A Catholic church in Tiffany has been nominated to be included on La Plata County’s historic register.
The county’s “Historic Preservation Review Committee” unanimously nominated the church on Thursday. La Plata County commissioners on Sept. 24 are expected to vote to make it official.
The Iglesias de San Antonia Catholic Church was built in 1928 in Tiffany, an unincorporated community about 35 miles southeast of Durango along what is now Colorado Highway 151.
The church stands as one of the few remaining buildings built by Hispanic communities in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico that moved north in the early 20th century to create towns on the then-new route of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad.
Preservation of the church has been gaining attention recently.
In February, the church was added to the Colorado Most Endangered Places list, a program created by Colorado Preservation Inc.
By adding the church to the county’s historic register, it can qualify for various grants, said Ruth Lambert, a member of the Historic Preservation Review Committee. The foundation of the building, as well as stabilizing the walls, are top short-term priorities, she said.
The church flourished until the early 1970s, when Masses were transferred to the Catholic church in Ignacio. But in recent years, annual masses are once again being held at the church.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
Reader Comments