National Register of Historic Places

St. Elmo Historic District

St. Elmo, Chaffee County, Colorado
Listed
September 16, 1979
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
79000577

About this property

Saint Elmo is a ghost town in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1880, Saint Elmo lies in the heart of the Sawatch Range, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Buena Vista and sits at an elevation of 9,961 feet (3,036 m). Nearly 2,000 people settled in this town when mining for gold and silver started. The mining industry started to decline in the early 1920s, and in 1922 the railroad discontinued service. The community is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Saint Elmo Historic District. It is one of Colorado's best preserved ghost towns.

Location

St. Elmo, Chaffee County, Colorado
38.70515, -106.34612

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMERCETRANSPORTATIONEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTARCHITECTURE
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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Everything a full report reveals about St. Elmo Historic District

This page lists St. Elmo Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Morley Bridge
Industrial
2.3 mi
Alpine Tunnel Historic District
Listed
6.2 mi
Maxwell Park School
Industrial
12.4 mi
Maysville School
Industrial
14.2 mi
Kelley-McDonald House
Industrial
14.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was St. Elmo Historic District listed on the National Register?

St. Elmo Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 16, 1979.

What type of historic resource is St. Elmo Historic District?

St. Elmo Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for St. Elmo Historic District?

The period of significance for St. Elmo Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near St. Elmo Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near St. Elmo Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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