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CHEYENNE COUNTY |
Cheyenne WellsCHEYENNE COUNTY COURTHOUSE The Cheyenne County Courthouse is a red brick structure of Georgian Revival style located in the center of the courthouse square. The county selected John J. Huddart of Denver as the architect, and contractor S.L. Work of Denver constructed the building between 1908-1909. Huddart designed six Colorado courthouses during his career, with the Cheyenne County facility being his second such commission. The courthouse has served as the center of county government for nearly a century. CHEYENNE COUNTY JAIL (Old Cheyenne County Jail Museum) The county constructed its 1894 jail following the plans of Denver architect Robert S. Roeschlaub. The building is the only remaining jailhouse of two designed by Roeschlaub and represents the development of the urban frontier on the plains of Colorado. MOUNTAIN STATES TELEPHONE & TELEGRAPH BUILDING The 1927 building, currently the town’s library, is important for its association with the modernization of telephone service in Cheyenne Wells. It is also a good local example of a typical early 20th century commercial building. Kit Carson KIT CARSON POOL HALL This classic brick storefront, with stepped parapet, typifies 20th century Commercial design. Built in 1915 and owned by Roy H. Collins until about 1921, the structure served as a formal and informal meeting place for the community, provided recreation facilities, and housed a variety of commercial establishments. UNION PACIFIC PUMPHOUSE Associated with the settlement of the area and the development of the railroad, the circa 1880 pumphouse is an unusual example of a masonry railroad utility building. It originally housed the machinery which pumped water into the large storage tank used by the Union Pacific Railroad to fill its passing steam locomotives. The building appears to be Colorado’s only surviving stone railroad pumphouse. KIT CARSON UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD DEPOT (Kit Carson Museum) 
Constructed in 1904, the wood frame building is a well preserved example of a Union Pacific standard plan combination depot. In addition to handling passengers and freight, this depot also served as the station agent’s residence. A prominent bay window located in the office area provided the agent with an unobstructed view of the track in both directions. With minor exceptions, the interior of the depot retains its original layout and materials. Although moved from its original track side location by the Kit Carson Historical Society for use as a museum when threatened with demolition in 1969, it remains architecturally important as the most intact Colorado example of this depot type. (2005 photograph)
KIT CARSON UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD SIGNAL MAINTAINER’S HOUSE The Signal Maintainer&8#217;s House, built about 1930, is a well-preserved and publicly accessible example of a Union Pacific standard plan 24 foot x 34 foot frame dwelling with bath. Though once common along the railroad&8#217;s right-of-way, few intact examples of this type of building remain. The relocated building is now part of the Kit Carson Museum. UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD CABOOSE NO. 25400
Wild HorseWILD HORSE MERCANTILE Built after the 1917 fire that destroyed the community’s entire business block, the Wild Horse Mercantile was the longest, continuously operating commercial establishment in town. The small brick and stucco building served local customers until the late 1960s. WILD HORSE SCHOOL The building was the only school in Wild Horse from 1912 until 1964 and also served for a number of years as the center of the community’s social activities. The school possesses the distinctive characteristics of the rural schoolhouse, as evidenced by its utilitarian design, size, materials, color, and fenestration pattern. |
For information about the State Historical Fund’s participation
in the preservation of this property see the
State Register 12/11/2002, 5CH.200
The 1959 Caboose No. 25400 typifies mid-century all-steel caboose
design. The Class CA-7 caboose represents caboose design, materials
and construction just before the time that railroads began the process
of eliminating the caboose from freight train operations. No. 25400
was the first of one hundred Class CA-7 cabooses constructed by
the Union Pacific. The car is one of only three surviving Class
CA-7 cabooses in Colorado. The caboose retains nearly all of its
original design and materials, both exterior and interior.