Colorado State Armory /Museum of Northwest Colorado, Craig

590 Yampa Ave.
Built: 1921–1922, John J. Huddart, architect

After the armory moved to a new home in 1974, the old fortress was acquired by Moffat County and turned over to the Museum of Northwest Colorado in 1990.  The SHF contributed $54,500 in 1996 for a new roof, installation of heating and air conditioning, and gutter rehabilitation as part of a $124,000 restoration.  Like most of Colorado’s 19 other armories, Craig’s is a variant of the standard armory plan created by Denver architect John J. Huddart.  The two-story building, which sports a stepped parapet, was constructed with wire-cut yellow brick and trimmed with red brick and terracotta.  The main roof is vaulted with a bowstring truss.  The interior now features a large exhibition space in the former drill hall overlooked by a balcony.  The museum houses a superb collection of cowboy and gunfighter gear and an 11-by-16-foot painting of Craig in 1896.

Information Sources

Parts of this text taken from Guide to Colorado Historic Places by Thomas J. Noel