Churches, parishes, and irrigation ditches embody communal living in the San Luis Valley. For generations, the Valley’s residents have relied on these assets and their local community to survive. However, these resources have become increasingly difficult to maintain with the dwindling population. As part of the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant, a Mexican land grant to help establish efforts to settle the northernmost regions, Costilla County is home to the oldest permanent settlements in Colorado. These pobladores, or settlers, brought their religious and social customs north, many of which are still practiced in the San Luis Valley today. Many towns established during this mid-19th-century period were named after Catholic saints for protection. The churches constructed in the few years after settlement soon formed the backbone of the mission towns and still reflected the continuity of the community. The nine churches associated with this listing are all owned by the Diocese of Pueblo and are in varying degrees of condition. Limited access to funding has increased concerns over the longevity of these important resources. Mayordomos, or caretakers of the town’s irrigation ditches and churches, do everything they can to protect these buildings and make repairs as they are needed. Most churches operate on donations and volunteer work, and this is the main reason many of them are standing today.
Churches by Name:
- Capilla de Viejo San Acacio, San Acacio (c.1866)
- Sacred Heart Church, Garcia (1944)
- Saint Anthony Church, Chama (1938)
- Most Precious Blood Catholic Church, San Luis (1886)
- Holy Family Church, Fort Garland (1949)
- Iglesia de San Pedro y San Pablo, San Pedro (1939)
- Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción, Chama (1938)
- Iglesia de San Francisco de Assisi, San Francisco (1950s)
- Capilla de San Isidro, Los Fuertes (1934)