The Colorado Amphitheater (Zypher Amphitheater), also known as Structure #41, is a natural
stone
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
amphitheater
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
built in 1935 to serve
Camp George West
Camp George West Historic District or Camp George West (also known as State Rifle Range;5JF145) was a military base for the Colorado National Guard, located at 15000 S. Golden Rd., Golden, Colorado. It was used as a rifle range, while artillery ...
of the
Colorado National Guard
The Colorado National Guard consists of the Colorado Army National Guard and Colorado Air National Guard, forming the state of Colorado's component to the United States National Guard. Founded in 1860, the Colorado National Guard falls under t ...
. It is located near the base of
South Table Mountain, a
mesa
A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by ...
located just east of
Golden, Colorado
Golden is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 20,399 at the 2020 United States Censu ...
.
Built under the auspices of commander Neil West Kimball, grandson of the general for whom the camp was named, it was constructed as a project of the
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
. One of its primary uses in operation was to show
films
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
to the Guard troops. However, the amphitheater fell into disuse when
rattlesnakes
Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genera ''Crotalus'' and ''Sistrurus'' of the subfamily Crotalinae (the pit vipers). All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small anima ...
became too plentiful for comfort. The amphitheater later came into ownership by the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the US specializes in the research and development of renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy systems integration, and sustainable transportation. NREL is a federally funded research and d ...
.
It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1993.
[ With ]
See also
*
References
External links
Golden Landmarks Association
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110224717/http://goldenlandmarks.com/ , date=2022-01-10
Buildings and structures in Golden, Colorado
Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Colorado
Works Progress Administration in Colorado
Military facilities on the National Register of Historic Places in Colorado
National Register of Historic Places in Jefferson County, Colorado
Event venues on the National Register of Historic Places in Colorado