Central City & Black Hawk, CO Photos

The two closely situated gold & silver mining towns of Central City & Black Hawk started from an 1859 gold strike. Today the two towns have restored their Victorian buildings of which many are used as casinos. Central City is also noted for its 1878 opera house now used for an opera festival. Central City was at one time so wealthy, its citizens were able to build a sidewalk of silver bricks when President Ulysses S. Grant stayed at the Teller House Hotel in 1873. Grant chose not to walk on it, however, to avoid showing preference in a political debate of the time about gold versus silver monetary backing of currency. Gold eventually won.

See also: Gold & Silver Mining Towns of Colorado
Click photo to enlarge.
Streetscape of Central City City Hall & Belvidere Theatre on Main Street.

Belvidere Theatre.

AOUW Building (1874 & 1898) started as a store then expanded for Ancient Order of United Workmen.

Main Street streetscape against hills.

Ignatz Meyer building (1874 & 1901) (Main St.) served as dry goods store, newspaper office, saloon & other functions over time.

Rose Haydee building (1992 reproduction) (131 Main St.).

Crest on Rose Haydee building.

Iron front of Rose Haydee building by Mesker Brothers Iron Works of Evansville, IN.

Harris Block with elaborate ironwork front.

Harris Block facade details with ironwork front by Mesker Brothers Iron Works of Evansville, IN.

Streetscape along Central City's Main Street.

Former grocery store (now Visitor Center (121 Main St.) & I.O.O.F. buildings on Main Street.

I.O.O.F. building (123 Main St.).

Hawley Merchandise Company Building (121 Main St.).

Central City Elks Lodge (113 Main St.).

Streetscape along Main Street with Harris Block.

Dostal Block (1874) (118 Main St.) now Papone's Palace Casino.

Coyote Creek Casino.

Old Wells Fargo Express Office at north end of Main Street.

Teller House Hotel (1872) (120 Eureka St.) where President Ulysses S. Grant stayed (1873).
On National Register.

Entrance to Teller House, location of town's first phone in 1879.

Central City Opera House (1878) (124 Eureka St.).
On National Register.

Central City Opera House home of Opera festival.

Central City Opera House with surrounding town & hills.

Gilpin County Courthouse (1900) (203 Eureka St.).

Victorian cottage (210 E High St.).

St. Paul's Church (1873) (226 E High St.).

Steeple of St. Paul's Church.

Gilpin History Museum (1870) (228 E High St.).

Landscape of Central City from St. Mary's of the Assumption Catholic Church up to Coeur d'Alene mine.

Former Colorado Central Rail Station, now a casino.

Colorado Central Railroad steam locomotive #77.

Lace House (1866) now isolated among casinos. Style: Carpenter Gothic.

Details of Lace House.

Heritage buildings on Gregory Street form front of casino.

Black Hawk Station casino.

Casino uses wild west architecture.

Remnants of old Black Hawk.

Durham ad preserved along with wild west atmosphere.

Central City seen from "Oh My God" Road.

"Oh My God" Road, so called because of its curves & steep drops.

Rocky Mountains from "Oh My God" Road.


All photos on this page are originals by & copyrighted by Jim Steinhart.
All rights reserved. Permission required to use.