Durango in La Plata County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Old Durango Courthouse circa 1892
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 14, 2025
1. Old Durango Courthouse circa 1892 Marker
Durango became the county seat of La Plata County in 1881, an important designation for commerce and politics. The mining camp of Parrott City, located near the mouth of La Plata Canyon, lost the election to its larger rival. The original courthouse sat on Main Avenue but was replaced by this fine structure, on Second Avenue, in 1892.
With Durango's growth after World War II, more space was needed in the courthouse. The county commissioners built a new courthouse, and after moving their offices, razed the original building in 1964. The clock was saved and now tolls the time in the new clock tower.
The Moments Project is a conceptual public sculpture by Shan Wells, designed to preserve the cultural heritage of Durango, and to make visible the movement of time. A free map of 19 other stanchions constituting a driving/walking tour of Durango may be obtained at the following locations: Durango Community Recreation Center, Center for Southwest Studies, Durango Arts Center, Durango Chamber of Commerce, Durango City Hall, Durango Public Library, Animas Museum. To learn more about the history of Old Durango, visit the Animas Museum.
Erected 2005 by Shan Wells' Moments Project. (Marker Number 9.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture.
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Location. 37° 16.439′ N, 107° 52.751′ W. Marker is in Durango, Colorado, in La Plata County. It is on East 2nd Avenue just south of East 10th Street, on the right when traveling south. The marker is along the sidewalk in front of Durango City Hall. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 949 East 2nd Avenue, Durango CO 81301, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Mountain West and at the Four Corners. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Saloon District circa 1910 (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Jack Dempsey (about 400 feet away); Old Main Post Office Professional Building (about 500 feet away); Early Durango circa 1889 (about 500 feet away); Central Durango, circa 1900 (about 600 feet away); The Gardenswartz Building (about 600 feet away); Durango skyscraper, circa 1896 (about 800 feet away); The Newman Block (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Durango.
Also see . . . La Plata County Courthouse (Society of Architectural Historians).
(by Thomas J. Noel) Excerpt: Durangoans razed their old (1892) Italianate stone courthouse after Francis Pillsbury, a Denver architect, designed a two-story, orange brick, rectilinear wing that was left free-standing. Thirty years later a team of Aspen architects added(Submitted on January 9, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)another wing in the same boxy form as Pillsbury's work with a contemporary version of a dentiled cornice in metal, recessed windows, and a second story of slightly cantilevered cubes. They tied the wings together and gave the fullblock complex a distinctive entry through a central, three-story Neo-Victorian bell tower crowned with a wrought iron crest. The old courthouse bell and Seth Thomas clock were repaired by Durango automobile mechanic Tony Ferdinando and installed in the tower.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 14, 20252. Old Durango Courthouse circa 1892 MarkerLooking northeast across East 2nd Avenue from Durango City Hall. The La Plata County Courthouse is in the left background, obscured by the foliage and the mail truck.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 14, 2025
3. La Plata County Courthouse Entrance & Clock Tower
The new La Plata County Courthouse entrance and clock tower are about 75 meters northeast of this historical marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 5, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 126 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 9, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
