The William Duncan House

The William Duncan House. . , High Mountain Hopes , The Hardrock Miners who arrived in Animas Forks in the 1870s envisioned the birth of a city, built deep in the mountains, with all the modern conveniences of telephone, telegraph, electric service, and a narrow gauge railroad. Having established a post office by 1875, commercial establishments, civic buildings, and residential development was on the horizon. When William W. Duncan arrived from Pennsylvania with his family at the young age of 27 he had big dreams. Duncan and his wife Mary built this house in 1879, just five years after the settlement of the Townsite. Duncan's building was designed to support a growing family including daughters Mary (6) and Sarah (5) and their infant brother Willie Grant. According to the 1880 census, Duncan was employed as a hardrock miner., Migrating from the East Coast, the Duncan's chose to include several architectural elements popular during the Victorian era, such as the finely-detailed picturesque bay, with tall windows, to take advantage of the natural light and breathtaking mountain views. Although these elements are typical of the Victorian era, they were highly unusual for such a remote location at this early date. The Duncan family departed Animas Forks in 1884, leaving this magnificent and haunting statement of the optimism and confidence that a select few prospectors and their families carried deep into the San Juan., There's gold, and it's haunting and haunting; It's luring me on as of old; Yet it isn't the gold that I'm wanting, So much as just finding the gold. It's the great, big, broad land 'way up yonder, It's the forests where silence has lease, It's the beauty that thrills me with wonder, It's the stillness that fills me with peace. . Robert W. Service . , Challenges of Living Above 11,000 Feet , Imagine how hardy those first settlers must have been to scratch out a living from these mountains. Snow storms up to 5-feet, and prolonged sub-zero temperatures were not uncommon in this remote corner of the Rockies. Avalanches following several storms of epic proportions in the 1880s isolated the community for months at a time. It's hard to conceive of the deep resilience and determination the Duncans would have had to muster, to endure and support their family, in those darkest days and nights of a San Juan winter., Preservation at Animas Forks , The Townsite was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. Today, the Duncan House retains many of its original historic architectural features, including decorative trim and siding, the cedar shingle roof, and most of the original window and door hoods and casing. Coinciding with the 25th Anniversary celebration of the designation of the Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway in 2014, a major stabilization and restoration project preserved the intact elements of the Duncan House, and replicated many features that were lost or severely damaged. Over 250,000 people visit Animas Forks every year. The Duncan House is perhaps the most photographed historic structure on the Alpine Loop., Citizen Stewardship , Preservation of the buildings in Animas Forks has been an on-going struggle for the past 40 years. The Duncan House would likely have been lost to effects of extreme weather and vandalism without the volun teer efforts of many concerned citizens. The Bureau of Land Management has worked in partnership with many organizations such as the San Juan County Historical Society to maintain the site. As a visitor to this site, you can now count yourself among those responsible for preserving the history of Animas Forks. During your visit, please ask others to respect this unique place, take only pictures, and leave only footprints., Captions , 1. Looking south down the Animas River drainage circa 1905. The Duncan House is located at center right. , Photographs Courtesy of Denver Public Library, Western History Collection. , 2. Portrait of miners gathered for a family picnic at the Camp Bird Mine in neighboring Ouray County. It is easy to imagine the Duncan family attending a similar type of celebration at Animas Forks. , 3. Skiing, also known as Snowshoeing at the turn-of-the-century, was critical to travel in the winter months in the remote San Juan Mountains.