97 N. 3rd Street
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
This building is the original Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Depot; built in 1887 it reflects the Late Victorian style. It was originally located next to the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad tracks but was moved approximately 100 yards out of the railroad right-of-way to its current location in 1969. It is a long, horizontally proportioned wood frame building with a primary gable roof form. The ridge of the gable runs generally east and west, and the roof plane is thin with large overhangs, which are supported by simple brackets.
Images
View south toward 97 N. 3rd Street
![Cloud, Sky, Building, Plant](https://storage.googleapis.com/clio-images/medium_1695850240923_97%20N%203rd%20Street%20photo.jpg)
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The D. & R. G. Railroad entered the Roaring Fork Valley in 1887 through Glenwood Canyon and present-day Glenwood Springs and the main rail line continued to Aspen. The railroad arrived in Carbondale that same year, providing transportation for the products of local mining operations, agricultural goods, and people. The Colorado Midland line was located on the opposite side of the Roaring Fork and served Carbondale, as well. Spur lines ran from Carbondale, up the Crystal River to Redstone and Coal Basin and a smaller line went to the Granary (511 Garfield Avenue); other spurs ran from west of town to the coal mining areas of Marion and Spring Gulch. The spur lines that connected outlying mining camps and ranches brought considerable economic prosperity to the town. Once the railroad discontinued its regular service in 1919 the depot eventually became vacant. In 1965 the American Legion took over the building for its offices and meeting space and after the building was moved off the railroad right-of-way in 1989 it was remodeled by the legionnaires.
This building signifies the early development of Carbondale as a center of transportation in the mid-valley area and is one of the few remaining railroad depots extant in the valley. The building design has the typical elements of a depot; a linear plan with a platform level side and a street level side, and window openings that reflect a large open interior hall. The building is expressive of its function and is a unique building form in the town. It also represents the concentration of services that supported the needs of the town and the outlying community.
This building has been relocated and a significant addition has been added. In addition, several of the character defining features have been lost or obscured. The loss of the connection to the rail lines and the architectural features that express the connection to the trains is significant. The building has been considerably compromised and suffered a serious loss of integrity.
Sources
Town of Carbondale Downtown Survey Project, 2006, Reid Architects, Inc., Manuscript on file, History Colorado, Denver, Colorado.
Carbondalegov.org
Carbondale Historical Society
Town of Carbondale