Leadville Historic District facts for kids

Leadville Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Leadville circa 1880
Location in Colorado Show map of Colorado Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Leadville, Colorado
Built	1860
Architect	H. A. W. Tabor
Architectural style	Late Victorian
NRHP reference No.	66000248
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHLD	July 4, 1961

The Leadville Historic District is a special area in the old mining town of Leadville, Colorado. It's like a time capsule! This district is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, which means it's super important to the history of the United States.

The district includes 67 old mines located east of the city, reaching up to 12,000 feet (3,658 meters) high. It also covers a specific part of the town itself. This historic area was officially recognized in 1961. Many buildings along Harrison Avenue are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, showing their historical value.

Exploring Leadville's Historic Buildings

Many important old buildings are part of the Leadville Historic District. These include the Tabor Grand Hotel, St. George's Church, Temple Israel, Annunciation Church, and the famous Tabor Opera House. You can also find the City Hall, Healy House, Dexter Cabin, Engelbach House, and Tabor House. There are also many old mining structures and small homes. Buildings made after 1917 are not considered part of the original historic feel.

Notable Structures and Their Stories

Here are some of the most interesting buildings in the district:

• Tabor Grand Hotel: This four-story brick building was designed by George King and built by Horace Tabor. It has been known by many names over the years, including the Maxwell and the Vendome. Today, it has shops on the ground floor and apartments above.
• Temple Israel: This building is a rare example of a frontier synagogue, a place of worship for Jewish people in the Old West. It served early Jewish settlers, many of whom were merchants like David May, who started the May Company department store. Now, it's a museum about Leadville's pioneer Jewish community.
• Tabor Opera House: Also built by Horace Tabor, this was one of the most expensive and well-built structures in Colorado at the time. The building materials had to be brought to Leadville by wagons! Its strong brick walls are 16 inches thick.
• St. George's Church: This Episcopal church was built to look like a smaller version of St. George's Church in New York City. It features hand-carved wooden beams, gothic arches, and unique "tinted glass" windows made by painting clear glass and baking it in a furnace.
• Annunciation Church: This Roman Catholic church has a huge bell named "St. Mary" that weighs over 3,000 pounds! It sits 11,000 feet above sea level. This church was also where the woman who became known as "the unsinkable Molly Brown" got married in 1886.
• City Hall: This building was first used as a U.S. Post Office until 1973. You can find a plaque on the front honoring fallen law enforcement officers. There's also an antique Leadville popcorn wagon on display inside!
• Healy House: Built in 1878, this house was first owned by August R. Meyer, a mining engineer. It later became a boardinghouse. In 1898, a third story was added to make room for more boarders, many of whom were schoolteachers.
• Tabor Home: This house was built by Augusta and Horace Tabor. Horace Tabor later moved to be near his future wife, Baby Doe.
• Dexter Cabin: This small log cabin was moved to its current spot. It shows what homes were like for miners in Leadville's early days. Even though it was small, its owner, James Dexter, was a wealthy man who loved to host parties. He was known for having the "stiffest and most exclusive private poker club" in Leadville. Today, it's part of the Healy House Museum.
• Englebach House: This is one of the most unique houses in Leadville, known for its special design.
• Breene Block: Named after Peter W. Breene, who helped fund it, this building once housed a liquor store that was one of the busiest in Western Colorado.
• Western Hardware Building: This building operated as a hardware store for over 100 years! It's a great example of 19th-century commercial architecture. Many of the original store items, like a long counter and wall of drawers, are still there.
• American National Bank: The first business in this building was the American National Bank. It has a cool 17-foot tower made of red sandstone with a bell-shaped metal dome on top.
• Iron Building: Built in 1893, this building's name might come from the iron used in its construction or from the idea that humble iron ore could save Leadville after the price of silver dropped.
• The Old Church: This Presbyterian Church has been a landmark since 1889. It features an open Gothic-style bell tower and decorative windows with hand-painted glass.
• The Silver Dollar Saloon: Opening in 1883, this saloon was originally called the Board of Trade Saloon. It became the Silver Dollar in 1935 and still has its original bar and tile floor.
• Cornella Building: Another example of 19th-century commercial architecture.
• Jesse McDonald Mansion: This was the mansion of Jesse Fuller McDonald, who became the Governor of Colorado in 1904.

Boot Hill Cemetery: A Glimpse into the Past

Leadville was home to a "Boot Hill Cemetery." These cemeteries were common in the Old West for burying people who died suddenly or violently, often with their boots on. Leadville's Boot Hill is one of the most well-known and documented.

An eyewitness described it as an unfenced acre of ground with small dirt mounds. Many of these mounds were marked by pieces of wood or sticks. A few had marble markers, and some had painted pine boards. It was a "barren red clay-colored plot" with no fancy lawns or fountains. The witness noted that the daily noise of a busy mining town meant "the sleep of our dead forever disturbed."

Images for kids

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  Stereoscopic view of Leadville – circa - April 23, 1879

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  Chesnut Street, Leadville 1880

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  Tabor Grand Hotel, 701 Harrison Avenue ~ 1886

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  Temple Israel, 201 West Fourth Street ~ 1884

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  Tabor Opera House (2007), 308 Harrison Avenue ~ 1879

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  St. George's Church, 4th and Pine ~ 1880

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  Annunciation Roman Catholic Church, 609 Poplar Street ~ 1880

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  Leadville City Hall, N.E. Corner 8th and Harrison Avenue ~ 1905

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  The Healy House, 912 Harrison Avenue ~ 1878

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  Healy House

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  Tabor Home, 116 East 5th Street ~ 1877

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  Dexter Cabin, 912 Harrison Avenue ~ 1878

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  Englebach House, 815 Harrison Avenue ~ 1890s

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  Breene Block, 326 Harrison Avenue ~ 1887

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  Western Hardware, S.W. Corner Harrison Ave. and 5th St. ~ 1881

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  American National Bank, 460 Harrison Avenue ~ 1892

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  Iron Building, 518 Harrison Avenue ~ 1893

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  The Old Church, N.W. corner of 8th and Harrison Avenue ~ 1889

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  Silver Dollar Saloon, 315 Harrison Avenue ~ 1883

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  Cornella Building, S.W. corner of Pine and 6th St. ~ 1889

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  Jesse McDonald House, 128 W. 8th St. ~ circa unknown