The 1877 Hinsdale County Courthouse is still doing its original job

Lake City has a working courthouse that is also a piece of living history.

The Hinsdale County Courthouse was built in 1877, soon after the county itself was organized. What makes it stand out is that it has never stopped being a courthouse. History Colorado describes it as the oldest courthouse in the state still used for its original purpose, and county business is still carried out there. Some of its original furnishings have stayed in place over the years.

The building has its own stories too. Accounts say Susan B. Anthony spoke in Lake City in 1877 about women’s right to vote, and the courthouse is tied to the famous trial of Alfred Packer in the 1880s. Those threads make it more than a place to file paperwork.

For a buyer or new resident, the practical point is simpler. This is the seat of county government, the place where many county records and offices live. In a small county, the courthouse is often the first stop for questions about property records, the assessor, and the treasurer.

To confirm the courthouse’s history and what offices it houses, check History Colorado and the Hinsdale County government site.