A nearly 120-year-old building in the southern Colorado town of Manzanola has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The building houses the Manzanola United Methodist Church and has for decades served a primarily Black congregation.
Located at the northeast corner of East 2nd Street and South Park Street, the structure is a surviving example of the Gothic Revival style, a style not as prevalent in the West for churches as it has been in the Northeast.
In a statement, Dawn DiPrince, chief executive officer of the group History Colorado, said, “The church has endured through the decades as a “strong symbol of the aspirations and ideals of this country.”
DiPrince added that preservation of the church is important in order for it to “remain a living testament to the power of community, a place of mutual aid during economic challenges, and a demonstration of humanity and resilience in the face of adversity.”
Manzanola is a town of around 350 people, down from the just over 400 who called it home when the church was built. The town’s Black residents, many historically working as farmers, have made up around 1% of the town’s population.
To date, the church has received around $1 million in funding from the Colorado State Historic Fund for ongoing preservation efforts.
June 17, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of History Colorado
