Lake City made me mad from the jump.  First of all, I had to summit an 11,500 foot mountain to get to it in the first place through the Slumgullion Pass.  But I did make a quick stop at... ...North Clear Creek Falls. The intermittent rain no doubt helped make it more picturesque than it … Continue reading 863. Lake City, Hinsdale County (CO49) →

Unlike my confusion upon approaching the courthouse in Pagosa Springs, I know what the problem with this courthouse is.  It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just not good.  It’s basically a barndominium or like a prefab church or something.  I mean, don’t get me wrong, Creede is a small town so it’s not like they … Continue reading 862. Creede, Mineral County (CO48) →

Once I arrived in Pagosa Springs, I was stuck in a traffic slowdown. There were pre-Fourth celebrations afoot, so downtown was filled with pedestrian muggles. When I finally made it to the courthouse, I was confused as all get out. What the holy heck was going on with it? Parts of it had been closed? … Continue reading 861. Pagosa Springs, Archuleta County (CO47) →

Del Norte had another very western courthouse in a different way, combining the rough hewn look with classical revival. That seems in a contradiction, and it works well enough, but something is off about it for me. I like the rough hewn look and I like classical revival, but the combination of the two didn't … Continue reading 860. Del Norte, Rio Grande County (CO46) →

Future Arborists of America, attend!  The courthouse in San Luis was quite interesting with its belfry.  I couldn't recall seeing anything like it before in the southwest or adjacent areas.  However, there was a perfect line of trees planted in front of the courthouse.  Sure, they provide shade for the benches out front and probably … Continue reading 859. San Luis, Castillo County (CO45) →

Another truly western courthouse, emulating adobe and everything. I wondered where the choice was made for it. It's not a common stylistic thing in the courthouse world and I only think I've seen it a couple of times until now (if that), probably in New Mexico and Arizona. I actually wasn't sure what I was … Continue reading 858. Conejos, Conejos County (CO44) →

As best as I could tell, I found the most reasonable equivalent of the courthouse. A number of cities in Colorado seem to have combined complexes, putting together county and district courts and offices into a single building or large compound of buildings. This one is where the county clerk was. It was the only … Continue reading 857. Alamosa, Alamosa County (CO43) →

Long has it been since I invoked the motto, but Future Arborists of America, attend! I had to brave morning sprinklers to get one decent photo of the courthouse because it's surrounded by coniferous trees on the grounds. At least I think they're coniferous. What do I know? Am I some kind of tree person? … Continue reading 856. Saguache, Saguache County (CO42) →

The courthouse in Salida is a lovely piece of art deco, but it was hard to photograph backlit by the rising Colorado sun. However, somehow I managed to find something that worked. Fun fact: Salida was the first county seat, but it was moved to the town of Buena Vista, which built a courthouse in … Continue reading 855. Salida, Chaffee County (CO41) →

This, folks, is a western courthouse. It's all brick and rock, something sturdy for a frontier location. That said, I could see three different sections to it. A white rock wing (not pictured) was obviously the oldest part of the courthouse. The middle section was built in 1929. The far brick wing was built much … Continue reading 854. Westcliffe, Custer County (CO40) →