Rockvale, Colorado

Rockvale, Colorado was homesteaded by Colonel William Horace May in 1863. Col. May moved to the area from nearby Beaver Creek (present day Penrose) after his farm was flooded a few times. He built his home near Oak Creek and found the coal deposit after digging a ditch for irrigating. Little did he know that the coal deposit was absolutely huge. 

In 1880, the coal mines began on a small scale until Col. May leased his land to Canon City Coal Company. Then Rockvale began booming with miners, company stores, schools and more. The town of Rockvale was incorporated in 1896. Over the years, the Rockvale mines would produce an astounding amount of coal. The total coal production was said to be 4.5 million tons. The mine would eventually close due to flooding in 1927. Ash dumps can still be seen all over the region from the many coal mines that once were. 

The old schoolhouse used now as Town Hall (White Building) was built in 1883 and served the area very well in its heyday. At its peak, 350 students were enrolled in this 4 room schoolhouse. A 2 story brick building was added to house more students. The brick building was removed when they closed the school, it was located just south of the schoolhouse. The school would close in the 1960s and students would transfer to the nearby Florence School. The schoolhouse is located up on the hill on Rockafellow St. along with a small cottage to the north. Originally there were 3 small cottages along with the school. One of the small cottages is now used as a community building, the other two were moved to Penrose and Canon City. 

The Brown building, that served as Town Hall for many, many years now serves as a municipal storage building and is part of the town shop. Built in 1913 the structure is a very interesting one. The front of the building faces Railroad Street, the rear is a drive out basement sitting a level below the front on the side of the hill. My understanding is that this was one of the original Firehouses of the town. The doors in the back were to house the fire engines. Made of local stone, it has been the center of town for longer than I can remember. The old steps going down to the basement garage were stone, wood and were amazing. The backroom served as the council chambers for many years. 

The little red fire house on the hill was built around 1890, housed a horse drawn pump cart at one time. As with many old western towns, fire ravaged the town from time to time. A devastating fire would destroy the town hall, jail and all the records in 1919. A movie was being shown and the projector would catch fire upstairs. Several other businesses were also destroyed in that fire. This little building was constructed on top of the hill to serve the houses and school located up there. It is on the corner of Clelland Street and Bowie Street. Looking west from the ballpark, you’ll see the nice new red paint. Careful of the neighborhood dogs!

Many of the original buildings are still standing but not pictured here. The YMCA is now a private residence, located in a central area across from the park. The Vezetti Store is also a private residence, but still remains on May Street. May’s cabin was moved to Miner’s Park from its original location and is still standing. A drive around town consists of historic houses and buildings. Many of the old houses were offices and businesses for the mines.

#notforgottencolorado