Durango Sites

"Pre-dating 1910, the station is one of the oldest U.S. Forest Service administrative sites in Colorado. Extensively remodeled by the Civilian Conservation Corps during 1935-36, the station was part of the campaign of natural resources enhancement undertaken during the New Deal era. The five wood-frame buildings comprising the station reflect the Forest Service’s ideals of simplicity, harmony with nature, and use of natural materials."   (www.historycolorado.org)

Now the privately-owned Smiley Building, what had been constructed as the Smiley Junior High School was built as a New Deal project with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds. "With a design from Colorado Springs Architect Charles Thomas and funding from a $97,000 bond and an $86,198 grant from FDR's Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works, the School District initiated work on the new building in 1935.  The contractor, Raymond C. Whitlock, completed the work the following year for a price of $191,188.  The School District declared the building surplus in 1995 when they abandoned Smiley Junior High...