303-278-3557

Colorado School of Mines – Berthoud Hall


AddressN.W. corner of Illinois and 16th Streets, Golden, 80401
QuadGolden, 1965 (1994)
SectionS34, T3S, R70W
Elevation5770
SourceHoyt, M., "A Short History of the Colorado School of Mines," 1948; Norman, C., Golden Old and New"; CSM Office of Institutional Advancement, 3/2/92; "Rocky Mountain News," 8/8/69; CSM Office of Public Information, 1/16/66.
Initialdate1997-04-23 00:00:00-06
PersonSG
HistoryBerthoud Hall was designed by Temple Hoyne Buell, who became a very well known and well regarded architect. The construction of the building was a project of the WPA, a Federal program that helped put people to work during the depression of the 1930s. The building is adorned with terra cotta figures and other ornamentation. Its exterior appearance is unique. The building was dedicated to the memory of Captain Edward R. Berthoud, who came to Golden in 1860. He then served under Colonel Leavenworth during the Civil War and distinguished himself in that conflict. Captain Berthoud's first job in Golden was to survey the original town plat. He followed this up by working on the surveying and construction of a railroad line up Clear Creek Canyon. Captain Bethoud joined the faculty of the Colorado School of Mines in 1872 to teach civil engineering and geology. In 1880 he began teaching mining engineering and geology. In addition to these duties, he also served on the Board of Trustees from 1874-1904. Captain Berthoud discovered the first pass through the central Rocky Mountains. The pass bears his name. The building is used to teach geology and geologic engineering. The building also houses the school's Geological Museum. In 1966 it became a world class collection of rocks and minerals when the collections of the Colorado Historical Society and the Colorado State Bureau of Mines were added to the CSM collection. The museum also houses the Hoffman Murals, depictions of mining over the ages. The building was also the scene of a tragedy in 1969. Three young teenagers managed to get into the elevator when it was on the second floor. One climbed up through the ceiling hatch to see how the elevator worked. While leaning over the edge of the car to see how it worked, his friends moved the car about "six inches." It moved enough for the counter-weights to crush the boy's skull.
Active1
LifecyclestatusActive