Castle Rock (1871; 6,202 feet) was first settled as an agricultural community to support mining camps and Denver. Hungry early travelers supposedly called the butte northeast of town Pound Cake. Better known as Castle Rock, it gave its name to the town at its base, which became the Douglas County seat in 1874. Castle Rock became best known for nearby rhyolite quarries. Many residents could not afford the fine local stone: Castle Rock's modest early homes are typified by the one-story frame Wilson Cottage (1897) at 704 Wilcox Street. Early commercial architecture is commemorated by the shed with false front at 313 3rd Street.
More grandiose new developments on the outskirts of town are epitomized by Castle Pines, an upscale 1980s residential enclave in the rolling foothills and meadows five miles north of Castle Rock. Its master plan calls for architect-designed custom houses and townhouses on 2,700 of approximately 6,000 acres. Castle Pines Village, west of I-25 on Happy Canyon Road, boasts two golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus.
Writing Credits
If SAH Archipedia has been useful to you, please consider supporting it.
SAH Archipedia tells the story of the United States through its buildings, landscapes, and cities. This freely available resource empowers the public with authoritative knowledge that deepens their understanding and appreciation of the built environment. But the Society of Architectural Historians, which created SAH Archipedia with University of Virginia Press, needs your support to maintain the high-caliber research, writing, photography, cartography, editing, design, and programming that make SAH Archipedia a trusted online resource available to all who value the history of place, heritage tourism, and learning.