By Jeffrey V. Smith
In this early view of Black Hawk, from about 1889, the deforested hills, railroads and mills are visible. Photo courtesy of Denver Public Library, Western History Department
It is well known the fourth day of July is the anniversary of the United States declaration of independence from Great Britain, but in Black Hawk and Central City, the date also commemorates a second historic anniversary. It was on Independence Day, in 1961, the Central City-Black Hawk Historic District was designated a National Historic Landmark for its significance to Colorado, national and mining histories.
When designated, the Central City-Black Hawk National Historic Landmark fell under the theme of “Westward Expansion of the British Colonies and the United States, 1763-1898; The Mining Frontier in the Rockies.” The discovery of gold in the district not only triggered the great Pike’s Peak Gold Rush; it is located in center of one of the richest mining areas of the Rocky Mountain West.
The district was determined to be significant on a national level for its connection with “events significant to the settlement of the Rocky Mountain West.” The three mining communities within the district – Central City, Black Hawk and Nevadaville – formed in 1859 near John S. Gregory’s gold discovery. The district was the location of the first, and most productive, gold mines in the intermountain region of the western U.S. and, also, the scene of the first large population movement to the area.
Central City in the 1870s. Photo courtesy of Denver Public Library, Western History Department.
According to the application for landmark designation, the towns of Central City and Black Hawk “retain an exceptional degree of their historic appearance and architectural integrity, and are also nationally significant…for their representation of the ‘boom town’ era of frontier urban expansion.”
Significant features of the district are the street patterns between the cities and numerous buildings that give an “accurate picture of the relationship between commercial, residential and socio-institutional divisions of the communities.” Despite a tremendous loss of original structures, the three towns continue to demonstrate the social and economic interrelationship between the settlements of the Gregory mining district.
The present appearance of the district differs greatly from that of the historic period because many structures and buildings have disappeared since 1918. A continuous strip of buildings and mining structures – built as densely-packed, contiguous buildings sharing common walls – used to connect the towns. Italianate and some Romanesque Revival and Gothic Revival are the primary stylistic influences found in these structures. Most of the buildings were abandoned or dismantled during the 1920s and ’30s to free their owners from a tax burden and to allow the use of the building materials elsewhere.
The Gilpin Hotel building before approval of gaming. Photo courtesy of City of Black Hawk.
Another “highly distinctive” feature of both Black Hawk and Central City that can still be seen is the patchwork of mortarless stone retaining walls that run through residential areas of the historic district. The walls, necessary to enable construction in the compact spaces of the gulches and hillsides, are considered a great example of the stone masonry skills of the Cornish miners that came to the district in the late 1800s.
The formation of the Central City-Black Hawk National Historic Landmark District did little to slow its decline and the destruction to structures brought by time and neglect. Each town was also faced with failing infrastructure, decaying architecture and a declining populace.
In an effort to hold on to the remaining historic structures and raise funds for future historic preservation, Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek officials collaborated on a ballot initiative to allow limited-stakes gaming. The measure passed in 1990 and historic structures were renovated for use as casinos almost immediately. Since 1992, when gaming actually began, more than $300 million has been provided to preserve Colorado’s history.
Although much money is contributed to historic preservation by gaming taxes, it is also responsible for significantly altering the appearance of portions of the district. So many changes have occurred that, in 1998, the National Trust for Historic Preservation included it on a list of places they consider the most endangered in America. Also, according to the National Historic Landmarks Program, the district was considered “threatened” by 2008, and that ongoing threats “still trouble this landmark.”
Change isn’t all bad. Since the end of mining activity in the late 1910s, however, significant reforestation has occurred on the surrounding hillsides, which had been previously cut bare. Also, despite modern issues like traffic, the air is now far cleaner than 100 years ago since the railroads, stamp mills and smelters are no longer in use – something that has also reduced a formerly insufferable level of noise.
This Independence Day, before enjoying the spectacular fireworks display commemorating the national holiday, take a moment to marvel at the national significance of the region’s history.
