Georgetown–Silver Plume Historic District
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Georgetown and Silver Plume
First developed as silver mining towns in the 1860s and 1870s, Georgetown and Silver Plume prospered until 1893. After World War II, they began to be recognized for their rich mining history, and in 1966 they were declared a National Historic Landmark.
Early Georgetown
Georgetown was named after George Griffith, who discovered gold in the area on June 17, 1859. The town grew quickly, but it did not really boom until silver was found nearby in September 1864.
Hamill House
During Georgetown's decades of prosperity in the 1870s and 1880s, the town's wealthy merchants and professionals built blocks full of elegant Victorian houses. None was more elaborate than William Hamill's mansion, which he gradually expanded over the 1870s with the help of architect Robert Roeschlaub.
Silver Plume
Located about two miles up Clear Creek from Georgetown, Silver Plume developed as a more working-class town with a diverse population of miners that included many European immigrants.
Georgetown Loop
Despite the short distance between Georgetown and Silver Plume, connecting the towns by rail proved difficult because of the steep climb. To solve the problem, the track was extended via a series of large curves and a full loop to reduce the average grade. Completed in 1884, it was abandoned in the late 1930s but rebuilt in the 1970s–80s by the Colorado Historical Society.
Located in the upper Clear Creek valley about forty-five miles west of Denver, the Georgetown–Silver Plume Historic District is one of the best preserved historic mining districts in Colorado. In the late nineteenth century, Georgetown thrived as the area’s commercial and professional center, while Silver Plume developed as a diverse town of working-class miners. The area declined after the Panic of 1893 but revived somewhat after World War II thanks to the rise of ski traffic, automobile tourism, and historic preservation. Today the area remains a popular destination for Front Range residents who want to see Georgetown’s well-preserved Victorian buildings and ride the restored Georgetown Loop Railroad to Silver Plume.
George’s Town
Georgetown was named after George F. Griffith, who discovered gold in the area on June 17, 1859. Originally from Kentucky, George and his brother David T. Griffith had come to Colorado in October 1858, during the initial excitement about gold discoveries near what is now Denver. At first they stayed in Auraria, but they headed into the mountains after John Gregory’s major gold strike in May 1859 at what became Central City–Black Hawk. Arriving too late to stake a good claim, they moved in June to the South Fork of Clear Creek. On June 15, they set up camp in a three-sided valley along the creek, and on June 17, George Griffith found gold. The Griffiths soon built a cabin at their campsite, which eventually became the corner of Seventeenth and Main Streets in Georgetown.
As news of Griffith’s discovery spread, prospectors streamed into the valley and formed an unofficial mining district, which was formally organized as the Griffith Mining District in June 1860. The Griffiths spent $1,500 building a twenty-mile toll road from their district to Central City. By that September, a town had taken shape in the valley and was named Georgetown after George Griffith. In spring 1861, David Griffith surveyed and platted the town, which had about forty residents and at least two mills.
The initial optimism in Georgetown soon waned as the Civil War stalled migration and new mining areas such as South Park took off. One problem, it turned out, was that miners were trying to extract gold out of rocks that, unbeknownst to them, were actually rich in silver. Silver was discovered on nearby Mt. McClellan on September 14, 1864, and news of the find spread over the fall and winter. In spring 1865, Georgetown was flooded with a new wave of prospectors. By that fall, Georgetown and its immediate neighbor to the south, Elizabethtown (named after a Griffith sister or wife), were full of tents and other temporary shelters.
The Silver Queen
It took several years of development, but by the late 1860s the Georgetown area was booming. As Georgetown matured into the commercial hub of the most important mining district in the state, it was able to combine with nearby Elizabethtown and wrest the Clear Creek County seat away from Idaho Springs. By 1870, the population surged to 3,000. A school was built in 1874; early churches included Grace Episcopal (1869), First United Presbyterian (1874), and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic (1877). In 1875 William Cushman completed a two-story building to house his Bank of Georgetown, and he later added a third story and put an opera house on the top floor. The same year, an enigmatic Frenchman named Louis Dupuy opened a stylish hotel and restaurant called the Hotel de Paris, which featured luxuries such as indoor plumbing and French cooking.
Georgetown became home to a growing number of merchants, lawyers, doctors, and other professionals who attempted to replicate the society and culture of the East. As the area’s wealth increased, the town gave rise to increasingly elaborate houses. In 1876–77, for example, the noted Denver architect Robert Roeschlaub designed a Gothic Revival residence on Rose Street for John Adams Church. Meanwhile, William Hamill acquired his brother-in-law’s older Country Gothic house and hired Roeschlaub to turn it into an elegant Gothic Revival mansion with several new wings, a glass solarium, and oriel and bay windows.
While Georgetown achieved prominence and prosperity as the area’s commercial and professional center, the town of Silver Plume grew up about two miles to the southwest as the home of many of the area’s working-class miners. In the 1860s, mines had been developed in Brown Gulch, just west of present-day Silver Plume, and the town of Brownville formed at the base of the gulch. By the 1870s, activity had moved east to what is now Silver Plume. Incorporated in 1880, the town housed a melting pot of more than 1,000 miners from Cornish, Irish, English, German, Italian, and Scandinavian backgrounds. They were served by a bustling commercial district with groceries, dry goods stores, saloons, and boarding houses.
Stability
In 1877 Georgetown hit its peak of prosperity. That year, 5,000 people lived in and around the city, which had two newspapers, a telegraph office, a bank, five churches, and several hotels. In August the Colorado Central Railroad arrived, providing a cheaper and faster way to ship ores and promising growth in the years to come.
But Georgetown soon lost its boomtown glow when silver was discovered at Leadville. Once Leadville’s silver boom started in 1878–79, its production easily dwarfed that of Georgetown, attracting prospectors and investors from across the country in a frenzy of mining and speculation. Meanwhile, Georgetown maintained steady production over the next fifteen years. Because it existed in the shadow of Leadville, it was able to develop a measure of stability outside the rapid booms and busts that usually defined mining-town economies. In the 1880s and early 1890s, stately houses and prominent commercial buildings went up throughout the town. Electric streetlights were installed in 1891, and City Park was completed in 1892.
When the Leadville boom began, the Colorado Central planned to extend its line west from Georgetown over the Continental Divide and ultimately to Leadville. The project soon ran into problems. The climb straight from Georgetown to Silver Plume was too steep for a railroad, so engineer Robert Blickensderfer had to design a series of sweeping curves and one large loop to extend the track’s distance and thereby lower the average grade. All this took years to plan and build, and it was not until March 1884 that the first trains rolled into Silver Plume. The line was extended up the valley to Graymont (near Bakerville) but never went any farther. Built to haul silver ore, the scenic line soon became popular among sightseers. Georgetown became a tourist destination and boasted more than a dozen hotels.
Decline
Georgetown’s relatively long run of stability and prosperity came to an end in 1893 with the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, which caused a swift decline in silver mining across the country. Mines failed, businesses closed, and people moved away. Without much freight to haul, the Georgetown Loop connecting Georgetown and Silver Plume limped along on tourist traffic for several decades before being abandoned in 1939. By that time Georgetown’s population had dwindled to the 300s. Some limited mining took place in the early twentieth century, but during World War II most of the area’s old mining machinery was removed for scrap metal drives.
Revival and Preservation
After World War II, automobile tourism revived and transformed Georgetown’s economy, leading to a new focus on historic preservation. This change began even before the war, when US 6 went through Clear Creek Valley, but took several decades to develop. Early skiers passing through on their way to and from the slopes often stopped at Georgetown’s hotels and bars. Meanwhile, Denverites started to buy old Victorian houses in town and spruce them up as summer homes. By the late 1940s, the town claimed several hundred second-home owners.
The people who came to Georgetown were attracted by its picturesque Victorian blocks, which had never been razed by fires, and started working to preserve them. In 1954 the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in Colorado bought the Hotel de Paris and turned it into a museum. One second-home owner from Denver, James Grafton Rogers, became mayor in the 1950s and pushed preservation initiatives designed to make the town a kind of museum to the state’s mining past. In 1966 Georgetown and Silver Plume were named a National Historic Landmark District.
By the 1960s, however, Georgetown was starting to face what some locals perceived as threats to its well-preserved Victorian charm. As Interstate 70 marched up the Clear Creek Valley, initial plans called for it to cut Georgetown in two and destroy what was left of the old Georgetown Loop route. The Colorado Department of Highways saved Georgetown and the Georgetown Loop route by shifting the interstate onto a bench blasted high into the side of Republican Mountain. At Silver Plume there were no good options for a different route, and the interstate ended up dividing the town’s business district from its residential area and railroad depot (which had to be moved).
Spurred by the interstate threat and the prospect of hosting events for the 1976 Winter Olympics, in 1970 local residents formed Historic Georgetown Inc. to promote historic preservation and restoration in town. Soon the organization helped the town pass the state’s first town-wide historic preservation ordinance. It also acquired and restored the Hamill House, which was opened for public tours.
Meanwhile, in 1959 the Colorado Historical Society (now History Colorado), spurred by board chair James Grafton Rogers, had started to acquire land with the goal of reconstructing the Georgetown Loop. After the rerouting of Interstate 70 saved the old railroad grade, reconstruction of the line began in the early 1970s. By the middle of the decade, tourist trains could run part of the way from Georgetown to Silver Plume. Completion was delayed for several years because of funding shortfalls, but in 1982 the Boettcher Foundation donated $1 million toward the project. The grand opening of the revived Georgetown Loop was held in August 1984. Two years later the Silver Plume Depot was restored to its original appearance.
Today
Today Georgetown continues to be a popular destination for tourists driving up Interstate 70 from Denver. Visitors can see parts of the town’s history at the Hotel de Paris Museum, the Hamill House Museum, the Georgetown Heritage Center at the 1874 School, and a wide variety of other historic churches, commercial buildings, and residences that were preserved and restored in the late twentieth century. In addition, Georgetown serves as a base for people looking to ride the Georgetown Loop, drive the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway, or hike nearby Fourteeners such as Mt. Bierstadt or Grays and Torreys Peaks.
Originally home to working-class miners rather than wealthy merchants and professionals, Silver Plume has seen significantly less restoration and tourist development than Georgetown and receives far fewer visitors. One of the town’s most prominent historic buildings, the Silver Plume Schoolhouse, is now home to a community center and the George Rowe Museum, which focuses on the town’s history.
10th Grade
The Georgetown–Silver Plume Historic District is one of the best-preserved historic mining districts in Colorado. It is located in the Upper Clear Creek valley about forty-five miles west of Denver. In the late nineteenth century, Georgetown was the area’s commercial and professional center. Silver Plume developed as a diverse town of working-class miners. Today the area remains a popular destination for Front Range residents who want to see Georgetown’s well-preserved Victorian buildings and ride the restored Georgetown Loop Railroad to Silver Plume.
George’s Town
Georgetown was named after George F. Griffith, who discovered gold in the area on June 17, 1859. George and his brother David T. Griffith had come to Colorado in October 1858, during the initial excitement about gold discoveries near what is now Denver. They headed into the mountains after John Gregory’s major gold strike in May 1859 at what became Central City–Black Hawk. Arriving too late to stake a good claim, they moved in June to the South Fork of Clear Creek. On June 15, they set up camp along the creek, and on June 17, George Griffith found gold. The Griffiths soon built a cabin at their campsite. This location eventually became the corner of Seventeenth and Main Streets in Georgetown.
As news of Griffith’s discovery spread, prospectors streamed into the valley. They formed a mining district, organized as the Griffith Mining District in June 1860. The Griffiths built a twenty-mile toll road from their district to Central City. By that September, a town had taken shape and was named Georgetown after George Griffith. In spring 1861, David Griffith surveyed and platted the town. It had about forty residents and at least two mills.
The initial optimism in Georgetown soon faded. One problem was that miners were trying to extract gold out of rocks that were actually rich in silver. Silver was discovered on nearby Mt. McClellan on September 14, 1864. In spring 1865, Georgetown was flooded with a new wave of prospectors. By that fall, Georgetown and its immediate neighbor to the south, Elizabethtown (named after a Griffith sister or wife), were full of tents and other temporary shelters.
The Silver Queen
By the late 1860s, the Georgetown area was booming. Georgetown matured into the commercial hub of the most important mining district in the state. It was able to combine with Elizabethtown and snatch the Clear Creek County seat away from Idaho Springs. In 1875 William Cushman completed a two-story building to house his Bank of Georgetown, and he later added a third story and put an opera house on the top floor. The same year, a Frenchman named Louis Dupuy opened a stylish hotel and restaurant called the Hotel de Paris. It featured luxuries such as indoor plumbing and French cooking.
Georgetown became home to merchants, lawyers, doctors, and other professionals who attempted to replicate the society and culture of the East. As the area’s wealth increased, the town gave rise to increasingly elaborate houses. In 1876–77 the noted Denver architect Robert Roeschlaub designed a Gothic Revival residence on Rose Street for John Adams Church. William Hamill acquired his brother-in-law’s older Country Gothic house and hired Roeschlaub to turn it into an elegant Gothic Revival mansion. It had several new wings, a glass solarium, and oriel and bay windows.
Georgetown achieved importance and prosperity as the area’s commercial and professional center. Silver Plume, meanwhile, grew up about two miles to the southwest as the home of many of the area’s working-class miners. In the 1860s, mines had been developed in Brown Gulch, just west of present-day Silver Plume. By the 1870s, activity had moved east to what is now Silver Plume. Incorporated in 1880, the town housed a melting pot of more than 1,000 miners. They were Cornish, Irish, English, German, Italian, and Scandinavian in background. They were served by a bustling commercial district with groceries, dry goods stores, saloons, and boarding houses.
Stability
In 1877 Georgetown hit its peak of prosperity. That year, 5,000 people lived in and around the city. In August the Colorado Central Railroad arrived, providing a cheaper and faster way to ship ores. It promised growth in the years to come.
But Georgetown soon lost its boomtown glow when silver was discovered at Leadville in 1878–79. Leadville’s production easily dwarfed that of Georgetown. Meanwhile, Georgetown maintained steady production over the next fifteen years. Because it existed in the shadow of Leadville, Georgetown developed a measure of stability outside the rapid booms and busts that usually defined mining-town economies. In the 1880s and early 1890s, stately houses and prominent commercial buildings went up throughout the town. Electric streetlights were installed in 1891. City Park was completed in 1892.
When the Leadville boom began, the Colorado Central planned to extend its line west from Georgetown over the Continental Divide and ultimately to Leadville. The project soon ran into problems. The climb straight from Georgetown to Silver Plume was too steep for a railroad. Engineer Robert Blickensderfer designed a series of sweeping curves and one large loop to extend the track’s distance, which lowered the average grade. In March 1884, the first trains rolled into Silver Plume. The line was extended up the valley to Graymont (near Bakerville) but never went any farther. Built to haul silver ore, the scenic line soon became popular among sightseers. Georgetown became a tourist destination.
Decline
Georgetown’s run of stability and prosperity came to an end in 1893 with the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. This caused a decline in silver mining across the country. Mines failed, businesses closed, and people moved away. Without much freight to haul, the Georgetown Loop connecting Georgetown and Silver Plume was abandoned in 1939. By that time Georgetown’s population had dwindled to around 300.
Revival and Preservation
After World War II, automobile tourism revived and transformed Georgetown’s economy. This led to a new focus on historic preservation. Early skiers passing through on their way to and from the slopes often stopped at Georgetown’s hotels and bars. Meanwhile, Denverites started to buy old Victorian houses in town and spruce them up as summer homes. By the late 1940s, the town claimed several hundred second-home owners.
The people who came to Georgetown were attracted by its picturesque Victorian blocks, which had never been razed by fires. They started working to preserve them. In 1954 the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in Colorado bought the Hotel de Paris and turned it into a museum. James Grafton Rogers became mayor in the 1950s and pushed preservation initiatives designed to make the town a kind of museum to the state’s mining past. In 1966 Georgetown and Silver Plume were named a National Historic Landmark District.
By the 1960s, initial plans for Interstate 70 called for it to cut Georgetown in two. That plan would destroy what was left of the old Georgetown Loop route. The Colorado Department of Highways saved Georgetown and the Georgetown Loop route by shifting the interstate onto a bench blasted high into the side of Republican Mountain. At Silver Plume, however, there were no good options for a different route. The interstate ended up dividing the town’s business district from its residential area and railroad depot (which had to be moved).
In 1970 local residents formed Historic Georgetown, Inc. to promote historic preservation and restoration in town. Soon the organization helped the town pass the state’s first town-wide historic preservation ordinance. It also acquired and restored the Hamill House, which was opened for public tours.
In 1959 the Colorado Historical Society (now History Colorado) started to acquire land with the goal of reconstructing the Georgetown Loop. After the rerouting of Interstate 70 saved the old railroad grade, reconstruction of the line began in the early 1970s. The grand opening of the revived Georgetown Loop was held in August 1984. Two years later the Silver Plume Depot was restored to its original appearance.
Today
Today Georgetown continues to be a popular destination for tourists driving up Interstate 70 from Denver. Visitors can see parts of the town’s history at the Hotel de Paris Museum, the Hamill House Museum, and the Georgetown Heritage Center at the 1874 School. A wide variety of other historic structures were preserved and restored in the late twentieth century. In addition, Georgetown serves as a base for people wanting to ride the Georgetown Loop.
Silver Plume has seen significantly less restoration and tourist development than Georgetown and receives far fewer visitors. One of the town’s most prominent historic buildings, the Silver Plume Schoolhouse, is now home to a community center and the George Rowe Museum, which focuses on the town’s history.
8th Grade
Georgetown and Silver Plume are two historic mining towns about forty-five miles west of Denver. The area, nestled along Clear Creek in the mountains of the Front Range, is one of Colorado’s best preserved historic mining districts. In the late nineteenth century, Georgetown thrived as the area’s commercial and professional center. Silver Plume developed as a working-class town with a diverse population of miners. Today the area remains a popular destination for tourists who come to see Georgetown’s well-preserved Victorian buildings and ride the restored Georgetown Loop Railroad to Silver Plume.
George’s Town
Georgetown was named after George F. Griffith, who discovered gold in the area on June 17, 1859. George and his brother David came to Colorado in October 1858 during the Colorado Gold Rush. They headed into the mountains after hearing about John Gregory’s major gold strike at what became Central City and Black Hawk. Arriving too late to stake a good claim, in June they moved to the South Fork of Clear Creek, where George Griffith found gold. The Griffiths soon built a cabin at their campsite, which eventually became the corner of Seventeenth and Main Streets in Georgetown.
As news of Griffith’s discovery spread, prospectors streamed into the valley. In June 1860, they formed the Griffith Mining District. The Griffiths built a twenty-mile toll road from their district to Central City. By that September, a town named Georgetown had taken shape. In spring 1861, David Griffith surveyed and platted the town. It had about forty residents and at least two mills—places where workers extracted precious metals from ore.
The initial optimism in Georgetown soon faded. One problem was that miners were trying to extract gold out of rocks that were richer in silver. A major silver find occurred on nearby Mt. McClellan on September 14, 1864. By the spring of 1865, Georgetown was flooded with a new wave of prospectors.
The Silver Queen
The Georgetown area was booming by the late 1860s. It became home to merchants, lawyers, doctors, and other professionals who attempted to replicate the society and culture of the East. As the area’s wealth increased, the town gave rise to increasingly elaborate houses. Since these people were wealthier than the miners, their houses were fancier. The county courthouse and other important buildings were located in Georgetown. By 1870 the population was 3,000 people.
Meanwhile, Silver Plume developed about two miles to the southwest as the home of many of the area’s working-class miners. Incorporated in 1880, the town housed a melting pot of more than 1,000 miners of Cornish, Irish, English, German, Italian and Scandinavian backgrounds.
Stability
By 1877 the Georgetown area had a population of about 5,000. The Colorado Central Railroad arrived in August. However, major silver discoveries in Leadville the next year meant that Georgetown quickly lost its boomtown glow. In 1879 the Union Pacific Railroad took over the Colorado Central and tried to build a line to the mines in Leadville. However, the project was plagued by the difficulties of building a railroad on steep slopes. Even the two miles between Georgetown and Silver Plume proved challenging. Union Pacific engineer Robert Blickensderfer designed a series of sweeping curves and one large loop to extend the track’s distance and lower the average grade so the railroad could reach Silver Plume. But the remaining route to Leadville proved too steep, so the rest of the line was never built. Instead, the railroad soon became popular among sightseers wanting to enjoy the mountains.
Decline
In 1893 the Sherman Silver Purchase Act was repealed and silver lost a lot of value. Mines and businesses closed, and people moved away. The Georgetown Loop didn’t haul as much silver as it had before. It finally stopped in 1939. Georgetown’s population dropped to about 300 people.
Revival and Preservation
After World War II many tourists started to travel to Clear Creek Canyon in cars. Georgetown became more popular as a tourist town. The town restored many of its old historic buildings. Skiers found it a very pleasant place to stop on their way to or from skiing. People who lived in Denver bought the old Victorian houses in town for summer homes.
In 1966 Georgetown and Silver Plume were named a National Historic Landmark District. During this time Interstate 70 was built, passing north of Georgetown and dividing Silver Plume in two.
Today
Today Georgetown continues to be a popular destination for tourists driving up Interstate 70 from Denver. Visitors can tour several museums. The Hotel de Paris and the Hamill House both have museums. Georgetown also serves as a base for people wanting to ride the Georgetown Loop, which was restored in the 1970s and re-opened in 1984.
Silver Plume has fewer visitors than Georgetown. The town’s historic schoolhouse is now home to a community center and includes a museum of local history.
4th Grade
Georgetown and Silver Plume are two mountain towns about forty-five miles west of Denver. They are about two miles from each other. This area is one of Colorado’s best maintained historic mining districts.
George’s Town
George Griffith and his brother, David, came to Colorado from Kentucky in October 1858. They heard that gold had been discovered near present-day Denver. Auraria was the name of this area before Denver was settled. Shortly after they arrived in Auraria, George and David heard about a major gold strike in the mountains west of Auraria. The brothers were excited to go. They wanted to find gold. They headed into the mountains, but they arrived too late. All the good claims had been taken.
In June 1859, the two brothers moved to a different spot. They set up camp along Clear Creek on June 15. George Griffith found gold on June 17. Soon, the brothers built a cabin at their campsite. Their campsite became the corner of Seventeenth and Main Streets in Georgetown. The Griffith brothers started their own mining company in June 1860. George and David built a twenty-mile toll road from their area to Central City. The news about gold strikes spread fast. More miners came to the area. A town formed. Georgetown was named after George Griffith. “George’s Town” had about forty people and at least two mills. In 1861 David Griffith drew up some plans on paper which divided the land of the town. This let people know where to build their cabins.
The Civil War was taking place while Georgetown was growing. Not as many miners came to the west. Soon Georgetown’s miners moved to other gold mining areas. The miners felt they were not finding as much gold in Georgetown as before. That’s because the rocks they were mining were rich in silver instead of gold. A large silver discovery was made not far from Georgetown in September 1864. The news of this discovery spread quickly. Soon Georgetown was mining for silver. By Spring 1865, there was a new group of miners in Georgetown. Once again, the area was filled with miners’ tents and other temporary shelters.
The Silver Queen
The Georgetown area was booming by the late 1860s. The town had stores, a school, three churches, a bank, an opera house, and a fancy hotel. There were now lawyers, merchants, doctors, and other professionals. Since these people were wealthier than the miners, their houses were fancier. The county courthouse and other important buildings were now in Georgetown. By 1870 Georgetown’s population rose to 3,000 people.
About two miles away from Georgetown, the town of Silver Plume grew. Many of the miners lived in Silver Plume. They were from countries in Europe such as England, Ireland, Germany, Italy, and others. Silver Plume had grocery stores, dry goods stores, saloons, and boarding houses. The miners didn’t make as much money as the professionals in Georgetown.
Georgetown was most successful in 1877. It had 5,000 people living in the area. The town had two newspapers. There were also two more churches and more hotels. The Colorado Central Railroad arrived in Georgetown in August 1877. The very next year (1878–79) silver was discovered in Leadville. Georgetown quickly lost its boomtown glow. For the next fifteen years Georgetown still had some mining activity, and it improved its buildings and homes. Electric streetlights and a city park were added.
When Leadville’s silver boom started, the Colorado Central Railroad wanted to build tracks from Georgetown to Leadville. That would mean the train would go over the Continental Divide. It took a few years to figure out. The train tracks never did reach Leadville because the mountains were too steep. The Georgetown Loop shows how the train went from Georgetown to Silver Plume. The train was meant to haul silver. Tourists started riding it to enjoy the beautiful mountains. Georgetown had built more hotels by then so tourists had a place to stay.
Decline
In 1893 the Sherman Silver Purchase Act was repealed. Silver was not worth as much as it had been before. There was a drop-off in silver mining. Mines and businesses closed, and people moved away. The Georgetown Loop Railroad didn’t haul as much silver as it had before. It depended on tourists for several decades. It finally stopped in 1939. Georgetown’s population dropped to around 300. Most of the mining equipment was removed from the area. It was used for scrap metal drives during World War II.
Revival and Preservation
After World War II, many tourists started to visit Clear Creek Canyon in cars. Georgetown became more popular as a tourist town. The town restored many of its old historic buildings. Skiers found it a very pleasant place to stop on their way to or from skiing. People who lived in Denver bought the old Victorian houses in town. They used them for summer homes.
In 1966 Georgetown and Silver Plume were named a National Historic Landmark District. During this time, Interstate 70 (I-70) was built. Engineers used a different route to avoid building the highway through Georgetown. However, they could not avoid building the highway through Silver Plume. The town’s business district and residential district were separated by the new highway.
Today
Georgetown has survived more than one “boom and bust” cycle. Visitors to Georgetown can tour several museums. The Hotel de Paris and the Hamill House both have museums. There are well-kept Victorian “gingerbread” houses and other historical buildings to visit. Tourists enjoy the small gift shops.
Silver Plume has far fewer visitors than Georgetown. This is mostly because it was home to working-class miners. Its remaining buildings aren’t as fancy or grand. The town’s historic schoolhouse is now home to a community center and includes a museum showing Silver Plume’s history.
