register 1/29/1988, 5LR.1184

This collection of three Rustic Style log buildings was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936.  The residence building particularly reflects the design characteristics of the style with its uncoursed native stone foundation, log construction, multi-light windows, wood shingle roof, and native stone chimney.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.

FALL RIVER PASS RANGER STATION

Rocky Mountain National Park
National Register 1/29/1988, 5LR.1204

Built in 1922, it is an excellent example of early National Park Service Rustic style architecture and served as a ranger station until 1932 when it was temporarily converted into a nature museum.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.

Fall River Pump House & Catchment Basin

Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park vicinity
National Register 8/30/2006, 5LR.10936

Constructed in 1938 to treat water for the Fall River Pass Museum, the Fall River Pump House and Catchment Basin are located in a remote section of Rocky Mountain National Park.  The pump house and basin are typical examples of National Park Service Rustic, a design philosophy blending buildings and structures with their environment through the use of local materials and specific placement that avoids distracting visitors from the surrounding scenic beauty.  The 1933 opening of Trail Ridge Road created a new era of visitation for the park.  With the opening of the Fall River Pass Museum in 1936 to accommodate the number of new visitors brought in by increased automobile access to the park, a water shortage soon developed at the museum.  Using the new basin to catch water and funnel it towards the pump house, water eventually found its way up a 1,000-foot steep slope to the museum above.  Today, a buried electric line powers the pump house as it feeds water to a 60,000-gallon storage tank, which then pumps the water on to the buildings atop Fall River Pass.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park Multiple Property Submission.  Full nomination (PDF, 1.24 MB).

Fall River Road

Rocky Mountain National Park
National Register 7/20/1987, 5LR.885

The district includes an intact segment of the original Fall River Road, along with a variety of historic buildings and structures associated with the road’s construction and maintenance.  The segment runs 9.5 miles from Horseshoe Park on the east to Fall River Pass on the west.  Initially utilizing convict labor, construction on what was the first highway through Rocky Mountain National Park began in 1913.  By September 1920, it was possible to drive from Estes Park to the western terminus of the road at Grand Lake in Grand County.  Beginning at an elevation of 8,000 feet, and rising to 11,796 feet at Fall River Pass, the roadway included steep switchbacks and hairpin curves.  Two-way traffic was terminated with the opening of Trail Ridge Road in 1932.  Although a rock slide closed the Fall River Road in 1953, it was reopened to one-way traffic in 1968 and now serves as a Motor Nature Trail.  Listed under the Rocky Mountain National Park Multiple Resource Area and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.

Fern Lake Patrol Cabin

Rocky Mountain National Park
National Register 1/29/1988, 5LR.1201

Built in 1925, the Rustic style cabin of hand hewn logs sits on a rubblestone foundation.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.

Fern Lake Trail

Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park vicinity
National Register 2/28/2005, 5LR.10920

With the first complete route established by 1906, 4.8-mile Fern Lake Trail has long served tourists to Rocky Mountain National Park and the Estes Park area.  Providing a scenic route through the park, the trail’s destinations include Fern Lake and Odessa Lake.  In the 1920s, Fern Lake had become a ski destination with the Colorado Mountain Club making annual wintertime outings to Fern Lake from 1916-1934.  During the Great Depression, Civilian Conservation Corps workers provided labor on trails projects such as rock wall construction and trail alignment, much of which is still intact.  Fern Lake Trail also exemplifies the 20th century movement to develop national parks for public enjoyment, while being representative of the Naturalistic Design philosophy prevalent in the National Park Service from the 1920s through the 1940s.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.  Full nomination (PDF, 1.7 MB).

Flattop Mountain Trail

Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park vicinity
National Register 9/27/2007, 5LR.11791

Associated with the early resort industry and tourism in the Estes Park region, the trail grew from the 20th century movement to develop national parks for public enjoyment.  Completely relocated in 1925, a Depression-era New Deal federal relief agency, the Civilian Conservation Corps, also improved the trail during the summer and fall work season of 1940.  The trail design reflects National Park Service Naturalistic Design philosophies and practices of the 1920s through the 1940s.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.  (2003 photograph.)  Full nomination (PDF, 556 kb).

Gem Lake Trail

Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park vicinity
National Register 1/29/2008, 5LR.11810.1

The trail is associated with the early resort industry and tourism in the Estes Park region, particularly in its function as an equestrian route.  The trail assumed its current alignment with the completion of alterations in 1923.  During 1940 and 1941, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) performed trail maintenance and improvements in keeping with National Park Service Naturalistic Design principles of the 1920s through the 1940s.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Resources Multiple Property Submissions.  (2003 photograph.)

Glacier Basin Campground Ranger Station

Rocky Mountain National Park
National Register 7/20/1987, 5LR.1202

Built in 1930 of logs on poured cement, the station is typical of National Park Service Rustic style architecture in Rocky Mountain National Park.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.

Grand River Ditch / Specimen Ditch

Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Lake vicinity
National Register 9/29/1976, LR.10523 / 5GA.301

Often considered to be the largest early engineering project designed to divert water from the western slope of the Rocky Mountains to the South Platte River, the 14.3 mile long Grand Ditch was first used to divert water across La Poudre Pass by the Larimer County Ditch Company in 1890.  Over the years, the ditch was extended south along the Never Summer Range.  In 1936, the Water Supply and Storage Company extended the ditch to Bear Creek, thus completing its construction.  Listed under Rocky Mountain National Park Multiple Resource Area.

Hewes-Kirkwood Inn (Rocky Ridge Music Center)

465 Longs Peak Rd., Estes Park vicinity
National Register 10/28/1994, 5LR.1794

The inn played an important part in the development of tourism in the Estes Park region.  Established in 1917, near the original trailhead at the base of Long’s Peak, the inn was one of the first to be constructed in the area.

Homestead Meadows

Estes Park vicinity
National Register 10/4/1990, 5LR.1403

Located in the Estes-Poudre District of the Roosevelt National Forest, the 60 acre site includes surviving buildings that reflect local late 19th and early 20th century ranching history.

Lake Haiyaha Trail

Rocky Mountain National Park, roughly along Bear, Nymph and Dream lakes, then up Chaos Canyon, Estes Park vicinity
National Register 3/5/2008, 5LR.11899

The National Park Service (NPS) completed the first section of the Lake Haiyaha Trail to Nymph Lake in 1930.  Construction progressed in stages.  The next half-mile, up to Dream Lake, was completed in 1931.  Work on the final section between Dream and Haiyaha commenced in 1933, under the supervision of Rocky Mountain National Park’s first landscape architect to specialized in trail work - Allison van V. Dunn.  The extensive dry laid rock walls in the switchbacks south of Dream Lake utilized Dunn’s technical background.  Today, the rockwork in this section appears old (covered with lichen and settled into the surrounding dirt) yet is still very functional.  Like many of the historic trails in the park, this 2.1-mile trail manifests the application of the NPS Naturalistic Design philosophy as applied in the 1920s through the 1940s.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Resources Multiple Property Submissions.  (2003 photograph.)  Full nomination (PDF, 1.03 MB).

Leiffer House

Colo. Hwy. 7
National Register 8/2/1978, 5LR.480

The circa 1923 residence is a rustic adaptation of the Southern California Craftsman style to the Rocky Mountain west. The first story is of concrete daubed, fire-killed logs, while the second story is of frame construction.

Lost Lake Trail

Rocky Mountain National Park, roughly along N. Fork Big Thompson River, Estes Park vicinity National Register 3/5/2008, 5LR.11900.1

Lost Lake gained popularity with tourists in the 1910s.  Guests at Sprague’s Resort enjoyed guided horseback trips up to the lake.  Hotels, railroads, and other tourist industry businesses acknowledged and promoted the charms of the Lost Lake area.  Initial construction of the trail began in 1911, several years before the formal establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park.  The trail crosses through Roosevelt National Forest before reaching the park boundary.  Within the park, the 4.5-mile trail design reflects National Park Service (NPS) Naturalistic Design of the 1920s through the 1940s.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Resources Multiple Property Submissions (2005 photograph.)  Full nomination (PDF, 408 kb).

MacGregor Ranch

180 MacGregor Ave.
National Register 7/31/1989, 5LR.807

Established in 1873 by Alexander and Clara MacGregor, three generations operated this cattle ranch for nearly one hundred years.  Since 1973, it has operated as a living history museum restored to its 1900 appearance.

McGraw Ranch

Estes Park vicinity
National Register 9/17/1998, 5LR.1131

The ranch, its beginnings dating to 1884, reflects the evolution of Estes Park area cattle ranching, progressing from large operations covering thousands of acres of private and public lands to more diversified businesses accommodating tourists seeking a western experience.  The ranch buildings exhibit the construction, design, materials, and functional variety of historic ranches which evolved into dude ranches.  McGraw Ranch is the only intact dude ranch within Rocky Mountain National Park.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park Multiple Resource Area.

Enos Mills Homestead Cabin (Enos Mills Cabin Museum and Gallery)

Off Colo. Hwy. 7, south of Estes Park
National Register 5/11/1973, 5LR.475

Mills’ 1885 homestead cabin is a one-room log structure chinked with concrete.  A conservationist and tour guide, Mills is considered to be the father of Rocky Mountain National Park.  The cabin now operates as a museum exhibiting memorabilia associated with Enos Mills.

Moraine Lodge

Rocky Mountain National Park
National Register 10/8/1976, additional documentation 6/15/2005, 5LR.477

Constructed in 1923, the log building sits on a foundation of uncoursed rubblestone.  The lodge served as the central building of a summer resort until it was converted to a museum in 1931.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.  Full nomination (PDF, 3.08 MB).

Mountainside Lodge, YMCA Camp of the Rockies

2515 Tunnel Rd., Estes Park vicinity
State Register 5/14/1997, National Register 7/20/2000, 5LR.2166

Located on the grounds of the Estes Park Center of the YMCA of the Rockies, the 1921 building is associated with Dr. John Timothy Stone, a well-known Presbyterian theologian, minister, evangelist, and administrator.  Initially serving as a religious retreat, Dr. Stone played a key role in making the YMCA of the Rockies an important center for tourism in the Rocky Mountain Region.  The well executed 2½-story Rustic style lodge features foundation and first floor walls of rough, uncoursed native granite.  Upper level walls are composed of lodgepole logs, which are saddle notched and spike together at the wall intersections.

North Inlet Trial

Rocky Mountain National Park, roughly along North Inlet and Hallett Creek to Flattop Mountain, Estes Park vicinity
National Register 3/5/2008, 5LR.11929 / 5GA.3714

See listing in Grand Lake, Grand County.

Park Theater

130 Moraine Ave.
National Register 6/14/1984, 5LR.999

Built in 1913, from a design by J.R. Anderson, its eighty-foot tower and theatrical detailing make the theater one of this tourist community’s most prominent commercial structures.

Rocky Mountain National Park Administration Building

Colo. Hwy. 36
National Historic Landmark 1/3/2001, National Register 1/3/2001, 5LR.9947

The 1967 building was designed and constructed as part of the National Park Service’s Mission 66 program, of which the park "visitor center" was the central planning and design element.  The Administration Building is one of the four most significant and successful examples of the new building type.  Designed by Taliesen Associated Architects, Frank Lloyd Wright’s successor firm, the building became a national showcase for the Mission 66 program.  The use of Wright-influenced design in a national park setting further legitimized the use of modern architecture in the parks.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park Multiple Resource Area.

Rocky Mountain National Park Utility Area Historic District

Beaver Meadows, Rocky Mountain National Park
National Register 3/18/1982, 5LR.487

The utility area reflects the National Park Service’s concern for blending structures with the natural environment.  The half-log and plank buildings, begun in 1923 at the Beaver Meadows Entrance, were completed during the 1930s under government work projects.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.

Snogo Snow Plow

Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park vicinity
National Register 10/4/2006, 5LR.11068

As an increasingly mobile and automobile-oriented society demanded motorized access to national parks, park managers were compelled to develop modern roads.  Park roads necessitated regular maintenance, often involving the annual spring removal of deep winter snows to allow automobile passage.  The 1932 Snogo was an important tool used to battle the snow banks on Trail Ridge Road and various other Rocky Mountain National Park roads at the beginning of each summer season.  The Snogo was innovative for its time, including such state-of-the-art features as an auger and blower to remove large amounts of snow, controls placed within a closed and heated cab, and roll-up windows.  Snogos were often used in mountainous and snowy national parks across the country.  Rocky Mountain National Park’s Model F Snogo is quite possibly the last remaining such example in the United States.  It labored annually until retirement in 1952.  Full nomination (PDF, 564 kb).

Stanley Hotel

333 Wonder View Ave.
National Register 5/26/1977; Boundary Increase: National Register 6/20/1985, 4/14/1998, 5LR.478 / 5LR.2164

The Stanley Hotel began operations in 1909.  The resort complex was built by F.O. Stanley who gained fame and fortune as the inventor and manufacturer of the Stanley Steamer automobile.  The hotel served tourists visiting the Estes Park/Rocky Mountain National Park area.  Until 1926, many guests arrived via specially designed Stanley Steamer touring cars.  The resort consists of a group of Classical Revival buildings set against the rugged backdrop of the Rocky Mountains.  The district also includes the Stanley Power Plant, located 3.5 miles northwest of the hotel.  Stanley built the plant in 1907 to provide electric power to his hotel, allowing him to claim that it was the first in the nation to "heat, light and cook meals exclusively with electricity."

Timberline Cabin

Rocky Mountain National Park
National Register 1/29/1988, 5LR.1206

This stone Rustic style structure, built in 1925, originally served as living quarters for workers on the Fall River Road.  Subsequently, it has served as a patrol cabin and caretaker’s cabin.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.

TONAHUTU CREEK TRAIL

Rocky Mountain National Park, roughly along Tonahutu Creek to Flattop Mountain, Estes Park vicinity
National Register 3/5/2008, 5LR.11897 / 5GA.3823

See listing in Grand Lake, Grand County.

Trail Ridge Road
Rocky Mountain National Park

National Register 11/14/1984, 5LR.502 / 5GA.307

Trail Ridge Road, deriving its name from the Ute route through the mountains, was begun in September of 1929 and completed in July of 1939.  Featuring spectacular scenery, the 37.9-mile road runs through the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park.  Listed under the Rocky Mountain National Park Multiple Resource Area and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.

Twin Sisters Lookout (Twin Sisters Radio Shack)

Rocky Mountain National Park
National Register 12/24/1992, 5LR.1500

This small native stone building, constructed by the Forest Service in 1914 and acquired by the Park Service in 1925, now serves as a radio repeater station and fire cache.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.

Agnes Vaille Shelter

Rocky Mountain National Park
National Register 12/24/1992, 5LR.1499

Constructed in 1927 near the top of Long’s Peak to provide shelter for climbers, its native stone construction is in keeping with the Rustic ideal of National Park Service architecture.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.

William Allen White Cabins

Moraine Park Visitor Center, Rocky Mountain National Park
National Register 10/25/1973, 5LR.479

Located 300 yards south of the Moraine Park Visitor Center, the compound consists of five structures, purchased or built by W.A. White after 1912.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park Multiple Resource Area.

Willow Park Patrol Cabin

Fall River Rd., Rocky Mountain National Park
National Register 7/20/1987, 5LR.1203

The log Rustic style building was constructed in 1923 to serve crews maintaining the Fall River Road.  It has seen little use since the opening of Trail Ridge Road in 1932.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.

Willow Park Stable

Fall River Pass, Rocky Mountain National Park
National Register 7/20/1987, 5LR.1205

Essentially unaltered since it was built in 1926, this stable is a good example of the Rustic style.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Multiple Property Submissions.

Wind Ridge

1397 Clara Dr., Estes Park vicinity
State Register 3/13/2002, National Register 10/15/2002, 5LR.10348

Built between 1915-1930 as a summer residence for Clark and Elizabeth Blickensderfer, the complex remains a good local example of Craftsman / Rustic style architecture.  Blickensderfer, a prominent amateur photographer, specialized in soft focus format photographs which brought him national and international praise during the 1920s and early 1930s.  Scenes from Rocky Mountain National Park and the surrounding area made up a significant portion of his work.  Wind Ridge served as a base for his photographic expeditions as well as a facility for the developing and printing of his black and white images.

Ypsilon Lake Trail

Rocky Mountain National Park, along ridge between Ciquita Creek and Roaring River, Estes Park vicinity
National Register 3/5/2008, 5LR.11898

Completed in 1907, the 4.5-mile Ypsilon Lake Trail predates the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park in 1915.  The Estes Park Protective and Improvement Association likely established the current alignment to reach Ypsilon Lake.  The lake’s appeal rests in its clear, pleasant waters bounded on the northwest side by steep cliffs and on other sides by dense stands of trees.  An alpine creek tumbles into the west end of the lake and Ypsilon Creek streams out of the east end.  The property is associated with the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Resources Multiple Property Submissions.  (2003 photograph.)  Full nomination (PDF, 1.37 MB).

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Fort Collins

Aggie "A"

Vicinity of Road 42C, near Horsetooth Reservoir
State Register 9/13/1995, 5LR.1878

The Aggie "A" is associated with the history of Colorado State University, the former Colorado Agricultural College.  The 1923 "A" is an example of hillside monograms which are distinctive landmarks in western states.

Ammons Hall

Colorado State University Campus
National Register 6/15/1978, 5LR.472

Opened in 1922, this Italian Renaissance Revival style building was designed by prominent Colorado architect Eugene G. Groves to meet the needs of female students.  It helped transform what began as a predominantly male agricultural school into a complete university and also hosted many community social activities.

Peter Anderson House

300 S. Howes St.
National Register 10/25/1979, 5LR.474

This circa 1900 two-story wood frame residence, with basement walls of sandstone, exhibits elements of the Italianate style as interpreted by noted Fort Collins architect Montezuma Fuller.  His design features a belcast hip roof with a heavy bracketed cornice and a two-story bay on the north wall.

Armstrong Hotel

249-261 S. College Ave.
National Register 8/31/2000, 5LR.1997

Constructed in 1913, the Armstrong Hotel is associated with the growth of the automobile and tourism industries that resulted in the road building movement of the 1920s.  Located along US Hwy. 287, the forty-one room hotel provided a comfortable respite for the traveler willing and able to pay for more than the free local auto tourist camp.  The hotel is also a good representative example of early 20th century Commercial Style architecture.  The three-story red brick building is a simple yet handsome design.  With its gabled parapet and contrasting black brick headers, sills and lintels, it is typical of the many early commercial buildings found in small towns throughout the western United States.

Avery House

328 W. Mountain Ave.
National Register 6/24/1972, 5LR.464

Built in 1870, with stone walls one foot thick, the building is one of the city’s oldest surviving residences.  It has experienced few alterations and is considered to be one of the best examples of Victorian architecture in Fort Collins.

Baker House

304-304½ W. Mulberry
National Register 7/20/1978, 5LR.469

The two-story red brick residence was built in 1896 by Frederick R. Baker, an early community leader.  The Queen Anne style is evident in its complex roof, prominent wraparound porch, and two-story rounded bay.

Bee Farm

4320 E. County Rd. 58, Fort Collins vicinity
National Register 11/25/2002, 5LR.1917, amended 1/21/2010

The Bee Farm is associated with pioneer settlement in the Boxelder Valley and the development of agriculture in Larimer County and the high plains of Colorado.  Extant buildings and structures represent 87 years of construction, beginning with the original homestead house in 1894 and ending with the large machine shed and shop constructed in 1981.  The variety of building types and materials reveal the extent to which the area’s farmers utilized secondhand building materials and do-it-yourself techniques.  In addition, the spatial arrangement of the agricultural outbuildings on the approximately 160 acre site is typical of Larimer County and northeastern Colorado farming and ranching operations.

Botanical & Horticultural Lab (Routt Hall)

Colorado State University Campus
National Register 9/18/1978, 5LR.471

Designed by architect O. Bulow, this 1890 one-story stone and brick building is one of the original campus buildings.  As such, it represents a significant part of the early development of both the college and Fort Collins.

Bouton House

113 N. Sherwood St.
National Register 12/18/1978, 5LR.465

The circa 1893 two-story residence was designed by architect Harlan Thomas and is a fine example of Victorian era Shingle Style architecture.

Civil & Irrigation Engineering Building, Colorado Agricultural College (Statistics Building)

Colorado State University Campus
State Register 12/13/1995, 5LR.1960

The 1908 building is important in the areas of education and engineering.  Longtime head of the Civil and Irrigation Engineering Department, Louis G. Carpenter, and college president, Charles A. Lory, were instrumental in establishing affiliations with federal agencies that resulted in the Colorado Agricultural College participating in engineering projects of regional and national importance.

Coy Barn

1103 E. Lincoln Ave.
State Register 6/14/1995, 5LR.1568

The Coy Barn is associated with the early settlement patterns and development of high plains farming in the Fort Collins area.  The circa 1866 barn is a rare Colorado example of a stone and wood frame construction type more commonly found east of the Mississippi River.

Deines Barn

7225 & 7309 S. College Ave.
State Register 3/13/2002, 5LR.10296

The 1918 building survives as an excellent example of a post-and-beam, wood sided, gambrel-roofed barn.  Reported to be among the region’s largest, it is one of only eight surviving barns of gambrel-roof design.  The adjacent twin silos are among only a handful of extant area silos.  Of the dozens built, fewer than fifteen silos are said to remain in the greater Fort Collins area.

Entomology Building, Colorado Agricultural College (L.L. Gibbons Building)

Colorado State University Campus
State Register 12/13/1995, 5LR.1961

This hipped roof building is associated with the development of a successful Department of Zoology and Entomology at the Colorado Agricultural College.  The original 1903 building was expanded in 1929 and again in 1948.

Forestry Building, Colorado State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts (Building #81)

1191 West Dr., Colorado State University Campus
State Register 8/11/1999, 5LR.2090

The 1937 building is important for its association with the college’s innovative and widely recognized programs in forestry and park management and its association with the Civilian Conservation Corps.  Two important professors, W.J. Morrill and J.V.K. Wagar, taught in the building.  It was designed by Eugene G. Groves, a prolific Denver architect, as one of thirteen buildings he created for the main campus during his 30 year association with the college.

Fort Collins Armory Building

314 E. Mountain
National Register 10/15/2002, 5LR.1546

Constructed in 1907, the building served as the community’s first permanent armory until 1922.  One of approximately twenty armories in Colorado dating from the very late 1800s and early 1900s, it embodies many of the defining characteristics of armory construction in Colorado during this period.  Examples include the building’s symmetrical facade, large central entryway with a rounded brick arch with a central keystone, crenellated parapet at the top of the facade wall, and corbeled brick courses along the upper facade wall.  Interior features include the large rear drill hall, with a two-story high ceiling, the front portion of the building, constructed with two floors, for offices and sleeping quarters; and the wraparound balcony or mezzanine.  The two-story brick building also served as the city’s largest public convention and performance hall.

Fort Collins Masonic Temple

225 W. Oak St.
State Register 2/28/2008, 5LR.11896

The 1927 Masonic Temple is the work of an important Colorado artisan-architect William N. Bowman.  Bowman designed in a variety of styles, but most often favored revivalism, including Classical Revival, Neoclassical and the Beaux-Arts styles.  Working out of a Denver office, he designed buildings across the state, including the Weld County Courthouse in Greeley and the Jackson County Courthouse in Walden.  The Fort Collins Masonic Temple is a dignified example of Classical Revival architecture well suited for the use and traditions of a Masonic lodge.  (2007 photograph.)  Full nomination (PDF, 981.91 kb).

Fort Collins Municipal Railway Birney Safety Streetcar No. 21

1801 W. Mountain Ave.
National Register 1/5/1984, 5LR.495

The American Car Company of St. Louis, Missouri, built the trolley car in 1919 as designed by Charles O. Birney.  The car operated in Fort Collins from 1919 to 1951 and was retired to Library Park where it deteriorated for 24 years before being restored to operating condition during the 1970s.

Fort Collins Post Office

201 S. College St.
National Register 1/30/1978, 5LR.466

A stylized example of Second Renaissance Revival architecture, this 1911 two-story rectangular building of reinforced concrete is faced with limestone.

Fort Collins Waterworks

2005 N. Overland Tr., Fort Collins vicinity
State Register 3/10/1999, 5LR.749

Built in 1882-1883, and expanded in 1894 and 1895, the waterworks plant played a pivotal role in the establishment of the city’s first public works facility, a filtered water and sewer system.  The facility is an excellent example of intact, late 19th century industrial architecture.  The four structures and the surrounding 25 acres are owned by the City of Fort Collins.

Montezuma Fuller House

226 W. Magnolia
National Register 12/15/1978, 5LR.468

Built in 1894-1895, the house is important for its association with Montezuma Fuller, the most prominent of Fort Collins’ early architects.  Combining Queen Anne and Eastlake elements, it is an excellent residential example of Fuller’s work.

Guggenheim Hall, Colorado Agricultural College

Colorado State University Campus
State Register 12/13/1995, 5LR.1962

The 1910 building is associated with the efforts made toward expanding women’s educational programs beyond the domestic sciences by the women instructors who taught there during the first decades of the 20th century.

Harmony Mill

131 Lincoln Ave.
National Register 11/22/1995, 5LR.1544

The 1886 mill building rose as part of the early organizational movement by farmers in Larimer County.  The structure is a rare surviving example of a late 19th century brick grain mill.

Kissock Block Building

115-121 E. Mountain Ave.
National Register 5/16/1985, 5LR.505

Constructed in 1889, for John A.C. Kissock, the two-story red brick building is a good example of late 19th century commercial architecture designed by noted local architect Montezuma Fuller.

Laurel School Historic District

Off US Hwy. 287
National Register 10/3/1980, 5LR.463

Located south of Fort Collins’ downtown core, the district developed over a sixty year period from the mid-1870s into the 1930s.  Also known as the Midtown Historic District, it is a good example of early community planning and also illustrates the social evolution of Fort Collins.  Of the 665 properties, 549 contribute to the district’s historic and architectural integrity.  Residences range from the most prevalent simple Victorian cottages to good examples of period styles such as Italianate, Queen Anne, and Eastlake, several of which were designed by prominent local architect Montezuma Fuller.  A number of bungalows further reflect the evolution in residential architecture.  Scattered throughout the district are schools, churches, and other buildings typically associated with such neighborhoods.

Lavatory / Entomology Laboratory, Colorado Agricultural College (Nutrition Research Laboratory)

Colorado State University Campus
State Register 12/13/1995, 5LR.1963

The building is the original home of the Department of Zoology and Entomology, functioning in that capacity from 1910 until 1937.  From 1902 to 1910 it served as the college bathhouse.

Library, Colorado Agricultural College (Laurel Hall)

Colorado State University Campus
State Register 12/13/1995, 5LR.1964

The 1884 building received an addition in 1915.  Over the years, it housed a variety of educational functions and several academic departments.  Its most important use was as the library from 1905 to 1927.

Lindenmeier Site

Fort Collins vicinity
National Historic Landmark 1/20/1961, National Register 10/15/1966, 5LR.13

The site was one of the first to afford archaeologists an opportunity to study the Folsum Culture of the Paleo-Indian era.  Activity at the site dates from 9000 to 3000 BC and reveals a culture strongly dependent on hunting.

R.G. Maxwell House

2340 W. Mulberry
National Register 9/29/1980, 5LR.482

A rare surviving example within the present city limits, this circa 1900 building is representative of the vernacular design of high plains farmhouses.  The modest size, additions made over time, and related outbuildings continue to convey the feeling of an early farm dwelling.

McHugh-Andrews House / Mayor’s House

202 Remington St.
National Register 12/27/1978, 5LR.467

One of Montezuma Fuller’s earliest projects, this circa 1872 2½ story dwelling, of rough cut stone, is a fine example of Victorian architecture that includes Queen Anne and Romanesque elements.

Mechanical Engineering Building, Colorado Agricultural College (Industrial Sciences Building)

Colorado State University Campus
State Register 12/13/1995, 5LR.1965

The 1883 building is one of the oldest on campus.  Additions in 1892, 1896, 1899, and 1925 symbolize the growth and development of what began as a small agricultural college into a large diversified university.

Mosman House

324 E. Oak
National Register 12/15/1978, Additional documentation 7/20/2000, 5LR.473

Fort Collins architect Montezuma Fuller designed the 1893 one and a half story brick and wood residence for dry goods merchant William O. Mosman and his wife, Margaret.  The house is an outstanding example of Victorian architecture.

Old Town Historic District

Roughly bounded by Mountain Ave., College Ave., Pine St., the northeastern most railroad tracks, and a line midway between Linden and Chestnut Sts.
National Register 8/2/1978, 5LR.462

The district is characterized by many fine examples of late 19th and early 20th century commercial architecture.  The 38 contributing buildings are primarily of brick and include a variety of architectural detailing.  The approximately four block district was the site of Camp Collins, a military post established in 1864.  When the soldiers departed in 1867, the future of Fort Collins was in question, but the town was selected as the location for the Colorado Agricultural College in 1870.  In 1878, the arrival of rail service between Cheyenne and Denver ushered in an era of prosperity, and the district continued to develop as a commercial center for northern Colorado’s vast agricultural area.

Opera House Block / Central Block Building

131 N. College Ave.
National Register 2/8/1985, 5LR.742

The original 1881 three-story, red brick and cut stone, Late Victorian commercial building underwent a major renovation in 1917.  Architect Ansel Pierce’s design reflects the Classical Revival style updated with Chicago School overtones.

Plummer School

2524 E. Vine Dr., Fort Collins vicinity
State Register 9/11/1996, National Register 4/29/1999, 5LR.778

Constructed in 1906, Plummer School is a rare Colorado example of a two-story rural schoolhouse.  Its red brick exterior includes an arched entry bay, and there is a prominent hipped roof bell tower.  The building provided a striking contrast to the modest wood buildings typically found in the surrounding agricultural area.  It remained open as an educational facility until 1960 and has been in private ownership since 1977.  In 1935, former Plummer School teacher Hope Williams Sykes wrote Second Hoeing, a critically acclaimed, fictionalized account of life in the sugar beet fields of northeastern Colorado.  The property is associated with the Rural School Buildings in Colorado Multiple Property Submission.

Potting Shed, Colorado Agricultural College (Forensics Laboratory)

Colorado State University Campus
State Register 12/13/1995, 5LR.1966

The 1891 Potting Shed is one of the few surviving Colorado Agricultural College buildings dating from the 19th century.  It is alleged that the Potting Shed was constructed with materials salvaged from the 1890 demolition of the original 1874 Claims Shanty.

Preston Farm

4605 S. Ziegler Rd.
National Register 5/16/2001, 5LR.779

Originally homesteaded by Benjamin and Hessie Preston in 1877, Preston Farm is representative of local agricultural operations and was primarily associated with the history of sheep feeding and the cultivation of alfalfa and sugar beets within the Fort Collins area during a period from 1893 to 1940.  The property is also important as a rare surviving collection of agricultural buildings and structures reflecting the character of sheep feeding operations in the area.  Among the buildings and structures on the site are a large wood frame farmhouse, grain elevator, pump house, hog house, smoke house, chicken house, coal house, ice house, and a machine shop.

T.H. Roberston House

420 W. Mountain Ave.
National Register 7/2/1992, 5LR.998

Constructed in 1893 for Fort Collins banker and businessman Thomas Hugh Robertson, the two-story brick dwelling is a good example of the Queen Anne style.  Period photographs were utilized during a restoration project completed in 1991.

Soils Building, Colorado Agricultural College (Vocational Education / Soils Laboratory)

Colorado State University Campus
State Register 12/13/1995, 5LR.1967

The 1910 Soils Building, with its 1924 addition, has a long-term association with the Agronomy Department.

Spruce Hall / Dormitory / Boarding Hall

Colorado State University Campus
National Register 1/9/1977, 5LR.470

This 1881 two-story Italianate style building, designed by Hiram Pierce, is one of only two that remain to reflect the architectural character of the original campus.  Exterior walls of light and dark red brick rise above the raised basement of coursed sandstone.  A 1990 addition extends on the north.

Veterinary Medicine Building, Colorado State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts (Building # 84, J.V.K. Wagar Building)

1101 West Dr., Colorado State University Campus
State Register 8/11/1999, 5LR.2092

Designed by two important Colorado architects, Frank W. Frewen and Earl C. Morris, the 1939 building, with its 1957 addition, has a long association with Dr. I. E. Newsom and agricultural education at the college.  From its construction in 1939 through 1979, the building contained the classrooms and laboratories of the Department of Pathology and Bacteriology.  The Public Works Administration, a New Deal era agency, partially funded the construction.

Ernest Waycott House

1501 W. Mountain Ave.
National Register 12/2/1993, 5LR.1579

Constructed in 1908, in the Queen Anne tradition, the one and one half story Waycott house remains much as built.  The clapboard exterior is highlighted by a wrap-around porch.

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Laporte

Greeley, Salt Lake & Pacific Railroad - Stout Branch

Approximately ½ mile south of the junction of US Hwy. 287 and County Rd. 28, Laporte vicinity
National Register 4/16/2008, 5LR.9960.8

The 1881 Greeley, Salt Lake and Pacific Railroad (GSL&P) - Stout Branch represents northern Colorado railroad operations, specifically the early efforts to connect the area with the transcontinental railroad by building a route through Poudre Canyon and west to Salt Lake City, and later use of the railroad to transport raw materials.  The branch railroad played a significant role in the commercial and industrial development of northeastern Colorado.  The rail line transported sandstone and limestone from quarries west of Fort Collins to building sites and sugar factories in Larimer County and beyond.  This short segment of the GSL&P represents several trends in Colorado transportation history, including the search for a transcontinental railroad route through Colorado and the importance of the railroads in developing local industries including stone quarrying, manufacture of railroad ties and the sugar beet industry.  The railroad segment provides an opportunity to document, preserve and interpret a disappearing part of the transportation, commercial and industrial history of northern Colorado.  The property is associated with the Railroads in Colorado, 1858-1948 Multiple Property Submission.  (2007 photograph.)  Full nomination (PDF, 728 kb).

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Livermore

Livermore Hotel & General Store

Livermore vicinity
National Register 9/14/2001, 5LR.699

The wood frame 1890 Livermore Hotel and General Store functioned as the center of community commercial life through 1922.  The store offered general merchandise for area ranchers and housed the community post office and first telephone exchange.  The hotel served as an important way station on the stage lines between Fort Collins, Laramie, and the Red Feather Lakes area.  The hotel is a vernacular structure employing period stylistic elements, including wide first and second story porches, a front bay window, and shingled gable ends.  The store, a rare surviving example of an architectural type once common throughout Colorado, features tall storefront windows surrounding a central door, a rectangular plan, and a front gabled roof.

Wurl Ranch

4245 County Rd. 89
State Register 12/13/1995, 5LR.1884

The property, a late 19th century Larimer County ranch, reflects settlement patterns in northeastern Colorado.  Members of the Wurl family worked the ranch until 1936.  The site includes a largely intact collection of vernacular log buildings executed with exceptional craftsmanship between 1880 and 1883.

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Loveland

A.S. Benson House

463 W. 5th St.
National Register 1/6/2004, 5LR.6604

The 1897 Benson House is an excellent example of the Edwardian style in Loveland.  Built for prominent local businessman and politician Aaron Shaw Benson, the two-story brick house retains much of its original material.  Details such as dentil molding, Tuscan columns, and segmental arch windows further show the transition from Queen Anne to the classically influenced Edwardian.  An expanded carriage house and shed complete the property.

Big Thompson River Bridge III

US Hwy. 34, Loveland vicinity
National Register 10/15/2002, 5LR.9518

Constructed in 1933, the steel rigid connected camelback pony truss extends for 100 feet across the Big Thompson River.  Designed by the Colorado Department of Highways, fabricated by Midwest Steel & Iron Works, and built by Lawrence Construction Company, the 134-foot long bridge continues to provide an important transportation link along the route to Rocky Mountain National Park.  The bridge is one of four located on the upper Big Thompson River, comprising the last surviving group of such trusses in the state.  The property is associated with the Highway Bridges in Colorado Multiple Property Submission.

Big Thompson River Bridge IV

US Hwy. 34, Loveland vicinity
National Register 10/15/2002, 5LR.9533

Constructed in 1933, the steel rigid connected camelback pony truss extends for 100 feet across the Big Thompson River.  Designed by the Colorado Department of Highways, fabricated by Midwest Steel & Iron Works, and built by Lawrence Construction Company, the 164-foot long bridge continues to provide an important transportation link along the route to Rocky Mountain National Park.  The bridge is one of four located on the upper Big Thompson River, comprising the last surviving group of such trusses in the state.  The property is associated with the Highway Bridges in Colorado Multiple Property Submission.

Maude Stanfield Harter Borland House

610 N. Jefferson Ave.
National Register 7/6/2004, 5LR.6125

The 1920 Maude Stanfield Harter Borland House is an example of the Craftsman / Bungalow style, with a clipped gable roof, half-timbering, and a pergola covered entry, as well as a matching Craftsman style garage.  The interior displays distinct Arts & Crafts elements, specifically in the beautiful Batchelder fireplace tiles and original light fixtures.  The house, designed by renowned Colorado architect Robert K. Fuller, remains virtually unaltered since its construction.  Full nomination (PDF, 624 kb).

Chasteen’s Grove

3142 N. County Rd. 29
National Register 9/6/1978, 5LR.481

Located on a hill overlooking the Big Thompson River, the Chasteen Ranch appears much as it did before the turn of the century.  The existing ranch house was built in the spring of 1889.  It has undergone several minor modifications but retains most of its original character.

Colorado & Southern Railroad Depot

405 Railroad Ave.
National Register 6/14/1982, 5LR.488

Completed in 1902, this relatively small depot appears grand and sophisticated with its classical lines and details in the tradition of the Romanesque Revival style.  Oliver Stanley’s fleet of steam-powered automobiles picked up passengers at the station for the trip to his hotel in Estes Park.  The property is associated with the Railroads in Colorado, 1858-1948 Multiple Property Submission.

Fansler House

603 W. 5th St.
State Register 12/13/2000, 5LR.6611

Constructed by Loveland contractor and builder Norton C. Fansler in 1905, the house is a good local example of a vernacular variation of a late Queen Anne style residence.  The style was popular in Colorado during the late 19th century and the first few years of the 20th century.  The Fansler House represents the Free-Classic subtype of the style as applied to a moderate sized, 1½-story wood frame dwelling.

First United Presbyterian Church

400 E. 4th St.
State Register 3/8/2000, National Register 7/7/2004, 5LR.4413

The 1906 brick church is a good local example of early 20th century ecclesiastical architecture.  Designed by noted Fort Collins architect Montezuma Fuller in the Romanesque Revival style, the building retains the original elements associated with this style such as the rock faced stone basement walls, heavy sandstone lintels and sills, a complex roofline, and the prominent crenellated tower.  The congregation shortened the tower with the removal of two stories in 1937.  Full nomination (PDF, 1.2 MB).

Loveland State Armory Building

201 S. Lincoln Ave.
National Register 4/12/2001, 5LR.6834

During the 1920s, community boosters in Loveland spearheaded a successful effort to establish a National Guard unit in town, primarily as an economy-building and patriotic measure.  The 1926 building served for 35 years as the headquarters and training facility for local units of the National Guard.  The building is a good local example of the Late Gothic Revival style, a style often used in armory design.  It is also an important example of the work of Denver architect Sidney G. Frazier, who in addition to his professional career, was a captain in the Colorado National Guard.

McCreery House

746 N. Washington Ave.
State Register 2/14/2001, National Register 5/2/2001, 5LR.4588

The circa 1892 William H. McCreery House is an important local interpretation of the Orson S. Fowler Octagonal Movement of the 1850s.  Designed and contracted by McCreery, its hexagonal floor plan is a modification of the eight-sided dwellings popularized by Fowler.  The mansard roofed brick residence is a variation of the Second Empire style often referred to as Victorian Eclectic.  Its facade is distinguished by a two-story hexagonal corner tower and a wrap around porch.  The McCreery family settled in the area in 1874, and McCreery served as the first pastor of Loveland’s United Presbyterian Church.

Rialto Theater

228-230 E. 4th Ave.
National Register 2/17/1988, 5LR.1058

The building derives its architectural distinction from its Classical Revival facade.  The theater, a visual landmark in downtown Loveland, opened in 1920.  Modifications over the years have tended to contribute to its architectural character.

Henry K. & Mary E. Shaffer House

1302 N. Grant Ave.
National Register 1/9/2007, 5LR.11306

The Shaffer House is an excellent example of the English-Norman style, a modest simplified version of .  Elements of this style found on the house include a steeply pitched roof, brick walls, multi-pane casement windows, prominent exterior chimney, and the “catslide” gable on the facade with an arched entry.  Completed in 1929, the house was designed and built when the English-Norman Cottage style was at the height of its popularity in Colorado.  The house is the largest example of this style in the western part of Loveland.  Full nomination (PDF, 188 kb).

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Virginia Dale

Virginia Dale Stage Station

Off US Hwy. 287
National Register 9/26/1985, 5LR.698

The long, one-story hewn log structure, built in 1862, is located on the old Overland Mail route.  Remarkably intact, the station is situated in a landscape that remains rural.

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Wellington

First National Bank Building

728 Cleveland Ave.
National Register 8/10/2000, 5LR.9633

Constructed in 1919, the well proportioned building conveys a sense of strength and stability in keeping with its function as a bank.  A good local example of Commercial Style architecture, its symmetrical facade, classical detailing, and patterned brick-work present a distinguished and commanding presence.  The building housed the community’s primary financial institution from 1919 to 1933.  The firm served the town’s businesses as well as the farm families in the surrounding agricultural area.  Although the bank operated during the period when Wellington experienced a brief oil boom, it went into receivership in the early 1930s and eventually out of business with the onset of the Great Depression.

Buckeye School

Off W. County Rd. 80, Wellington vicinity
National Register 6/26/2008, 5LR.11895

The 1925 building is the last surviving school of District No. 55. Still in its original location, the surrounding farm landscape allows the school to tell the story of its rural beginnings.  Typical for rural areas, the school building also served as a meeting place for such social gatherings as dances, dinners, and cultural events as well as a polling place and meeting facility for the local 4H Club.  As a well-preserved example of an early 20th century rural school building, it displays typical features such as its larger size, exterior materials, gabled entry vestibules and two classrooms divided by a folding door.  The school exhibits an important post-1920 school design innovation-clustered windows-a response to recommendations from educational reformers for more light and air in classrooms for students.  The clustered windows along the south wall flood the classrooms with natural light.  The building also housed a kitchen, activity room, and teacher’s living quarters in the basement, making the building larger than earlier rural schools.  Unusual for a school closed due to consolidation in 1960, the merry-go-round, swingset, teeter totter, slide and flagpole remain in the fenced school yard.  The property is associated with the Rural School Buildings in Colorado Multiple Property Submission.  (2007 photograph.)  Full nomination (PDF, 2.32 MB).

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Windsor

Kaplan-Hoover Site

Windsor vicinity
State Register 3/10/2004, National Register 4/18/2003, 5LR.3953

Although arroyo trapping was a common Archaic period hunting tactic, Kaplan-Hoover represents one of the largest single-event arroyo kills ever documented.  It is the first specialized bison kill and butchery site known for this time period in Colorado.  The site can yield significant information about Late Archaic period bison hunting and subsistence strategies on the central High Plains, including a contribution to our understanding of bison paleoecology (bison size and evolution, bison herd composition and size).  The site can also provide insights to bison hunting seasonality, bison butchery, and taphonomy.

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