As another year draws to a close, the
First National Bank in Trinidad is busy making preparations for their open house
reception and the 2005 calendar distribution scheduled for Friday, December 3rd,
from 9am-3pm. Again, like last year, separate receptions will be held in
Trinidad, Walsenburg and at the First National Loan Production Office in Raton,
New Mexico.
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| The 19th Annual Collectors’ Series calendar includes
subject matter shared by southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. Question —
What does the La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Las Animas County
Courthouse in Trinidad, the Miner’s Hospital in Raton, and the Walsenburg
Public High School all have in common? Answer — They were all designed by the
same, turn-of-the-century, architectural firm consisting of the Rapp Brothers:
I.H. (Isaac Hamilton) and W.M. (William Mason) Rapp along with associates,
Charles W. Bulger and Arthur C. Hendrickson. “Frontier Architects of Southern
Colorado and Northern New Mexico” is the 2005 calendar theme. Over a 40-year
period, from 1888-1930, these highly ambitious architects of the western
frontier designed buildings, of which 80 plus are extant in Trinidad alone. |
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Although the Santa Fe Trail had by then faded into obsolescence,
it was truly an amazing period in local history. With the discovery of large
deposits of coal and the coming of the railroads, communities prospered as
immigrants came west to work in the mines. Building materials were plentiful and
were found in the local area. Building stone was quarried and clay was fashioned
into brick. Construction workers arrived daily. It was an extended construction
boom of sorts. Commercial and public buildings, as well as elegant homes, began
to slowly but strongly influence and extend the boundaries of the towns as they
took shape.
These architects carved their legacy into the local history; and
today, one hundred years later, most of their buildings stand, admired by many.
The 2005 Collectors’ Series calendar is distributed as a gift
to the communities and all area residents. Also, this year's author, Ken
Fletcher, will be joined by a grandson of William Mason Rapp to sign the
calendars and discuss our enduring architectural heritage. Mark your calendar
and plan to attend the festivities.
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