The Frontenac and Aduddell Mines: Preserving Heritage and Promoting Health through Public Access

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Community Centered Archaeology in Colorful Colorado", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The Frontenac and Aduddell Mine Complex, located on mountainous private property in Gilpin County, Colorado, was a major player during the heyday of hard rock mining in Colorado. An up-to-date archaeological inventory of the property informed a successful National Register listing in 2020. Concurrently, with a community-minded desire to share the significant archaeology and history of the Complex, the property owner conducted stabilization and restoration on extant buildings, including an impressive shafthouse, and developed a hiking trail through the site. Open to the public and lined with interpretive signs that were installed with assistance from the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety, the trail encourages community appreciation of the area’s archaeology and history and, with the steep grade up the mountain, fosters community physical health. The Frontenac and Aduddell presents a shining example of the confluence of archaeology and preservation with community inclusion and well-being.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Community Centered Archaeology in Colorful Colorado   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2025

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow