Crystal Mill, an oft-photographed piece of Colorado’s history that balances majestically on a rock outcrop above the Crystal River, is now on a precipice of a different kind. The mill sits right at the intersection of our mining past and the booming real estate market of our current times, and its future is looking uncertain.
Located near Marble, the iconic structure, which was actually a turbine-wheel powerhouse built in 1893 to generate air for air-drill mining, is currently the property of a private owner and is facing a possible sale.
While there is no information as to what would happen to the mill after the sale, a non-profit foundation is hoping to preserve the mill and ensure it is protected for years to come.
A group of people from all over Colorado are banding together to save the Crystal Mill from “almost certain destruction,” a Crystal Mill foundation spokesperson said.
“Our long term goal would be for to once and for all preserve something that people think is already preserved,” said Heather Leigh, the Crystal Mill Foundation president.
The Crystal Mill, a beautiful relic of Colorado’s colorful mining past, has stood crazily on a rock outcrop above the Crystal River in the Elk mountains since 1893. But after withstanding more than a century of harsh winters in a rugged, remote setting near the ghost town of Crystal, its days may be numbered.
The Crystal Mill historic site is an iconic bucket list location that many adventurers hope to visit in the future. However, one group fears that visiting this 1890s structure might not always be a possibility. A non-profit group called the Crystal Mill Foundation has been formed with the goal of purchasing the land that Crystal Mill is built on in order to prevent the historic site from possible future destruction.
The Crystal Mill, a beautiful relic of Colorado’s colorful mining past, has stood crazily on a rock outcrop above the Crystal River in the Elk mountains since 1893. But after withstanding more than a century of harsh winters in a rugged, remote setting near the ghost town of Crystal, its days may be numbered.
An effort to preserve the 130 year old Crystal Mill, built in the 1880s, has resulted in the formation of a new foundation. The Crystal Mill Foundation has purchased the property from the private family owners to prevent it from possible destruction.
According to foundation president Heather Leigh, purchasing the Crystal Mill and placing it into this nonprofit foundation allows the mill to be preserved and managed for the next generations of visitors. The foundation intends to install much-needed health and safety measures like public restrooms and public drinking water for hikers, bikers and other recreationalists. It also will be able to create a safe way to get down to the water’s edge by installing stone steps and an observation area so the young and old can experience the mill together in a safe way.
The Crystal Mill has a shot at permanent protection, provided a new nonprofit can raise the money to buy the property before it’s sold to the highest bidder.
“It’s about preserving something magical,” explained Crystal Mill Foundation President Heather Leigh. “Who doesn’t want to be part of saving the most iconic structure in the state?”
Some new things have been happening in Crystal City — but they’re rooted in old things.
Emmett Gould saw the value of the remote mining town and the picturesque “mill” nearby more than a century ago and set about consolidating the claims.
MARBLE — This small, remote outpost of Gunnison County near the headwaters of the Crystal River has long been left to its own devices.
Marble, a sleepy hamlet, is home to roughly 130 people, many of them retirees and other people who moved here for the peace and quiet. There is no cell service, Wi-Fi is available at just two locations and only one street is paved. The tourism association’s motto is “Colorado like it used to be” — and that’s how most people in Marble like it.
