Saint Elmo, Colorado

For historic districts named after Erasmus of Formia, see St. Elmo Historic District (disambiguation). For other uses, see St. Elmo (disambiguation) and San Telmo (disambiguation).
Saint Elmo Historic District
Buildings along Main Street
Saint Elmo, Colorado is located in Colorado
Saint Elmo, Colorado
Saint Elmo, Colorado is located in the United States
Saint Elmo, Colorado
LocationPitkin, Gunnison, 1st., Main and Poplar Sts., Saint Elmo, Colorado
Coordinates38°42′17″N 106°20′42″W / 38.70472°N 106.34500°W / 38.70472; -106.34500
Area70 acres (28 ha)
NRHP reference No.79000577[1]
CSRHP No.5CF.139
Added to NRHPSeptember 17, 1979

Saint Elmo is a ghost town in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States.[2] Founded in 1880, Saint Elmo lies in the heart of the Sawatch Range, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Buena Vista and sits at an elevation of 9,961 feet (3,036 m). Nearly 2,000 people settled in this town when mining for gold and silver started. The mining industry started to decline in the early 1920s, and in 1922 the railroad discontinued service. The community is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Saint Elmo Historic District.[1] It is one of Colorado's best preserved ghost towns.

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Saint Elmo (historical)