Zion’s German Lutheran Church
Las Animas County
Constructed in 1890, the eclectic building almost defies architectural classification. Primarily Victorian Gothic (as evident by its steeply pitched roof, pointed arched windows, and polychromatic exterior of contrasting materials), the church includes elements from several other styles of the Late Victorian period. The prominent, albeit short-lived, Trinidad architectural firm of Bulger & Rapp designed the church.
Zion’s German Lutheran Church (2005 photograph.
Although their partnership lasted only a few years, it resulted in many fine buildings that are an important part of the city’s architectural heritage. Charles Bulger & Isaac Hamilton Rapp designed four houses of worship in Trinidad. This was the firm’s second commission for a religious building, and it illustrates their talent for designing unusual buildings epitomizing the eclecticism of the Victorian Age.