10 Cool Facts: The Historic Brick Barn in Hotchkiss, Colorado

Colorado's beautiful farms and ranches are spread out between the eastern plains, and the western slope, and several families ranching in the Rockies in the northern portion of the Centennial State.

Some of the big old barns are fun to look at while on day trips around the state, and a few of them stand out because they look so different from the rest. Imagine wanting to build a horse barn, but all you have are clay and bricks.

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Historic Hotchkiss, Colorado

Hotchkiss, Colorado is known for the Hotchkiss Sheep Camp Stock Dog Trials, the Delta County Fair, and a prime location to fly fish on the Gunnison River. It's also the home of a Colorado Centennial Farm that belongs to the Hotchkiss family. The Hotchkiss homestead includes a farmhouse and an unusually large barn made of bricks.

The Oldest Structure in the North Fork Valley

Enos T Hotchkiss and his wife led a group of settlers into the North Fork Valley by 1881. He built a small cabin that served as the town post office before building his family home and a large barn near Leroux Creek west of town. The brick structure is 100 feet by 40 feet and includes 4000 square feet of space inside. It's the oldest and largest structure still standing built more than 130 years ago in Delta County.

Help Save the Hotchkiss Barn

In 2010, a storm packing hurricane-force winds destroyed a portion of the historic barn's roof, leaving the historic property at risk of collapse. Hotchkiss Barn was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 2011, allowing the family to receive grants to restore the barn to its original working condition. Find more info at SavetheHotchkissBarn.org.

Take a closer look at this historic property in Delta County in the photo gallery below.

10 Cool Facts About the Historic Brick Barn in Hotchkiss

While Colorado's landscape features several older homesteads and farmhouses, you don't usually see many large barns made from bricks. Hotchkiss, Colorado, has one, and it's more than 130 years old. Keep going to learn some cool facts about this endangered landmark on this National Registry of Historic Places in Colorado.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams

MORE: 11 Endangered Places in Historic Western Colorado

Western Colorado is loaded with interesting historical sights. Many are open to the public and are well cared for, but others are in danger of being lost to time and legend. Keep reading to learn more about eleven endangered places you should check out in Western Colorado.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams

LOOK: See All 22 of Delta, Colorado's Downtown Murals

The city of Delta, Colorado came up with a great idea back in 1986 to dedicate the sides of several historic buildings throughout the downtown area as a space for murals and public art. Have you seen all twenty-two murals in downtown Delta? Well, you can now.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams