Conducted by Larry Fredrick, as part of a state funded project for the City of Aspen Preservation Commission in 1995-1996, the paper provides insights into a select number of historic structures identified by most citizens.

Rational:

Few m1ning communities have overcome the inevitable economic bust which follows the initial mining boom. Communities that have overcome this economic bust. including Aspen. are notable exceptions and often capitalize on the mining past by preserving buildings and structures that have survived their heritage. How various members of the community interact and view these structures as well as how the structures have been adapted to the changing times is the focus of this work. It is also the intent of this work to establish a format for continuation as time and future financing allow.

Introduction:

The American West is littered with abandoned mining claims, camps and towns: such is the boom and bust legacy of mining immense. To a great extent. how successful the mining boom was. determines what remains of the original community today. For examo1e: the State of Colorado is littered with any number of mining sites. most are today simply scars on a landscape and largely go unnoticed. Some mining communities however, were substantial enough to have
survive their abandonment only to become ·ghost towns’ and still fewer communities have managed to survive their former legacy, retain a population and adapt to changing economic conditions. Aspen Colorado is such a community. Like other mining communities Aspen now uses its mining heritage to advantage when promoting the uniqueness of the community. An architectural survey of the community can reveal a large amount of information regarding the former mining, the present economy and the metamorphosis of change in the community over the years.