Denver Rio Grande Railroad Station

Listed: 2007

Constructed: 18980-1890

Threat: Demolition by neglect; vacant Closest Town to Resource: Antonito early

Significance: The Denver and Rio Grande Western Depot is not only one of Antonito’s greatest historic assets but also a key to revitalizing the town itself. This station, constructed out of quarried ashlar volcanic stone, served the town of Antonito and the surrounding communities until 1951. The significance of the Depot is evident in the fact that all of Antonito’s original buildings were constructed to face the station. When listed on the Most Endangered Places, the depot had been vacant for over 50 years, with neglect and deferred maintenance taking a toll on the structure. The station is structurally sound but continued to deteriorate from lack of maintenance. Antonito has partnered with Conejos County Commissioners, the Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec, and the Permian Basin Railroad (known as the Antonito/Conejos Railroad Heritage Alliance) to help the town with preservation plans, grant writing, and fundraising.

Update: In 2016, CPI partnered with the Town of Antonito and the Sangre de Christo National Heritage Area to secure a $128,694 SHF grant to repair windows, doors, and woodwork, replace the roof and rebuild the chimneys. Schuber Darden Architects and Empire Carpentry were the contractors, with CPI administering the grant. Work is now nearly complete on a second SHF grant of $74,806 for stucco repairs, masonry repointing custom storm windows, and exterior lighting, including retrofitting the historic gooseneck light fixtures with LED lighting. A tenant is scheduled to move into the depot in early 2020, and the site is now considered saved.

Threat: Demolition by neglect

Closest Town to Resource: Various

Significance: This regional, multi-site listing is unique to Colorado, and the quality workmanship has helped them to withstand the elements over decades. The structures range from rectangular-shaped dugouts with shallow gambrel roofs composed of timbers and latillas covered with earth to fully above-ground structures with adobe walls and timber-framed roofs with wooden shingles. As many as 100 adobe potato cellars may be present in the region.

Education about the historical significance of potato cellars to the Valley’s agricultural history will help raise landowner and public awareness about their role in the potato economy. Programs to demonstrate how to repair and maintain historic adobe properly could result in better maintenance and preservation of these resources, which are part of the upper Rio Grande region’s rich natural and cultural history.

Site Needs: Documentation; identification of representative examples; proper repair and maintenance of historic adobe.