A Historic Hub

The beautiful and important Depot celebrates its past and looks to the future

BY MARTINIQUE DAVIS

Every small town has a space that functions as a nucleus, a place from which social and cultural currents emanate outwards like circuits into the greater network of the community.

Telluride’s Depot building has long been one of those spaces.

This National Historic Landmark, originally built in 1891 as a station for the Rio Grande Southern Railway, has evolved alongside the community throughout Telluride’s different iterations. As Telluride evolved from boom-to-bust mining town to renowned resort destination, the Depot building has largely preserved its function as an important center of interaction and engagement. Its newest chapter, as the home of Telluride Science, looks to continue that trend.

The Depot was built at the height of the San Juan silver boom, as the Telluride station on the

Durango to Ridgway railway. It served as the local hub of transportation and commerce for the next 60 years, moving the minerals generated by the surrounding mines, as well as goods and travelers. During this time, the building was also home to the town’s telegraph office, and thus became the nexus of communication from Telluride to the outside world.

While the local mining industry survived the Silver Crisis of 1893, thanks in large part to the other minerals such as zinc, copper and gold discovered in area mines, Telluride’s standing as a mining boomtown wouldn’t last forever. Market pressures, world wars, and a steady decline in population ultimately led to the Rio Grande Southern ceasing operations in 1951, leaving the Depot building deserted for the next four decades.

Telluride’s revival as a recreation resort destination in the 1970s prompted steady growth in

the town. It wasn’t until 1990, however, that the Depot saw its first reinvigoration. After decades of neglect, the building was in a severe state of disrepair, so new owners Chuck and Sue Cobb undertook a major project in restoring the historic building, including lifting it and moving it onto a new foundation.

After renovations were complete, the Depot began its next 20 years as a prime location for local food and beverage businesses. In 1991 James Loo opened the San Juan Brewing Co. at the Depot, with the now-famous String Cheese Incident band playing its first-ever paid gig in the space on New Year’s Eve 1993. Harmon Brown then opened Harmon’s at the Depot restaurant in 1996, ushering a new era of fine dining there.

By 2007, the restaurant had closed and the space had become home to one of Telluride’s iconic nonprofit organizations, the Ah Haa School for the Arts. For the next 13 years, art students of all ages found inspiration within the old building, as it once again became a true com-

munity space for art classes, shows, fundraisers, weddings and special events.

Meanwhile, Telluride Science, another iconic Telluride entity, was in the hunt for a permanent home. Following an impressive fundraising campaign, the organization purchased the Depot in October of 2020, and immediately leased it to the Telluride Medical Center to support the community’s response to the pandemic. In the fall, Telluride Science began renovations which will bring the beautiful Depot into its next era, as the nucleus of scientific exploration, providing classroom, meeting and casual spaces for the scientists who flock to Telluride each summer to participate in the organization’s renowned programming.

Mark Kozak, executive director of Telluride Science, says the Depot has long held the imagi-nation of the scientists who have visited the space over the years to participate in meetings and other events. “The scientists always loved the character and sense of place of the building and the property and found it ideal for innovation and collaboration,” he says, adding that the intent of the building’s new design is to maintain that sense of place.

As he explains, The Depot’s renovation will lean into a mix of contemporary and industrial design, “to reflect the frontiers of science and technology while paying tribute to the history of the building and Telluride.”

When complete, the Depot will once again serve as a nexus for interaction and exchange, continuing this celebrated building’s colorful history.

WE LOVE THE DEPOT

When work is complete, the Depot will be a mix of contemporary and industrial design elements, reflecting the frontiers of science and technology while paying tribute to the history of the building and Telluride. It’s a project that is expected to culminate in a grand opening in 2024. Telluride Science’s director of donor relations, Annie Carlson, urges anyone interested in supporting this critical restoration to visit telluridescience.org/donate.