Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (Trinidad)
Las Animas County
The work of the prominent architectural firm of Isaac H. and William M. Rapp, the 1907 building is one of only two churches in Trinidad identified as designed by the Rapp brothers’ firm. A well-preserved example of Romanesque Revival style religious construction in Trinidad, Mount Carmel is also significant for its association with the local Italian American community.
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (2007 photograph.)
The church served a predominantly Italian American population and focused its efforts on the Catholics in the western and southwestern parts of the city. Its churchgoers were primarily families headed by workers employed in area coal mines, farms, and railroads. The Italian lodge met in the church, and its members included the priest and the entire Mount Carmel band. A second, smaller ethnic group served by the church consisted of Hispanics or Mexican Americans.