The Impact of Gambling on Historic Resources in Central City
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ROLLING THE DICE IN COLORADO: THE IMPACT OF GAMBLING ON HISTORIC RESOURCES IN CENTRAL CITY AND BLACK HAWK by CYNTHIA NICOLE BRADLEY (Under the Direction of James Reap) ABSTRACT Central City and Black Hawk are two important historic mining towns in Colorado. The legalization of gambling in these two towns in 1990 has brought significant change to both towns. This thesis seeks to discover the major impacts to historic resources and the degree to which the integrity of the National Historic Landmark District, which each town is a part of, has been compromised. In order to accomplish this, the historical importance and appearance of each town, why these towns turned to legalized gambling, and how the limited gambling amendment has been carried out will be addressed. An examination of local preservation organizations, design guidelines, and ordinances will establish a clear approach to preservation for each town. Major impacts on historic resources will be discussed giving insight to the degree of historic integrity which remains in each town. INDEX WORDS: Central City; Black Hawk; Colorado; National Historic Landmark District; Gambling; Historic Resources ROLLING THE DICE IN COLORADO: THE IMPACT OF GAMBLING ON HISTORIC RESOURCES IN CENTRAL CITY AND BLACK HAWK by CYNTHIA NICOLE BRADLEY B.A., University of North Carolina at Asheville, 2007 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER’S OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION ATHENS, GEORGIA 2013 © 2013 Cynthia Nicole Bradley All Rights Reserved ROLLING THE DICE IN COLORADO: THE IMPACT OF GAMBLING ON HISTORIC RESOURCES IN CENTRAL CITY AND BLACK HAWK by CYNTHIA NICOLE BRADLEY Major Professor: James Reap Committee: Mark Reinberger Stephen Ramos Robert Jaeger Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2013 DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this thesis to my family. My parents’ unwavering support and encouragement is a blessing that I am thankful for every day. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Professor James Reap for his guidance and direction throughout the process of writing this thesis. I would also like to thank the rest of my reading committee, Mark Reinberger, Stephen Ramos, and Rob Jaeger for their assistance with this project. Lastly, I would like to thank all of the Colorado preservation professionals, historians, librarians, organizations, and the many folks who I was able to speak with in Central City and Black Hawk and aided in the research of this thesis. I would like to especially thank Dan Corson, Deon Wolfenbarger, Gloria Gaines, Cynthia Linker, the staff of the Colorado Historical Society, the Western History and Genealogy Collection at Denver Public Library, and the Gilpin County Historical Society. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................x CHAPTER 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................1 The Setting ...................................................................................................3 Purpose of Thesis .........................................................................................7 Thesis Question ............................................................................................7 Limitations of Research ...............................................................................8 Research Methodology ................................................................................8 Thesis Structure ...........................................................................................9 2 Literature Review.............................................................................................11 History of Colorado-Mining Towns and Architecture...............................11 History of Central City and Black Hawk ...................................................13 Gambling in Frontier Mining Towns .........................................................14 Gambling as an Economic Development Tool ..........................................14 Gambling’s Impact in Historic Communities ............................................15 vi Historic Preservation in Colorado-in relationship to gambling .................17 3 Historical Context ............................................................................................19 Pikes Peak Gold Rush ................................................................................19 Gregory Mining District ............................................................................21 Colorado Mining Towns: Planning and Organization ...............................23 Central City ................................................................................................24 Black Hawk ................................................................................................32 Decline of Mining Towns ..........................................................................38 Tourism ......................................................................................................39 Continued Deterioration of Central City and Black Hawk ........................41 4 Legalization of Gambling in Central City and Black Hawk ............................46 Gambling in Historic Mining Towns .........................................................46 Gambling as a Tool for Economic Development ......................................47 Amendment 4 .............................................................................................51 Gambling Development .............................................................................53 Economic Impact of Amendment 4 ...........................................................55 Issues with Amendment 4 ..........................................................................57 Gambling in Central City and Black Hawk Today ....................................58 5 Approaches to Preservation: An Assessment of Preservation Practices in Central City and Black Hawk ..........................................................................62 Designation as a National Historic Landmark District ..............................62 Approaches to Preservation in Central City ...............................................66 Approaches to Preservation in Black Hawk ..............................................70 vii 6 Gambling’s Impact in Central City and Black Hawk ......................................78 New Infrastructure and Infill Construction to Support Gambling Development ..............................................................................................78 Alterations to Existing Historic Buildings for Casino Use ........................92 Relocation ................................................................................................108 Demolitions ..............................................................................................113 7 Conclusion .....................................................................................................118 Effect on National Historic Landmark District ........................................122 Recommendations for Central City and Black Hawk ..............................124 Recommendations for Success ................................................................125 Overview ..................................................................................................129 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................131 APPENDICES A Gambling Amendment to the Colorado Constitution ....................................136 B Map of Central City .......................................................................................144 C Map of Black Hawk .......................................................................................145 D Map of National Historic Landmark District .................................................146 E Map of Black Hawk’s Portion of the National Historic Landmark District ..147 viii LIST OF TABLES Page Table 6.1: Changes in Central City ....................................................................................79 Table 6.2: Changes in Black Hawk....................................................................................80 Table 7.1: Summary of Conclusions ................................................................................128 Table 7.2: Recommendations for Central City and Black Hawk .....................................128 Table 7.3: Recommendations for Success .......................................................................129 ix LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1.1: General Map of Colorado with Gilpin County Highlighted..............................5 Figure 1.2: Detail Map of Central City and Black Hawk ....................................................5 Figure 1.3: Map of Central City ...........................................................................................6 Figure 1.4: Map of Black Hawk ..........................................................................................6 Figure 3.1: Central City