National and State Register
Aultman House
Las Animas County
Oliver E. Aultman commissioned the construction of this house for his family in 1905. A highly successful commercial photographer, Aultman documented life and culture in southern Colorado from the 1890s to the 1950s. His portraits reflect the extraordinary ethnic and socio-economic diversity of the area. His studio was purportedly the oldest established studio in Colorado operated continuously by one man.
This “pioneer Trinidad photographer” resided here until his death in 1953. The house is a well-preserved example of a Queen Anne residence in Trinidad. Characteristics of this style can be seen in its asymmetrical composition, steeply pitched hipped roof and wraparound porch. It has a distinctive, large, two-story tower with a conical roof.