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CUSTER COUNTY |
FairviewMINGUS HOMESTEAD This circa 1913 collection of buildings is an excellent example of an early 20th century high country homestead. The log house, log barn, wood frame shed, and outhouse form a complete and unaltered complex representing a small, seasonal cattle raising operation. Silver CliffSILVER CLIFF TOWN HALL AND ENGINE HOUSE The circa 1880 building reflects a conscious effort by the community to create an infrastructure for the booming town of Silver Cliff, and it served for many years as a meeting place. It is also important as a surviving example of the typical wood frame, false front commercial buildings constructed during early periods of rapid population growth. WestcliffeBECKWITH RANCH The property is associated with the development of large cattle ranches in south- central Colorado during the late 19th century. Elton and Edwin Beckwith were leaders within the ranching and political realms of the Wet Mountain Valley. The expansive main house includes a porte cochere and tower. Associated buildings are representative of vernacular wood frame agricultural outbuildings. DENVER & RIO GRANDE ENGINE HOUSE Constructed in 1900-01, the engine house served the Westcliffe terminus of the branch line from Texas Creek. The engine house and the depression left by the removal of the turntable are all that remain of the Texas Creek branch of the D&RG railroad line. Few historic engine houses of any type survive in Colorado, and engine houses were not commonly built on branch lines. This example of a single stall branch line engine house is particularly rare. HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH Designed and built in 1917 by its pastor John Reininga, the church houses one of the oldest Lutheran congregations in Colorado. The ornamental concrete block building has a 96-foot tower visible for miles. An elaborately carved altar with a gothic arch and eleven ornate spires was also the work of the pastor. Fourteen stained glass windows illuminate the simple interior. KENNICOTT CABIN Constructed in 1869, the cabin is associated with the early settlement of the Wet Mountain Valley. The cabin is a rare surviving example of two-story log construction. MERCIER HOUSE The circa 1898 Mercier House is significant as a residential example of the work of Archie Scherer, an early Westcliffe stonemason. Scherer, who was known for his skillful use of local fieldstone and for his attention to detail, also built the Westcliffe Jail and Westcliff School. NATIONAL HOTEL/WOLFF BUILDING This 1887 two-story brick building has a quarry-faced stone front with arched windows trimmed in contrasting tooled and dressed stone. This example of a small 19th century Victorian commercial building has a sophistication of design not usually found in the small mountain communities of Colorado. It was the first hotel and is the only remaining stone front building in Westcliffe. WESTCLIFFE JAIL This circa 1888 small one-story building was constructed of locally collected fieldstone. Skilled local stone mason Archie Scherer, also responsible for the Westcliff School, was commissioned to build the jail. The building served as an incarceration facility until the mid-1920s. WESTCLIFF SCHOOL Built in 1891 of local fieldstone, this rural schoolhouse functioned as a school until 1953. The building has an unusual flat topped gable roof. The building is now in use as a community center and museum. Listed under Rural School Buildings in Colorado Multiple Property Submission. WILLOWS SCHOOL This simple 1889 wood frame rural schoolhouse closed due to a school consolidation in 1948, but it continues to function as a community center. Listed under Rural School Buildings in Colorado Multiple Property Submission. WetmoreSQUIRREL CREEK RECREATIONAL UNIT  Located 26 miles southwest of Pueblo in Pueblo and Custer counties,
the Squirrel Creek Recreational Unit consists of a four-mile segment
of a historic road (now known as Squirrel Creek Trail) that parallels
much of Squirrel Creek. The road connects with the other resources
in the district, including the Squirrel Creek Campground with its
picnic shelter; the Cascade Trail; and the ruins of the Squirrel
Creek Lodge. Improvements began in 1919 and the area remained in
use until 1947, when a flash flood destroyed much of the road, part
of the trail, and portions of the campground. The recreational property
is associated with the rapid growth and development of outdoor recreation
in the United States following World War I. The district exemplifies
the post-war
WETMORE POST OFFICE 
The Wetmore Post Office served as the continuing hub of local community activity and communication since beginning operation in 1881. Built as a residence, store and office for Dr. J.W. Walters, the retail operation included the sale of drugs, sundries and limited grocery items. The existence of the post office caused community residents to visit the store on a regular basis to send and receive mail while engaging in the informal exchange of information in this social setting. The addition of the switchboard for the local Siloam Telephone Company in 1910 added to the communications function of the building, even for those who did not physically cross its threshold. The telephone switchboard operated until 1961 and the post office continues to occupy the building. (2008 photograph) |
transition of the Forest Service from a focus on timber
and watershed management to a new role in public outdoor recreation.
Construction began as a result of promotional and financial assistance
from the nonprofit local cooperative association, the San Isabel
Public Recreation Association. Arthur Carhart, the first full-time
landscape architect hired by the USFS, is credited with the application
of integrated recreational planning in the National Forests. During
his tenure with the Forest Service (from 1919 through 1922), Carhart
developed the first forest-wide comprehensive recreational plan
that was later used as a model throughout the National Forest system.
As the first professionally and comprehensively planned recreation
complex in the National Forest system, the Squirrel Creek Recreational
Unit is nationally significant.