Carlile School, Pueblo, Colorado

Carlile School in Pueblo is a stunning example of architecture. Now I admit I have been studying architecture since never, but I know good art when I see it. I have always looked at old buildings and admired the columns, bricks and masonry, and I’ve always looked up their use. I’ve looked at history many times for addresses and I was never really interested in studying building design until now. I looked into the information I could find about this school and dug up things that likely everyone knows, but I’ll share anyway. 

Heading to another part of town I came up the 4th street bridge as usual. As I was driving, I saw the fence around the school and realized that something was missing. Children. I went around the block and parked in the front. When I got out of my Jeep and looked at the school closer, I realized how beautiful it truly is. Awe would be the best word to describe what I was seeing. 

I am never surprised that my favorite things are usually hidden in plain sight. I live in a county over and come to Pueblo here and there. I felt silly that I had never noticed this architecture before! I also didn’t know that the school was closed until a few days ago. I read that it was an emergency closure due to roof and HVAC concerns. I read a great deal about the Principal Inez Chase in the early years, and the teachers that kept the students all those years. I could hear the voices of those in the halls still, though I was only standing on the sidewalk admiring the beauty before me.  

What a historical loss this is for the area. I truly hope that this does not go to ruin like so many other things do. I stepped back and breathed in the details. The sun came over the peak of the roof as I approached. I saw the tiled roof and the arched entry. I walked up the walk to the base of the steps and just stopped to really see what was before me.

First of all, the carvings stopped me dead in my tracks. How beautiful that wording and the carvings are. I am always attracted to anything artful. I’ve seen that lettering or very similar lettering style recently on the Belle Plain School building in East Pueblo, the schoolhouse on the east side near the junkyards. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had the same architect. I did see an article in 1921 regarding a new school called Belle Plain to be built. I will look into it. 

And now for the floral elements… Oh my zen seeking brain, that was a wonderful sight. When I saw those flowers, my jaw hit the floor.  I admit I am a sucker for anything floral. I could draw and paint flowers for days and years without regret. The floral design is reminiscent of Victorian woodwork on a beautiful archway to me. Anytime I see florals on a headstone, it catches my attention. I looked up at the windows and down the sides, my jaw returning to its original position. Then I saw the woodwork in the entryway and my jaw hit the floor again.  As I pulled away, my mind reeled on not only how beautiful it was, but the history of the building as well. 

I came home and did a little digging into the information on the building. I had a little trouble with finding the history on it. Then I realized there was another school first. This was the second one. The architect, Walter DeMourdaunt, built the school in 1929 after the original larger school had a partial collapse of a chimney and was torn down. The original was built in 1890 and it featured an iconic arch and tall chimneys. One chimney would fail and it collapsed through the roof one night. Wood heat would have been used back then and the tall brick chimneys would be rather large and tall for them to work properly. The photos of the old building show massive chimneys towering above the 2nd floor.  The repairs were too extensive for a 40 year old building and plans for a new one began immediately. The new building started in 1929 was built in Spanish style with that iconic arch in use.

There are many stories of nearby adobe houses being built from the razed brick and stones from the old school. I found numerous stories and articles involving the original building in old newspapers. In December 1903, a small fire nearly caused a mass panic when an artificial grate caught fire and the large crowd began to flee. Thankfully it was put out very quickly and the large crowd settled. I also found an article in October 1909 about a small fire near the school furnace that was caught quickly by the janitor. Quick response left no damage to the building that could be seen. Another story tells about a hail storm so bad it broke all the windows from the original building. I spend hours reading stories from the school. Another broken window story came up in August of 1895 when 3 boys were in court for breaking windows out of the school. 

As the years skip on, numberous articles stretched into the horizon for the old and the new school. The vote to improve school in 1931, included adding new buildings to Carlile and Bessemer Schools. Tales of the children and the teachers through the many years just carried on down memory lanes for those that attended the school. Thousands of stories likely float in the atmosphere for anyone that lives nearby or attended the school. The echoes of the halls are likely loud, clear and full of laughter. Generations of children and their families that have used the halls for School Fairs and Elementary Programs. School board meetings and all the things that schools and their communities gather for. 

I have officially declared that I need to watch for beautiful architecture more and really begin to appreciate that part of history. I have been looking into schools to visit and learn about.  When you begin to watch closely for such things, you see with new eyes. Just like old yarn, if you are watching for a volkswagen, you will see 20, however if you watch for a motorcycle, you will stop seeing the volkswagen and see only the motorcycles. Manifestation is retraining your brain to watch for the things you want to see! I suppose this is why I have noticed Carlile School and Belle Plain in my outings lately. 

I will be looking more into architecture of this gentleman also in my very, very near future. There are a half billion churches and old buildings on my list to see at some point, and these Schools are now on my ever growing radar. So more to come on this later, and I will be visiting the gravestone of this architect soon and studying all about him if I can find more information. He is buried in Roselawn Cemetery which is on my list to visit soon. 

Never stop adeventuring! #notforgottencolorado