Year Listed: 2023
County: Costilla
Construction Date: 1913
Threat When Listed: Demolition by Neglect, Weather Exposure, Lack of Resources
The Garcia School was one of 11 initial adobe schools built in Costilla County before consolidation in 1963 and is one of the last structurally sound adobe buildings in the area known as the Plaza de los Manzanares, dating back to 1849. The perfectly square building sits on the site of the first Hispano settlement in Colorado. The building retains many historic elements and is relatively intact. The school has great potential as a remote learning center for the Centennial School District and as a community resource.
“The Centennial School District R-1 is looking to preserve and protect the Garcia School as part of the district’s history and heritage by making sure the building is architecturally sound and also safe to occupy for future use.” – Toby Melster and Chris Rodriguez, Centennial Superintendent and School Board President
Garcia School was built in 1913 and is listed on the State Register of Historic Properties. It is suffering from weather exposure, deterioration, abandonment, lack of maintenance and funding, and its isolated setting. At one time, the school served as a library and Head Start location. The Centennial School District, however, has received $3.2 million in grant funding from the Connecting Colorado Students Grant Program to build out its internet in nearby San Luis and establish a Remote Learning Center at Garcia School that will enable all students who have Centennial-provided equipment to access this Internet bandwidth. This was something that was not possible during the COVID pandemic when schools shut down and students were isolated without Internet access.
CPI will help the school district develop partnerships and access technical assistance to preserve the building and position it as a remote learning center.
