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Courthouse History
The Hinsdale County Courthouse is associated with settlement and
development of Lake City during the late 1800s mining era. It is significant
for its role as seat of county government since its 1877 construction. A
seminal event in the building’s history includes the September, 1877
appearance of suffragette Susan B. Anthony. Anthony came to Lake City
as part of a state-wide speaking tour and spoke to a capacity audience on
two successive nights. Anthony was scheduled to speak in the upstairs
courtroom of the courthouse but was obliged to exit the over-crowded
room and instead make her address from the courthouse’s east entrance
facing Henson Street.
The Hinsdale County Courthouse is Colorado’s oldest courthouse which
continues to be utilized for its originally intended purpose and a rare
surviving example of a frame courthouse building. It is also a well-
preserved representative of the local interpretation of the Italianate style
constructed in Lake City during this period, as reflected in its clapboard
exterior, bracketed cornice, cornerboards, friezeboard, transoms, and
narrow windows with crown molding.
The courthouse remains relatively unchanged since Anthony addressed
miners on the importance of extending the vote to women. The interior
maintains and uses its original furnishings, present at the time Anthony
made her address. The upstairs courtroom continues to be used for
periodic County and District Court functions
The courthouse is listed as a contributing element of the Lake City National
Historic District and has been deemed eligible for individual listing on the
National Register. The structure is historically notable based on its
architectural style and close association with nationally recognized historic
figures such as Susan B. Anthony and Colorado cannibal Alferd Packer. In
1984 the Town of Lake City passed an ordinance protecting structures of
historic significance within the Lake City Historic District. The Town has
also published a Historic District Guidelines manual to assist owners of
historic properties.
As a county maintained and public building, the courthouse is open five
days a week and used extensively throughout the year. The upstairs
courtroom is accessed by the original curved wooden stairway and is not
handicap accessible.
The Hinsdale County Courthouse is associated with settlement and
development of Lake City during the late 1800s mining era. It is significant
for its role as seat of county government since its 1877 construction. A
seminal event in the building’s history includes the September, 1877
appearance of suffragette Susan B. Anthony. Anthony came to Lake City
as part of a state-wide speaking tour and spoke to a capacity audience on
two successive nights. Anthony was scheduled to speak in the upstairs
courtroom of the courthouse but was obliged to exit the over-crowded
room and instead make her address from the courthouse’s east entrance
facing Henson Street.
The Hinsdale County Courthouse is Colorado’s oldest courthouse which
continues to be utilized for its originally intended purpose and a rare
surviving example of a frame courthouse building. It is also a well-
preserved representative of the local interpretation of the Italianate style
constructed in Lake City during this period, as reflected in its clapboard
exterior, bracketed cornice, cornerboards, friezeboard, transoms, and
narrow windows with crown molding.
The courthouse remains relatively unchanged since Anthony addressed
miners on the importance of extending the vote to women. The interior
maintains and uses its original furnishings, present at the time Anthony
made her address. The upstairs courtroom continues to be used for
periodic County and District Court functions
The courthouse is listed as a contributing element of the Lake City National
Historic District and has been deemed eligible for individual listing on the
National Register. The structure is historically notable based on its
architectural style and close association with nationally recognized historic
figures such as Susan B. Anthony and Colorado cannibal Alferd Packer. In
1984 the Town of Lake City passed an ordinance protecting structures of
historic significance within the Lake City Historic District. The Town has
also published a Historic District Guidelines manual to assist owners of
historic properties.
As a county maintained and public building, the courthouse is open five
days a week and used extensively throughout the year. The upstairs
courtroom is accessed by the original curved wooden stairway and is not
handicap accessible.
| 311 N. Henson Street Lake City, Colorado 81235-0277 970-944-2225 Toll free 1-877-944-7575 |
Courtroom then and now
