List of Manitou Springs Historic District buildings Facts for Kids

Manitou Springs

Location in the United States

Manitou Springs is a special town in Colorado. It has a Historic District filled with many old and important buildings. These buildings tell stories about the town's past. This list helps us learn about 80 of these amazing places. They show how people lived, worked, and played in Manitou Springs long ago. Preserving these buildings helps us remember history.

Cool Old Buildings in Manitou Springs
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Cool Old Buildings in Manitou Springs

Homes with History

Some of the most beautiful buildings in Manitou Springs were once grand homes. Many of them are now bed and breakfasts or museums.

Red Crags was built in 1889. It was first a hospital for people with tuberculosis. Today, it's a cozy bed and breakfast where visitors can stay.
Craftwood Inn started as a place where coppersmiths made things. Later, it became a famous restaurant. Important people and celebrities used to visit it.
Rockledge and Onaledge are two more historic homes. Rockledge was built in 1913. Both are now bed and breakfasts, offering a unique stay.
Nolan House was built in 1890 for John Nolan. He owned several entertainment spots in the area.
Redstone Castle is also called Crawford House. It stands high up on Iron Mountain. It's a very grand and unique building.
Miramont Castle is a stunning building from 1895. It looks like a European castle with its Queen Anne style. Today, it is a popular museum. You can see its unique architecture and learn about its history.

Miramont Castle, now a museum.

Important Public Buildings

Manitou Springs also has historic buildings that served the community.

The Public Library was built in 1911. It got money from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. It was the first permanent library in the city.

The Manitou Springs Public Library.

The Hydro-Electric Plant was built in 1905. It has a formal look with red bricks. It features two large arched windows.
Crystal Valley Cemetery is in southeastern Manitou Springs. It has a green sandstone building at its entrance. There's also an interesting Egyptian Revival style tomb for the Richards family.

The entrance to Crystal Valley Cemetery.

Historic Churches

Several churches in Manitou Springs have long histories.

The Congregational Church was built in 1880. It is the oldest church of its kind in Colorado that is still in use.

The First Congregational Church.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church is a small, simple church. It has a Gothic and Shingle style. A rustic bridge crosses Ruxton Creek to reach it.
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church has a history of moving! A chapel was built in 1880. It was moved twice before the current church was built in 1905.

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church.

Industrial and Transportation Landmarks

These sites show how Manitou Springs grew with industry and travel.

Yount's Quarry is west of town, near Rainbow Falls. Green sandstone from this quarry was used to build many structures in Manitou Springs.
The Midland Railroad started running through Manitou Springs in 1887. It helped develop resorts in the area. Even though the tracks are gone, you can still see some old embankments and tunnels.

A Midland Railroad excursion in 1917.

The Manitou Incline was built in 1907. It was a fun tourist attraction. People rode cable cars to the top for picnics and views. Today, it's a popular hiking trail.

The Manitou Incline.

The Cog Railroad was built in 1891. It still takes people up Pikes Peak today! You can see one of its early engines in Memorial Park.

The Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway.

Hotels and Lodging

Manitou Springs was a popular resort town. Many historic hotels and lodges remain.

The Barker House started in 1872. Charles Barker bought it in 1880 and made it a large resort hotel. It is now a private apartment building.

The historic Barker House.

The Grand View Hotel was built in the 1880s. It is a large wooden building.
The Cliff House was built in 1874. It was known as the "finest hotel" in Manitou Springs. Many famous people stayed there.

The famous Cliff House.

El Colorado Lodge was built in 1926. It was a great example of early motor-travel camps in the West.

El Colorado Lodge.

Commercial Buildings

These buildings were important for business and trade in the town.

The Wheeler Bank was built in 1888. It was the very first bank in Manitou Springs. The building was also used as an opera house and a store.

The historic Wheeler Bank building.

The Leddy Block is a masonry building from 1891.
The Manitou Spa is a historic building along Fountain Creek. It was once a mineral water bathhouse. Now, it holds stores and other businesses.

The Manitou Spa building.

Special Features and Stonework

Manitou Springs has unique natural features and beautiful stone structures.

The Iron Geyser and Pavilion once erupted every 30 minutes. Now, you can get spring water from a fountain there.
The Cheyenne Spring House is a red sandstone building. It was built around 1900 to enclose the Cheyenne spring.

The Cheyenne Spring House.

The Wheeler Clock was built in 1890. It celebrates the opening of the Manitou Mineral Water Company. A statue of the goddess Hebe is on top. Water used to flow from the sculpture.

The Wheeler Clock.

Rainbow Falls is near Fountain Creek. The old wagon road through Ute Pass started here in 1872. A new road was built in 1932 for cars.

Rainbow Falls.

The Manitou Place stairway is a stone stairway. It connects Manitou Avenue to Manitou Place.

The Manitou Place stairway.

The Bridge over Fountain Creek is a stone bridge. It's at the eastern edge of Memorial Park. Before this stone bridge, there was another bridge here. It brought visitors to the Manitou House Hotel, the town's first hotel.

The Bridge over Fountain Creek.

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A Victorian house at 151 Ruxton Avenue.

List of Manitou Springs Historic District buildings facts for kids

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