Walsenburg Power Plant

Listed: 2009

Constructed: 1918

Threat: Demolition by neglect; vacant Closest Town to Resource: Walsenburg

Significance: The Walsen Power Plant was constructed in the early-20th century to provide energy to the Walsen Mine, Walsen Camp, and the town of Walsenburg. The power plant is the last remaining structure of the once bustling Walsen Camp, a coal mining settlement dating from the late-1870s. At its peak, the Walsen Camp boasted over 200 homes and a population of 1,200. The power plant supplied power to a wide region as far south as Trinidad. The power plant has since suffered from years of neglect, vandalism, and scrap metal scavenging. The power plant was acquired by a Houston-area developer interested in the site’s unique engineering, machinery, and history and would like to find a new use for the property.

Site Needs: Funding, potential HSA, and drawings.

Update: The property has been sold to a new owner who plans to rebuild the lost wall and reuse the site. The owner has original architectural and engineering drawings and worked with CPI in 2018 to bring Senior engineering students from the University of ColoradoDenver who adopted the Power Plant as a class project and completed as-built drawings, photographic documentation, and engineering assessments that would accommodate various re-use options.