National Historic Landmark

Lowry Ruin

Pleasant View, Montezuma County, Colorado
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
66000253

About this property

The Lowry Pueblo is an Ancestral Puebloan archaeological site located in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument near Pleasant View, Colorado, United States. The pueblo was constructed around 1060 AD atop abandoned pithouses from an earlier period of occupation. It was occupied by 40 to 100 people at a time for 165 years. The site is one of the northernmost to be associated with the Puebloan cultures. The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Lowry Pueblo is located about 45 miles (72 km) northwest of Cortez, Colorado, and about 100 miles (160 km) north of Chaco Canyon, one of the major centers of Ancestral Puebloan culture. The pueblo was named for the early area homesteader George Lowry. It is believed to have begun as a relative small community with just a few rooms, but is unusual for the presence of a great kiva, suggesting it served as a communal center for a scattered population before the settlement around it got larger. The inhabitants were farmers who also hunted small game, made elaborately decorated pottery, and wove cotton obtained by trade. Its last occupation occurred in the early 13th century. Lowry Pueblo was first excavated during summer field seasons from 1930 to 1934 by Paul Sidney Martin of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. In 1965, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which owned the property, undertook a two-year project with the University of Colorado to stabilize the ruins, which had become partially buried. It was incorporated as part of the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in 2000. https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/colorado/canyons-of-the-ancients Lowry Ruin at Field Museum of Natural History website

Location

Pleasant View, Montezuma County, Colorado
37.58639, -108.91222

Categories

PREHISTORIC
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Painted Hand Pueblo
Listed
9.8 mi
Hovenweep National Monument
Industrial
10.6 mi
Lebanon School
Industrial
19.7 mi
Southern Hotel
Industrial
23.7 mi
Ertel Funeral Home
Industrial
24.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Lowry Ruin listed on the National Register?

Lowry Ruin was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Lowry Ruin?

Lowry Ruin is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Lowry Ruin a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Lowry Ruin has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Lowry Ruin?

The period of significance for Lowry Ruin is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Lowry Ruin?

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