Georgetown–Silver Plume Historic District

The Georgetown–Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District is a federally designated United States National Historic Landmark that comprises the Town of Georgetown, the Town of Silver Plume, and the Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park between the two silver mining towns along Clear Creek in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States.

The district includes well-preserved examples of the buildings and mining structures of the Colorado Silver Boom from 1864 to 1893. The Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park includes the reconstructed Georgetown Loop, a spectacular example of 19th-century narrow gauge railway engineering required to negotiate the of elevation rise in the mere between the two towns. Historic steam locomotives pull passenger trains over the loop from late May through the beautiful Autumn colors of early October. Guided tours of the Lebanon Silver Mine are also available.

The district was designated a National Historic Landmark on November 13, 1966.Joseph S. Mendinghall (May 1975) , National Park Service and

History

Gold was discovered in Georgetown by George and David Griffiths in 1859, and Georgetown eventually took its name from the former. The gold finds in the area were relatively minor, but a major lode of silver was discovered in 1864, kicking off the local boom. Georgetown became a center for thousands of miners operating in the surrounding hills. Silver Plume was developed as one of a series of satellite camps, and in 1884 the Georgetown Loop Railroad was built, connecting the two by rail. Mining declined in the 1890s, and the area has since had a relatively low population.

See also

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Clear Creek County, Colorado

References

External links

Georgetown–Silver Plume National Historic DistrictGeorgetown Loop RailroadTown of GeorgetownHistoric Georgetown, Inc.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Georgetown-Silver Plume Historic District
Geography of Clear Creek County, Colorado
National Historic Landmarks in Colorado
National Historic Landmark Districts
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Colorado
Tourist attractions in Clear Creek County, Colorado
Railroad-related National Historic Landmarks
National Register of Historic Places in Clear Creek County, Colorado