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Trinidad, Colorado - A Historic Building Survey

Epilogue

The fifty or so Trinidad buildings shown on the preceding pages represent part of this region's last great collection of Western Victorian commercial architecture. Characteristically they display the exuberance, the spirited mixture of historical periods, and the casual disregard of the then current Eastern architectural fashions which distinguished the Victorian buildings of the Old West.

Few communities, by design or otherwise, have been able to preserve intact so many buildings of a single architectural era; for we Americans have been no great respecters of the treasures of earlier generations, preferring the "higher" culture of shiny newness. In Trinidad's case, economic depression of forty years' standing, coupled with a steadily declining population, has eliminated the need for new buildings as well as the funds with which to demolish the old. In consequence, there has been relatively little physical change in the commercial section. A fire here, a collapse there, on rare occasions an expansion, and the usual misguided concern for ever more parking space have made the only inroads into the unique urban fabric that was Trinidad. By great good fortune, the town site itself is a worthy backdrop to this outstanding concentration of buildings; with its sloping terrain, winding brick paved streets, narrow alleys, and unexpected vistas of mountains and mesas.

However, all this grandeur is not readily apparent to the casual eye. In truth, much of it is hidden and hard to perceive, buried, as it were, by layers of paint or grime, by automobiles, by tasteless remodeling, and by the ubiquitous blatant signs. Thus many of its citizens sense the charm and human scale of their community without being consciously aware of it; while the outsider, having no reason for exposure, seldom has the chance to grasp that charm.

Such a physical treasure could become a significant national resource - a statement about the cultural importance of the late 19th Century and the West's contribution to that culture. Future generations could have the opportunity to experience at first hand the vital and dynamic physical environment of the early cities of the Old West.

At this point in her history, Trinidad can choose from a number of different physical image alternatives of which three have a reasonable basis in reality. The most likely alternative, perhaps, is for the firmly entrenched Urban Renewal Authority to continue on its stated course of acquiring and demolishing the old buildings in the Central Business District.

This senseless process is based on the tenuous hope that private industry will buy and develop the cleared land, thus creating a whole new downtown. In an area of steadily declining population and a time of high costs and scarce money, there is little likelihood of creating anything except a sort of endless wasteland of parking lots. And yet we realize, with the wheels set in motion, this remains Trinidad's most likely end - probably to be prevented only by an aroused citizenry.

A second alternative,  with a great deal in its favor, is that the already tested technique of facade remodeling will continue its crippling attrition. Utilizing the slip cover technique of blotting out character and individuality, this system tends to reduce all buildings to a common denominator of sameness, to a mediocrity virtually indistinguishable from hundreds of other towns. It is uncomplicated, can be easily financed (often as a low-quality package deal along with new signs), gives the "desirable" modern image, and often gets its owner a Chamber of Commerce award for "progressiveness" or something. Next to Urban Renewal, it can have the most disastrous effect on the visual image of a community.

As a third alternative, Trinidad could conceivably espouse the cause of preservation. Simply stated, it means to preserve - through careful renovation of selected buildings - the character and spirit of 19th Century Trinidad. Its accomplishment, however, is not simple. It will require a sympathetic City Council; an interested and persevering citizenry; a great many dollars; thoughtful and sensitive designers; co­operation of building owners and their tenants; the continued support of the Model Cities Program; and perhaps most importantly, a comprehensive overall design which clearly depicts the proposed physical image, allows for systematic and orderly replacement of buildings, and is flexible enough to accommodate growth and unanticipated change.

The useful life of any building can be extended indefinitely - witness the 1,000 year old buildings of Europe - but growth and change often demand spaces to house completely new uses. It is neither desirable nor economically feasible to make downtown Trinidad into a museum - a static, fixed entity to be looked at, but not utilized. Rather, viable economic uses must be determined for those buildings which are preserved to serve useful purposes together with the new and replacement buildings which will be needed. The center of Trinidad should be developed by building upon what already exists - creating an area of charm and quality, sensitively scaled to the individual, attractive to the regional shopper, and a magnet to the visitor seeking to experience our past.

Langdon Morris
August 31, 1970           A.I.A.