Buildings of Colorado

A monumental, state-by-state survey of American architecture, the Buildings of the United States series Commissioned by the Society of Architectural Historians celebrates the rich geographic, cultural, and economic diversity of the country. This fifth volume in the Buildings of the United States series charts the architectural history of Colorado-the nation's highest state-from the eastern High Plains to the Rocky Mountain backbone that melts into the canyons of the west. Both a quick-reference guidebook and a historical resource, this volume reflects the remarkable topographical diversity of the state, a full one-third of which is designated as federal land. In over 450 photographs and maps, it explores the structures humankind has created to tame Colorado's dramatically variant climate and terrain-crossed by barbed wire, roads, power lines, and railroads. Tracing Colorado's architectural development from its Native American origins, the work covers the villages of Mexican settlers and mining camps set up during the Pikes Peak gold rush of 1858-59. It features the forts and farms of pioneers; homes, churches, and schools of early towns; and modern industrial centers and vacation spots. Prehistoric pueblos of the Anasazi Indians at Mesa Verde, the U.S. Air Force Academy north of Colorado Springs, and contemporary ski resorts such as Aspen and Telluride exemplify the dramatically disparate structures of Colorado's built environment.