Cañon City in Fremont County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
First United Methodist Church
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Christ First Community Church
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 24, 2025
1. First United Methodist Church Marker
This property has been placed on the
National Register of Historic Places
by the United States Department of the Interior
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Notable Buildings • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1899.
Location. 38° 26.557′ N, 105° 14.21′ W. Marker is in Cañon City, Colorado, in Fremont County. It is at the intersection of Main Street and North 8th Street, on the right when traveling west on Main Street. The marker is mounted near the southwest corner of the church, facing Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 801 Main Street, Canon City CO 81212, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Colorado’s Arkansas River Valley and in Pikes Peak Region. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Samuel H. Atwater House (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Memorial (about 500 feet away); First Presbyterian Church (about 500 feet away); St. Cloud Hotel (about 600 feet away); Hotel St. Cloud (about 600 feet away); Ward/Graves Hospital Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Christ Episcopal Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Between the Bars (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cañon City.
Regarding First United Methodist Church / Christ First Community Church. Contributing property, Cañon City Downtown Historic District, National Register of Historic Places № 83003517.
From the National Register Nomination prepared by Sammy M. Wittmer & Bill Simpson, 3/1983:
The Cañon City Downtown Commercial District comprises the historic commercial core of the city. The buildings included, located within an approximately five block area along Main Street, form a continuous, cohesive grouping that reflects the development of CañonCity as a regional commercial center. The buildings express a quality of design and richness of detail which defines the district as the best collection of late 19th to early 20th century commercial structures in the county. The buildings are largely two-story brick which in their design illustrate a wide range of architectural styles, from Italianate to the twentieth century Classical and Renaissance revivals. The degree of ornamentation and the scale of the buildings point to the rise of Cañon City as a prosperous regional trade center. The physical integrity of the district also adds to its importance. Although the streetfronts have experienced some alteration, the upper stories are amazingly intact.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 24, 20252. First United Methodist Church MarkerThe marker is mounted at eye level near the southwest corner of the church, facing Main Street.
In the decades before the Pike's Peak gold rush, the site of Cañon City was a favorite gathering place and trading post for the area's native population and the fur traders, trappers and mountain men who moved into the region in the 1820s. These early inhabitants valued the mild climate and park-like setting of the site which offered relief, particularly in the winter months, from the harsher environment of the nearby mountains. Designatedthe county seat of Fremont County in 1862, Cañon City was well established by the 1870s, despite a temporary setback during the Civil War years.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 24, 20253. First United Methodist Church 1899 CornerstoneUnited Methodist Church
The northeast anchor of the district is the United Methodist Church, which sits on the NE corner of 8th and Main Street. Architect: C. C. Rittenhouse. Builder: C. M. Ward. The church is a locally significant example of Victorian Gothic architecture. The building, which has remained intact architecturally, displays in a localized version the major characteristics of the Victorian Gothic style. The large rectangular brick structure was erected in two stages — the western section in approximately 1895 and the eastern section in 1899. In keeping with the Victorian Gothic style, the imposing church building offers a complex profile. Three towers, all very medieval in form and capped by spires, provide vertical elements. Broad gables and a number of window types — round headed, gothic and rose — add to the variety of patterns found on the structure.
Also see . . . First United Methodist Church (History Colorado).
Excerpt: The Methodist Episcopal Church formed(Submitted on February 28, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)their Articles of Incorporation in 1866. Anson Rudd, who was instrumental in the development of Cañon City, is also named on the Articles of Incorporation, giving the Church significance to the historical period of Cañon City and the movement of Methodism in the region. First United Methodist Church was built in 1899, for $12,000. It was designed by architect D.A. Bradbury of Cañon City and dedicated on September 17, 1899. In 1983 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building to the Cañon City Downtown Historic District. The church was designed primarily to function as a place of worship but also serves the community as an event space.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 24, 20254. First United Methodist Church (southwest elevation)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 24, 2025
5. First United Methodist Church (south/front elevation)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 26, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 44 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on February 28, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
