Building for the Future: Colorado's Most Endangered Places for 2023

Denver Water never did get to build the Two Forks Dam, a controversial water project that sank more than three decades ago. But vestiges of that plan remain, including the South Platte Hotel, the circa 1913 building that stands near the confluence of the South Platte River and its North Fork, an area owned by Denver Water since 1987. The hotel, a replacement of an 1887 structure that was destroyed by arson, dates from the days when this was a popular summer retreat, on both stagecoach lines and the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad.

The hotel is a landmark in the North Fork Historic District, and now it's made an important list: Colorado's Most Endangered Places.

The South Platte Hotel is one of five new additions to the Most Endangered Places roster, an initiative of Colorado Preservation Inc., which just announced the newcomers during its annual conference in Boulder, which runs through February 10. The Endangered Places program celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022; over the years, it's provided recognition, support and assistance to 135 places. Fifty-five of these are now considered saved, such as the R&R Market — the oldest continuously operating business in Colorado, known today as the San Luis People's Market. But seven others, like the Craig Depot, have been lost, and still more, including the town of Black Hawk and the 16th Street Mall (!) are now on an "alert" list.

CPI chooses new additions from applications submitted from around the state. The new places making the 2023 Endangered Places list range from old adobe structures to a relatively recent building, but all are notable for their role in Colorado history. The other four:
Far View Visitor Center, Mesa Verde National Park
This mid-century modern building was designed by Denver architects Joseph and Louise Marlow in 1967-68 as part of the "Mission 66" project that introduced a new kind of visitor center to national parks. But it's been vacant and mothballed since 2014, when the National Park Service opened a new visitor center. "By listing the Far View Visitor Center as one of Colorado's Most Endangered Places, CPI hopes to spur action by the NPS to begin a formal process to explore adaptive re-use options for this one-of-a-kind former visitor center," Colorado Preservation acknowledged in its announcement.

Koch Homestead, Pitkin County
The sixty-acre Koch Homestead was developed by William Koch in 1887 and produced the first local meat, dairy and lumber for the tiny town of Aspen; it also provided hydropower and fresh water for the nearby mines. Today it is located in the White River National Forest and is owned by the U.S. Forest Service.  "The restoration and preservation of this decaying homestead will allow residents and visitors to see what life was like in the early days of the westward movement through Colorado," says Kelly Murphy, president and CEO of the Aspen Historical Society.

Feminilas Building, Costilla County
While the Far View Visitor Center is in great shape, the Feminilas Building, located in the Culebra Valley southeast of San Luis, is crumbling. The modest adobe structure was built in 1920, and is the only known building that was owned and operated by the women's auxiliary of the SPMDTU Hispanic men's labor organization. While the Antonito headquarters of the SPMDTU — the oldest Hispanic workers' group in the country — got a big boost last year from Colorado Creative Industries, the Feminilas building definitely needs attention, too. CPI will work with the property owners and local stakeholders to return it to a useful spot in the community, while also promoting the historic role of the Feminilas.
Garcia School, Costilla County
Built in 1913, the Garcia School was one of eleven adobe schools built in Costilla County and one of the last structurally sound adobe buildings in the area known as the Plaza de los Manzanares, which dates back to 1849. But while this structure may be sound, it needs a major overhaul to become a Remote Learning Center for the Centennial School District, which received a $3.5 million grant from the Connecting Colorado Students Grant Program last year.

I know firsthand how important this program is to saving all that is wonderful (and sometimes weird) about this state; I'm on the board of Friends of the Genoa Tower, the nonprofit working to save the World's Wonder View Tower, which was named one of Colorado's Most Endangered Places in 2017. Learn more about Colorado Preservation Inc. here.