Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Silverton, CO
Year Listed: 2001
Nestled high in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado, Silverton reflects its mining history, grand past, and frontier spirit. In contrast to the luxurious ski resorts and sprawl of other areas in the state, Silverton remains an authentic and pristine mountain town. Miners struck gold in this remote area in 1860. After negotiating with the chief of the Ute Indians, the country was opened for settlement.
Silverton's fast-growing population doubled within a year of its founding in 1874. Mining reached its peak here between 1900 and 1912, when hundreds of millions of dollars worth of gold and silver were extracted from the mountains. Silverton was the metropolis of the mining district, with water and sewer systems, telephone service, and a municipally owned electric light company by 1902. More than half the Victorian buildings constructed in the 1890s for Silverton's main business district remain standing. The 50 structures on the town's 16-block historic walking tour include the landmark Town Hall, San Juan County Courthouse, Posey & Wingate Building (western Colorado's oldest commercial building), Carnegie Public Library, and many former saloons and brothels. Today, these buildings are restaurants, specialty shops, arts and crafts boutiques, and galleries that showcase the works of local handcrafters and artists. For lodging, Silverton offers Victorian rooms in bed and breakfast inns, rustic cabins, or campgrounds in the splendor of the mountains.
Visitors can pan for gold in Silverton's streams, ride a mine tram deep into a historic gold mine, explore ghost towns, and learn how metal mining mills operated at the Mayflower Mill. Outdoor activities include fishing, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, rafting, skating, snowmobiling, and camping. The Silverton Brass Band, an annual folk festival, and the local theater company provide entertainment for residents and visitors to Silverton, the only town left in San Juan County. The entire town of Silverton has been declared a National Historic Landmark. The National Trust has presented Silverton a National Preservation Honor Award for its outstanding dedication and commitment to historic preservation. Following a 1992 fire that gutted the historic 82-year-old Town Hall, local residents worked to restore the building that had become a symbol of their proud community.
