Lake City Historic District
Welcome to the Lake City, Colorado National Historic District.
This site is a resource for Lake City National Historic District property owners, prospective property owners, and for all residents and visitors to the district.
Lake City is a small town in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. Incorporated in 1875 as a supply hub for the silver and gold mining boom of the time, Lake City successfully transitioned from a mining town to a tourist destination in the first half of the 1900s. Lake City's role in the development of the American empire is an important part of our nation's story.
There are over 240 properties within the Town of Lake City that represent these important times in American history. The Lake City National Historic District covers about 142 acres of land in more than 34 blocks and additions, making it one of the largest historic districts in Colorado. It is also one of the oldest, and best preserved, historic districts in the state.
"The city tells its own past, transfers its own memory, largely through the fabric of the built environment. Historic buildings are the physical manifestation of memory and it is memory that makes places significant."
--Donovan Rypkema
This site contains extensive useful information about the Lake City National Historic District, including:
- A survey of all of the properties in the district, including photos and building histories (in progress)
- A brief history of Lake City, Colorado
- Common Myths & Misconceptions about the Lake City Historic District
- Tips for weatherizing and maintaining your historic building
- Design guidelines for remodels and new construction
- Economic benefits of the district, including tax incentives for property owners, and the larger impacts on the local and regional economies
- Ways to enjoy the district, including a walking tour and geocache hunt
- Buying real estate in the district
