Willing to Wander
History Tucked into the Suburban Present Victor Block
Stepping off the train Littleton a mini-magnet for after a short ride from a foodies. modern metropolis, I was Shopping also has a local immediately introduced to a focus. One example is Reinke world that no longer exists. Bros., a Halloween superstore More than 50 houses, with a focus on ghosts, business establishments, goblins, and ghouls. Strolling churches, and other buildings through the twisted tangle provide an introduction to of aisles brings shoppers facesmall-town America during to-face with skulls, skeletons, th th the 19 and early 20 and other merchandise centuries. that ranges from fun to A tiny log home built in frightening. The tower of the Columbine Mill, built in Louthan House (circa 1905-1909) is now 1861 is dwarfed by a larger Walking provides an 1901, looks out over Littleton. home to the Café Terracotta. dairy spread. A general store introduction to a virtual that operated in the late outdoor art museum. Some 1800s stands near a depot three dozen sculptures where trains of the fabled — plus friezes, paintings, Atchison, Topeka, and Santa and other works — adorn Fe Railway once stopped. sidewalks, buildings, and This setting greets parks. passengers disembarking Not to be outdone by art from light rail trains aficionados, theatergoers are connecting Denver with drawn to the Town Hall Littleton, Colorado, 20 Arts Center. Over time, that minutes away in time but elaborately decorated Italian more than a century removed Renaissance building has in atmosphere. The setting is housed the town offices, Passages, painted by Michelle Lamb in Year of Sundays by Rich Sargeant akin to entering a Norman volunteer fire department, 2000, is a 40-foot-wide mural sitting just commemorated Littleton’s 100th Rockwell painting of life as court, and jail. It’s now the below the historic Denver and Rio Grande anniversary in 1990. it used to be and, in some site of theater productions, railroad depot. ways, still is. concerts, and other cultural The first view of Littleton offerings. that people arriving by train encounter is displayed on A very different aspect of the past is explored at a 40-foot-wide mural on a wall of the railroad station the Littleton Museum. In keeping with its name, that platform. The colorful composition depicts more than institution has permanent exhibits that trace the area’s 50 historic structures, some long gone and others still history, from the time when Arapaho, Cheyenne, and standing. Ute Native Americans passed through to the pioneer The seeds of the settlement were planted in 1859, era to more recent days. when the Pikes Peak gold rush attracted miners to the Its role as an affiliate of the Smithsonian community, along with merchants and farmers who Institution, along with the attractions of two living came to supply and feed them. history farms, are part of the reason why it’s ranked Since that modest birth, Littleton has expanded among the most outstanding history museums in the into a suburban community. The action is centered country. around a stretch of Main Street. The favorite attractions for many visitors are two Since its start as a gold-rush settlement A walking tour is a good way to take in historic living history settings that recreate farm life in the in 1859, Littleton has expanded into a buildings and get a feel for the setting. Begin at the 1860s and 1890s. suburban community centered around a light rail depot, a Victorian-style stone building The older spread represents a pioneer homestead stretch of Main Street. constructed in 1875. Another train station and a during the area’s settlement period. Wandering from vintage caboose parked next door serve as an art gallery. a modest, and modestly furnished, cabin to a reconstructed log barn, sitting at The tower of the Columbine Mill, built in 1901 as a grain elevator, looks out a desk in a one-room schoolhouse and chatting with a blacksmith as he toils at over the town. his trade, increased my appreciation for modern-day amenities often taken for The charming Louthan House (circa 1905-1909), named for its builder, granted. is home to the Café Terracotta, one of a number of restaurants that make Adding to the realistic setting are costumed interpreters who demonstrate
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September 2021
50plus LIFE
www.50plusLifePA.com
